Cappuccino Fudge Cheesecake
from ButterYum
makes a 10-inch cheesecake (16 servings)
Ingredients
Crust:
9 ounces chocolate wafer cookie crumbs
6 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Ganache:
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
20 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup Kahlúa or other coffee-flavored liqueur
Filling:
2 pounds cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/3 cups sugar
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 tablespoons rum (light or dark)
2 tablespoons instant espresso powder
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 teaspoons molasses
4 large eggs, room temperature
Topping:
16 ounces sour cream
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
chocolate covered espresso beans for garnish
Directions
TO MAKE THE CRUST:
Pulse cookie crumbs, chopped chocolate, brown sugar, nutmeg, and melted butter in a food processor.
Press crumb mixture evenly into a 10-inch springform pan, across the bottom and up the sides until it reaches 1/2-inch from the top of the pan. Chill until needed.
TO MAKE THE GANACHE:
Place the chocolate in a medium bowl.
In a saucepan over medium high heat, bring heavy cream to a simmer.
Remove cream from heat and pour over chocolate and Kailua; rest for 5 minutes, then whisk until smooth.
Pour 1 to 1 1/2 cups ganache over bottom and sides of chilled crust and freeze until ganache layer is firm, about 30 minutes.
Reserve remaining ganache; cover and let stand at room temperature to use later for garnish.
TO MAKE THE FILLING:
Preheat oven to 350F and place rack in center position.
in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a BeaterBlade attachment, beat cream cheese and sugar on low speed until smooth.
Add flour, rum, espresso powder, vanilla, and molasses, beat until smooth, then add the eggs, one at a time until incorporated.
Pour filling into crust and place springform pan on rimmed half sheet pan.
Bake for 1 hour, remove from oven and transfer cheesecake to a cooling rack for 15 minutes while preparing the topping. Don’t turn oven off yet.
TO MAKE THE TOPPING:
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the sour cream, sugar, and vanilla.
Pour evenly; return to oven for 10 minutes.
Remove from oven and transfer cheesecake to cooling rack until pretty cool, about 3 hours.
TO DECORATE THE CHEESECAKE:
Run small sharp knife between crust and pan sides to loosen cake; release pan sides and transfer cheesecake to platter.
Using a pastry bag and tips of your choice, pipe ganache in a lattice design on top of the cheesecake, and pipe a decorative border around top edge and garnish with coffee beans, if desired.
Chill until lattice is firm, about 15 minutes. Keep chilled in an airtight container.