this is adam’s favorite cheesecake of all time. he requests as his birthday cake every year. making it is a bit time consuming, but the majority of the time is baking and cooling. i’ve tried a number of methods to keep cheesecakes from cracking, and included them in the recipe. the main things to keep in mind are not over-beating, keeping it moist and cooling very slowly.
crust:
ingredients:
1 sleeve chocolate graham crackers, crushed (about 1 – 1.5 cups)
1/4 c. butter, melted
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
directions:
preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
medium mixing bowl, combine ingredients, stir with a fork to mix. spread evenly on the bottom of a 9″ springform pan. press with fingers or a fork to form a firm, even crust.
bake crust for 10 minutes.
filling:
ingredients
3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 1/4 c. white sugar
1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
3 eggs
1/2 c. sour cream
1/4 c. irish cream liqueur
directions
preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). place a large pan of water on the lower rack in the over. this will help keep the cheesecake moist while baking.
in a large bowl, combine cream cheese, white sugar, 1/4 cup cocoa and flour. beat at medium speed until blended and smooth. do not over mix.
add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. do not overbeat! this can cause air to be trapped which contributes to cracking.
blend in the sour cream and Irish cream liqueur; mixing on low speed. again, do not over beat.
pour filling into baked crust.
bake for 50 minutes. then turn off oven and leave cheesecake inside. use a knife to loosen from sides. this will help it cool very slowly to avoid cracking.
once the pan is cool enough to pick up with bare hands, remove from oven and place on wire rack to completely cool. placing a plate or foil on top to keep drafts out.
i suggest melting some chocolate and drizzling on top to garnish.
chill for at least 4 hours, but over night is better.
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December 18th, 2009 at 16:04
Make one for me! It’s nearly my birthday!
January 1st, 2010 at 21:06
Good work! Those guys at your competition (I don’t need to say who) don’t even have a clue! Keep it up! Thanks!
January 13th, 2010 at 14:02
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