Chocolate-Vanilla Tuxedo Cheesecake

Sometimes, things don't turn out as you'd planned. This cheesecake is a perfect example.
But I was able to take a very imperfect dessert, and turn it into deliciousness, even if it wasn't as pretty as I'd hoped.

What You Need:
For the Crust:
2 pkgs graham crackers (crushed)
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2-3 Tbsp. cocoa powder
1/4 cup butter, melted
For the Cheesecake:
4- 8oz. bricks of cream cheese (at room temperature)
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 whole eggs plus one egg yolk
1-2 Tbsp. vanilla
1 cup sour cream
For the Chocolate Topping:
4 oz. dark chocolate
4 oz. (1/2 cup) heavy cream

Prepare the Crust:
Preheat the oven to 375-degrees.

In a medium-sized bowl, combine the crushed graham crackers, cocoa powder, sugar and salt. Add the melted butter and stir to combine.

Press into the bottom and up the sides of a 9" springform pan.
You may have a little crust mixture leftover. I found that I didn't need about 1/2-1 cup of the mixture, but I don't like a thick crust on the cheesecake. Use what you'd like!
*Note: I always try to pay extra attention to the outside edge. I often think cheesecakes have a funny "heel" of crust there, so I try extra hard to smoosh the crust close to that bottom rim.

Bake the crust at 375 for 10-15 minutes, while you prepare the filling.
Turn the oven down when you remove the crust to 325-degrees.

Prepare the Filling:
While you prepare the filling, set a kettle or pot of water on to boil. You will need this to make a water bath for baking.
 *Be sure your cream cheese is really at room temperature before you make the filling. If it's not, it will be chunky, and not smooth. I find cream cheese takes at least 30 minutes to come to temperature.

In a mixer, combine the cream cheese and sugar until smooth and creamy.
Add the eggs, one at a time, remembering to use one yolk and three whole eggs.
Mix well after each addition.

Add the vanilla and sour cream. Mix well.

Pour the filling mixture into the pre-baked crust.
Please note, when you remove the crust from the oven, you need to wrap the bottom of the pan with foil. This is to keep the water from the water bath from seeping in. This is a necessary step. Also, be sure the foil is large enough to cover the whole bottom edge of the pan. If you don't wrap the pan, the crust gets completely soggy. Trust me. I've done it!

Place the pan into a large roasting pan. (I don't own a roasting pan, so you see here a 12" square cake pan.) Place the pan onto the oven rack, and pour boiling water into the roasting pan about halfway up the sides of the springform pan. *BE SURE your foil reaches higher than your water!

Bake at 325-degrees (F) for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Until it still jiggles a little in the middle, but not all the way around.

Here's where my baking fail began. See, I bake 90% of my things in a small half-sized oven. Normally, this is not a problem. Even when baking with my 3" tall cake pan, it's not a problem.
However... on this day... with this cheesecake, it was, indeed, a problem.
See?

So, the cake rose way higher than I expected. (I don't bake cheesecake often.) And it stuck to the heating element. See those two black stripes?? So, when I tried to rescue it, the top stuck, and peeled halfway off. Oops! (I may have used a little stronger word than oops when it happened. Maybe.)

... But I allowed the cake to cool for about 30 minutes on a cooling rack, then put it in the refrigerator overnight. (Always run a knife around the edge before putting it in the fridge to help it come loose in the morning.)

I took the outside off of the springform pan and made my chocolate ganache topping.

Make the Topping

I used a basic ganache for the topping. Even amounts of chopped chocolate and heavy cream. (I used 4 oz. of each here.)
Heat the cream in the microwave or on the stove until it is just boiling. (Be careful in the microwave, I pretty much end up with it over-topping my measuring cup every time because I'm not watching. Start with a minute, and go from there.)
Add the chocolate to the hot cream and let it sit for about a minute or two.
Use a fork to stir the two together until their dark and creamy.

Pour the ganache on top of the cheesecake, and spread.

This is where my deformed, half-singed top proved a bit of a problem. My ganache is not anything like the smooth, pretty topping I wanted it to be, but you know what? It still tasted super great! And my mother-in-law loved it to celebrate her retirement.

Click the Links Below to See:
Pumpkin Cheesecake Cake
Chocolate Lover's Cake
Other Baking Fails and Fixes

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Read More

Chocolate-Vanilla Tuxedo Cheesecake

Sometimes, things don't turn out as you'd planned. This cheesecake is a perfect example.
But I was able to take a very imperfect dessert, and turn it into deliciousness, even if it wasn't as pretty as I'd hoped.

What You Need:
For the Crust:
2 pkgs graham crackers (crushed)
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2-3 Tbsp. cocoa powder
1/4 cup butter, melted
For the Cheesecake:
4- 8oz. bricks of cream cheese (at room temperature)
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 whole eggs plus one egg yolk
1-2 Tbsp. vanilla
1 cup sour cream
For the Chocolate Topping:
4 oz. dark chocolate
4 oz. (1/2 cup) heavy cream

Prepare the Crust:
Preheat the oven to 375-degrees.

In a medium-sized bowl, combine the crushed graham crackers, cocoa powder, sugar and salt. Add the melted butter and stir to combine.

Press into the bottom and up the sides of a 9" springform pan.
You may have a little crust mixture leftover. I found that I didn't need about 1/2-1 cup of the mixture, but I don't like a thick crust on the cheesecake. Use what you'd like!
*Note: I always try to pay extra attention to the outside edge. I often think cheesecakes have a funny "heel" of crust there, so I try extra hard to smoosh the crust close to that bottom rim.

Bake the crust at 375 for 10-15 minutes, while you prepare the filling.
Turn the oven down when you remove the crust to 325-degrees.

Prepare the Filling:
While you prepare the filling, set a kettle or pot of water on to boil. You will need this to make a water bath for baking.
 *Be sure your cream cheese is really at room temperature before you make the filling. If it's not, it will be chunky, and not smooth. I find cream cheese takes at least 30 minutes to come to temperature.

In a mixer, combine the cream cheese and sugar until smooth and creamy.
Add the eggs, one at a time, remembering to use one yolk and three whole eggs.
Mix well after each addition.

Add the vanilla and sour cream. Mix well.

Pour the filling mixture into the pre-baked crust.
Please note, when you remove the crust from the oven, you need to wrap the bottom of the pan with foil. This is to keep the water from the water bath from seeping in. This is a necessary step. Also, be sure the foil is large enough to cover the whole bottom edge of the pan. If you don't wrap the pan, the crust gets completely soggy. Trust me. I've done it!

Place the pan into a large roasting pan. (I don't own a roasting pan, so you see here a 12" square cake pan.) Place the pan onto the oven rack, and pour boiling water into the roasting pan about halfway up the sides of the springform pan. *BE SURE your foil reaches higher than your water!

Bake at 325-degrees (F) for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Until it still jiggles a little in the middle, but not all the way around.

Here's where my baking fail began. See, I bake 90% of my things in a small half-sized oven. Normally, this is not a problem. Even when baking with my 3" tall cake pan, it's not a problem.
However... on this day... with this cheesecake, it was, indeed, a problem.
See?

So, the cake rose way higher than I expected. (I don't bake cheesecake often.) And it stuck to the heating element. See those two black stripes?? So, when I tried to rescue it, the top stuck, and peeled halfway off. Oops! (I may have used a little stronger word than oops when it happened. Maybe.)

... But I allowed the cake to cool for about 30 minutes on a cooling rack, then put it in the refrigerator overnight. (Always run a knife around the edge before putting it in the fridge to help it come loose in the morning.)

I took the outside off of the springform pan and made my chocolate ganache topping.

Make the Topping

I used a basic ganache for the topping. Even amounts of chopped chocolate and heavy cream. (I used 4 oz. of each here.)
Heat the cream in the microwave or on the stove until it is just boiling. (Be careful in the microwave, I pretty much end up with it over-topping my measuring cup every time because I'm not watching. Start with a minute, and go from there.)
Add the chocolate to the hot cream and let it sit for about a minute or two.
Use a fork to stir the two together until their dark and creamy.

Pour the ganache on top of the cheesecake, and spread.

This is where my deformed, half-singed top proved a bit of a problem. My ganache is not anything like the smooth, pretty topping I wanted it to be, but you know what? It still tasted super great! And my mother-in-law loved it to celebrate her retirement.

Click the Links Below to See:
Pumpkin Cheesecake Cake
Chocolate Lover's Cake
Other Baking Fails and Fixes

Enter your email address below to receive the latest recipes, tips and ideas in your email inbox:


Delivered by FeedBurner

And don't forget, if you shop at Amazon.com through my link, you support this blog and its contents. Thank you!

Read More

Turtle Cheesecake Brownie Bars {Recipe}

These cheesecake-brownie bars are really chocolatey, really rich, and really good!

What You Need:
Brownie Layer: **Or just use a box mix**
1/2 cup heavy cream
2/3 cup brown sugar
4 oz. chocolate chips or chopped chocolate
3/4 cup butter, at room temperature (divided)
2/3 cup sugar
4 eggs
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
2 Tbsp. cocoa powder

Caramel Layer:
1 lb. caramels (unwrapped)
1/3 cup heavy cream
1-1/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans, toasted

Chocolate Cheesecake Layer:
2- 8 oz. bricks of cream cheese (at room temperature)
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs (at room temperature)
4 oz. melted chocolate (semisweet recommended)

Optional for topping:
1/2 cup additional pecans
Reserve a little caramel sauce
2 oz. additional melted chocolate

*Note: You need parchment paper, as well, to line the pan. These bars are sticky! So, you need to make sure you line the pan well!



Make the Brownies

Preheat the oven to 350-degrees (F).
*Please note: if you are using a box mix, you may need to adjust your cooking times slightly. I bake the brownies for 1/2 of their final cooking time before adding the additional layers. In the end, that means they still bake longer than they would alone.

In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the chocolate with the cream, brown sugar and 1/4 cup of the butter. Set aside to cool.

In a medium mixer bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer), combine remaining 1/2 cup butter and sugar until light and fluffy. (About 2 minutes on medium speed.)
Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing with each addition.
Add the remaining ingredients and mix until it just comes together.

Pour the batter into a 9x13 pan, lined with parchment paper.
*You may want to butter or spray any parts of the sides that the parchment paper doesn't cover. The caramel layer is sticky! So, you want to try to get as much of the pan covered as possible to keep it from sticking to the pan.

Bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven to a cooling rack.

While the brownies are baking and cooling, work on the other layers.

Make the Caramel Layer

Combine the cream and caramels in a large, microwave-safe bowl or mixing cup.
Melt the caramels on 50% power for about 3-5 minutes, stirring often.

Toast the pecans in the oven for about 5 minutes after you remove the brownies. Coarsely chop them.

Make the Chocolate Cheesecake Layer

In a mixing bowl, combine cream cheese and sugar at medium speed for about 1 minute, scraping down the bowl as necessary.

Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.

Add the melted chocolate, and mix until completely combined.

Assemble and Bake

Pour the melted caramel over the brownie crust.
*Remember to reserve about 1/4 cup for drizzling over the top!*
Sprinkle with chopped pecans.

Spread the cheesecake mixture over the caramel layer, being careful to spread lightly. The caramel layer below wants to mix it up... don't let it!

Bake at 350-degrees for 25-30 minutes, until the cheesecake is set.

Remove to a cooling rack, and let stand for about 10 minutes. If there are spots where your pan isn't covered with parchment paper, run a knife around the edge to loosen the molten caramel layer.

Drizzle with reserved caramel sauce and a little melted chocolate. Sprinkle chopped pecans over.

Cool completely on the cooling rack before moving to the refrigerator to chill for about 3 hours to overnight.

 Cut in to bars. Enjoy!

Click the Links Below to See:
Mint-Chocolate (Grasshopper) Brownie Recipe
Other Chocolate Recipes and Ideas
Pumpkin Cheesecake Cake

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Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars {Recipe}

Apples, caramel sauce, cheesecake... what could be better??

What You Need:
For the Crust & Topping:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup chopped, toasted pecans
1 tsp. salt (if using unsalted butter)
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 cup butter, chilled

For the Filling:
4-6 apples, thinly sliced
1 - 1 1/2 cups caramel sauce*
2- 8 oz. block cream cheese (at room temperature)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla

*Note: You can make your own caramel sauce, or you can buy a jar of caramel ice cream topping, or you can also melt about 6-8 oz. of caramel candies with 1/2 cup evaporated milk on the stove or in the microwave.

Yield: 30-40 2" square bars.
Make the Caramel Sauce

Because the sauce will need to cool a little, I recommend starting by making the caramel sauce, whether you're going from scratch (see my recipe here) or melting candy caramels with evaporated milk (like I did here). 

Make the Crust/Topping
Preheat the oven to 350-degrees (F).

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine flour, toasted pecans, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt (only add the salt if using unsalted butter).

Mix in the butter (cut into small pieces) with mixer or with a 'pastry cutter' until pea-sized crumbs form.
Pour about half of the mixture (about 2 1/2 cups) into a 9x13" pan lined with parchment paper.

Press the mixture into a tight crust on the bottom of the pan. Bake for 10 minutes while you make the filling.

Make the Filling

Combine room-temperature cream cheese and 1 cup of sugar in a mixing bowl. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy.
Add eggs one at a time, adding the vanilla with one of the eggs. Mix each egg well until the batter is again light and fluffy.
Set aside.

Slice 4-6 apples thinly. I left the skin on the apples, but you could also peel them.
If you want to go for easier, you could also cube the apples instead of slicing them thin.

Remove the bottom crust from the oven (after no more than 10-15 minutes), and line the apple slices along the crust.

Pour 1/2 - 3/4 cup of the caramel sauce over the apple slices.

Cover the apples and caramel with the cheesecake mixture, spread evenly.
Top again with the sliced apples.

Pour the remaining 1/2 - 3/4 cup of caramel sauce over the second layer of apples.

Top with the remaining crust/topping mixture.

Bake for 50-60 minutes at 350-degrees (F), or until the topping is golden brown, the caramel is bubbly and the bars don't seem too wiggly in the center when you shake the pan.

Refrigerate at least 3 hours to allow the cheesecake and caramel to set before slicing into bars.

If desired, drizzle with a little more caramel sauce. Enjoy!

Note: This recipe could be adapted in many ways. You could substitute half of the pecans for dry oatmeal, if you wanted a little more "crumble" flavor. You could leave out the caramel sauce if you're not a big caramel fan. (gasp!) If I did that, I'd probably add about 1/2 tsp. more cinnamon. You can dice your apples, instead of slicing them. Substitute walnuts for the pecans. Lots and lots of options!

Click the Links Below to See:
Caramel Apple Cake Recipe
Fruit Crisp Recipe
Pumpkin Cheesecake Cake Recipe
Strawberry Rhubarb Cheesecake Bar Recipe
Chocolate Caramel Cookie Bar Recipe

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