An Award Winner
The basis of this recipe is a $100,000 Grand Prize contest winner. It’s been modified to be a near foolproof amazing dessert. Rich and decadent, this heavenly cheesecake has a blend of chocolate inside the coffee cheesecake. Even better, we’re serving this with a warm mocha sauce spooned on each slice.
The Cake Recipe
3 C – crushed Famous Chocolate Wafers (usually found with the ice cream toppings or cookie aisles in your grocery store)
(substitute chocolate graham crackers if you can’t find the Famous Wafers)
1/2 C – unsalted butter
1 C – sugar
2 lbs – cream cheese, room temperature
4 – large eggs
1 tsp – vanilla
2 0z. – coffee liqueur such as Kahlúa
1 tsp – powdered instant coffee
4 oz. – bittersweet chocolate
Steps
1 To make the crust, crush Chocolate Wafers in a plastic bag with a rolling pin or use a food processor, then stir in melted butter. Press into a greased 9 inch springform pan. For easier removal, cover the bottom with parchment paper. Bake for 10 minutes in a 350 oven then cool completely.
2 At medium speed, beat the sugar and cream cheese until completely combined. Mix in the vanilla, instant coffee powder and coffee liqueur. Beat in the eggs one at a time.
3 Melt the bittersweet chocolate. Use a microwave, a double boiler or a saucepan at very low temperatures. Let cool somewhat.
4 Reserve 1 cup of the cheesecake mixture and pour the remaining into the prepared crust. Stir the melted chocolate into 1 cup of reserved mixture. Gently swirl the chocolate mixture into the cake. Don’t overmix.
5 Bake in a 325 oven or about an hour. The cheesecake should just be set. With the oven door closed, turn off the oven and let the cake continue to bake for 30 minutes. Loosen the sides of the cake by running a thin knife around the edge then cool completely. Do not open the springform pan. Cover and chill for several hours in the fridge.
6 Remove the cake from the pan and serve with the warm Mocha Sauce
The Mocha Sauce Recipe
12 oz – semisweet chocolate
1 Tbl – unsalted butter
1/2 C – whipping or heavy cream
1/4 C – strong coffee
Steps
1 In a small saucepan, gently heat the chocolate, butter and cream. Stir frequently. Then stir in the coffee.
2 Cut and serve the cake, gently spooning the warm sauce over each slice.
3 If the sauce is made ahead of time, it may be gently reheated or microwaved.
With guests, I enjoy letting each top their slice with the sauce themselves. Mmmmm.