Mom's Birthday Chocolate Cheese Cake

My Mom's birthday is today so I wanted to make her something special and it absolutely had to be chocolate.  My Mom is gaga for chocolate.  This creamy, rich chocolatey cheesecake is my gift to her. I gussied this cake up for her by piping chocolate ganache rosettes, then added some fresh local raspberries and placed a few fresh mint leaves from my garden on top.  No, I did'nt cut into it, the Birthday Girl gets the first piece!  Happy Birthday Mom, your the best!

Ingredients

 

For the crust...

 

6 oz. chocolate wafer cookies, divided

1 oz. granulated sugar

1 1/2 oz. of very soft butter

 

8" spring form pan, buttered and lined with a parchment circle.

Preheat oven to 375°.

 

1.   In a food processor, process chocolate wafers until finely ground.  (Reserve 2 oz. of crumbs and set aside.)  Add sugar and butter and pulse until butter is fully incorporated.

 

2.  Pour crumb mixture into a prepared spring form pan and press lightly all around the bottom of the pan. 

3.   Bake 8-10 minutes and remove to a wire rack to cool.

Reduce oven temperature to 325°.

For the Filling...

  

2 lbs. full fat cream cheese, softened to room temperature

10 oz. granulated sugar

1 1/2 oz. cocoa, sifted

5 large eggs, room temperature

1 tablespoon pure vanilla

4 oz. heavy cream

5 1/2 oz. dark chocolate chips

1.   In a large mixing bowl, mix cream cheese until creamy.  Add sugar and cocoa powder, mix until incorporated, scrape down bowl and mix until smooth.

2.   Whisk eggs together in a separate bowl along with the vanilla.  Stream the eggs into the cream cheese mixture in stages until all is incorporated scraping bowl occasionally. 

3.   Heat heavy cream and chocolate in the microwave on high for about 40 seconds and stir until chocolate has melted.  Add to batter and mix together until smooth and creamy and all the chocolate has been incorporated.

 

4.   Pour batter onto baked crust and smooth the top with a spatula.  Wrap tin foil around the spring form pan and place it in a large roasting pan.  Fill the roasting pan, about half way up the side of the spring form pan with boiling water (be sure tin foil is up above the water line) Bake for about 1 hour or until set.

5.   Remove from oven and carefully lift the cake pan from the water remove tin foil and place on a wire rack to cool.  Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight in the spring form pan. 

6.   Remove cake from the refrigerator and unwrap.  Run a sharp knife around the edge of the pan to loosen.  Remove the ring of the pan carefully.

7.   Using a cardboard disk or a flat plate, wrap a piece of plastic wrap around either and invert cake onto disk or plate.  Flip the cake over and carefully remove the bottom of the pan and peel the parchment paper off the crust.  

   Place your cake plate over crust side of cake and carefully flip over, unwrap plastic wrap from around cardboard disk or plate, which ever your using and remove.  Carefully peel away plastic wrap from the top of the cake.   Center the cake on your plate and voila!

8.   With the remaining 2 oz. of chocolate wafer crumbs, apply crumbs with an offset spatula around the edge of the cake to give it a nice finished look.

 You may decorate further, piping chocolate ganache or chocolate butter cream rosettes and or add fresh berries to the top.  What ever you like and Enjoy!