Dark Chocolate Cheesecake with Chocolate Ganache Topping

Let me just say, I love cheesecake and this cheesecake is GOOD!  It’s chocolaty, creamy and oh, so delicious.

Cheesecake really is not a difficult dessert to make, but the top often has a tendency to crack and that drives me CRAZY.  But I finally figured out how to prevent it from cracking.  Once the cheesecake is done baking, turn the oven off, open the door part way and leave the cheesecake in there until the oven has cooled off.  That way the cheesecake cools off slowly and doesn’t crack!

You will notice I have instant coffee in the ingredient list.  Adding that to the cheesecake doesn’t give it a coffee flavor, it simply enhances the flavor of the chocolate.  So don’t worry about adding that ingredient, you won’t taste it.

Dark Chocolate Cheesecake with Chocolate Ganache Topping

• 3 cups chocolate sandwich cookies
• 1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted
• 1 lb dark chocolate, divided
• 4 -8oz packages cream cheese, softened (I used 2 regular and 2 reduced fat)
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 4 whole large eggs
• 2 large egg yolks
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp instant coffee
• 1/2 cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Coat a springform pan with cooking spray.

Place cookies in a food processor and pulse until finely ground.  Then add butter and blend until combined.

Press cookie mixture into the bottom of the springform pan.

Coarsely chop 8 oz of the chocolate.

Melt chocolate in a double boiler or a bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, stirring until smooth, and remove from heat.

Beat cream cheese with an electric mixer at medium speed until fluffy.

Add sugar and beat in.

Add whole eggs and yolks, 1 at a time, beating well at low speed and scraping down the bowl after each addition.