Did you know that Saturday was National Cheesecake Day? How could we miss an entire day devoted to cheesecake! Everyone loves cheesecake. New Yorkers make it extra tall and decadently rich. In Chicago, sour cream is often added to keep the texture creamy. Philadelphia-style cheesecake tends to be lighter and smoother, frequently served with fruit or chocolate toppings. The St. Louis version features a gooey butter cake with an additional cake layer atop the cheesecake filling. No matter how you prefer it, grab a fork and celebrate with this Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake recipe!
Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake
Makes 16 servings
20 chocolate wafer cookies
2 tablespoons butter
2 packages (8-oz each) cream cheese, softened
2 packages (8-oz each) 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened
1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 large eggs
2 packages (6-oz each) raspberries
2 ounce bar of semi-sweet chocolate
Preheat oven to 350ºF.
Prepare the crust: Place cookie wafers in a zip-top freezer bag or double bag. Crush with your fingers or roll with a rolling pin (or a food can) until you have about 1 cup of fine crumbs. Melt the butter in a saucepan or in the microwave, then stir in the crumbs until evenly coated. Press the crumb mixture firmly into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake for 5 minutes, then remove and let cool.
Reduce oven temperature to 325ºF.
Make the filling: In a large bowl, beat the softened cream cheeses until smooth. Add the sugar, cocoa powder and vanilla, starting on low speed and increasing to high, and beat until fully combined. Add the eggs one at a time, beating just until incorporated and scraping the bowl after each addition. Gently fold in 1 cup of raspberries. Pour the filling over the cooled crust.
Bake for 60–70 minutes, or until the center is just barely set; the edges may crack slightly. Turn the oven off and leave the cheesecake inside for 1 hour with the door ajar. Remove and cool completely on a wire rack. Cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight. Run a knife around the edge to loosen the cake and remove the springform rim.
Finish by topping the cheesecake with the remaining raspberries. Hold the semi-sweet chocolate bar over the cake and firmly slide a sharp vegetable peeler along its edge to create chocolate shavings that fall onto the cheesecake for decoration.
Recipe photo courtesy of the original source. Copyright 2010. All rights reserved.