Triple Chocolate Cheesecake

I love cheesecake. It is one of my favorite desserts and definitely my favorite style of cake. I haven't made one in a while, but sadly my cooking tools are limited at the apartment and a cheesecake pan is not a part of my limited array.

So I did what any devoted baker, that is also a broke student, would do. I borrowed (stole) a cheesecake pan from my parents!


The boyfriend had requested this rich chocolate cheesecake recipe, so one night after getting home from work I decided it was the perfect time to make it. Well....let me tell you, it is VERY difficult to make a cheesecake when you don't have a stand mixer. All I had was a fairly small bowl, and a little electric egg-beater that starts to smell like burning plastic if it gets over-heated...

It was quite the ordeal just to get the batter made. By the time I poured it onto the crust and got it ready for baking it was already midnight! Oh, how the time flies when you're having "fun" right?  And lucky for me, this cake gets to bake for 1 hour so guess who got to stay up and wait for it to come out of the oven?

The joys of baking, am I right?

Usually I hate having to wait for a cheesecake to chill overnight because I just want to try it right away, but by the time this was finished in the oven, I couldn't be happier to just shove it in the fridge and hit the hay!

This cheesecake did not disappoint in any way. It was rich, creamy, chocolatey delicious and it was a fantastic treat to have. We even had my parents over for dessert, so it was kind of like payment for letting me borrow (steal) their cheesecake pans!

Last Month: Smothered Steak and Smashed Potatoes

Triple Chocolate Cheesecake
Bake Time: 10mins + 1hr    Chill Time: Overnight    Yields one 9-inch cheesecake
Ingredients:
THE CRUST
1 1/2 cups Oreo cookie crumbs
3 Tbsps granulated sugar
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

THE CHEESECAKE
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tsps vanilla extract
1 tsp instant coffee
Three 8-ounce pkgs cream cheese, softened
3 Tbsps cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs

Directions:
THE CRUST
1) Heat oven to 400 F.
2) Stir together cookie crumbs, sugar and cinnamon until completely combined. Drizzle melted butter over dry mixture and stir until the crumbs are evenly moist.
3) Dump crust mixture into the bottom of a 9-inch cheesecake pan and press it evenly across the bottom and about an inch up the sides of the pan.
4) Bake for 10 minutes and set on a rack to cool. Lower the oven temperature to 300 F.

THE CHEESECAKE
1) Melt the bittersweet chocolate either on the stove, or in the microwave, until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.
2) In a separate bowl, mix together the sour cream, vanilla, and instant coffee, stirring occasionally until the instant coffee has completely dissolved.
3) In a mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese, cocoa, and salt until fairly smooth and fluffy. Add the sugar and continue beating until completely combined. Mix in the cooled chocolate, being sure to scrape the sides of the bowl. Add the sour cream mixture and beat until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until just blended (do not over beat once the eggs have been added).
4) Pour the filling over the crust and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake at 300 F for 60 minutes, or until the center of the cake barely jiggles when the pan is nudged.
5) Let cool at room temperature, then chill in the fridge over night. Serve as desired.


(Recipe adapted from Absolutely Chocolate)