Chocolate Cherry Swirl Cheesecake

Chocolate Cherry Swirl Cheesecake

 Some friends dropped by for Sips 'n Nibbles last evening to help celebrate my birthday this week and after a few sticky wings and other finger foods, as  I always do, I served a decadent dessert to top off the evening. On this occasion I decided to try an idea that I've had for a while to combine two of my favorite flavors, chocolate and cherry into a creamy cheesecake. The result was outstanding, with some guests even declaring it to be the best cheesecake I had ever come up with. You're going to have to make it for yourself and see if you agree.

I always start my cheesecake recipes with a word about baking a cheesecake using the bain marie method, so here goes.

I bake my cheesecakes in a 10 inch spring form pan that has the bottom and sides wrapped in multiple layers of wide heavy duty aluminum foil which forms a sort of boat that the cheesecake pan sits in. The roll of aluminum foil that I use is about 16 inches wide. I use at least 4 layers of foil to make sure that no water leaks in and ruins the crust of my cheesecake. The aluminum foil wrapped pan is then placed inside a larger baking pan; I use a 12 inch cake pan. Boiling water is then poured into the larger pan filling it from 1/2 to 2/3 of the way to the top.

I find it best to pour the boiling water into the pan after it is placed on the rack in the oven as you are less likely to splash water onto the cheesecake or inside the aluminum foil. I reuse the aluminum foil for several future cheesecakes, adding a couple of layers to it each time just to be safe. 

Even if you choose not to use a water bath method, wrapping the outside of your spring form pan with 4 or 5 layers of heavy duty aluminum foil will greatly help the even distribution of heat through your cheesecake as it bakes, making it more evenly creamy from edges to middle.

Prepare your cherry compote beforehand so that it can cool to room temperature.

Cherry Compote

2 cups pitted cherries

½ cup sugar

3 tbsp water

Simmer together for only a few minutes.

Stir together:

1 ounce water

2 rounded tbsp corn starch

Add quickly to the simmering cherries stirring constantly. Cook for only a minute before taking off the heat and allowing it to cool to room temperature.

Line the bottom of a 9 or 10 inch spring form pan with parchment paper. You can grease the bottom of the pan but using parchment paper is the best way to easily release a cheesecake from the bottom of the pan. I just lay a sheet over the bottom of the pan before clicking the side portion of the pan into place and then trim the excess paper. 

Mix together and press into pan :

1 ½ cups Oreo Cookie Crumbs
1/3 cup melted butter
3 tbsp sugar

Cream together:

1 ½ pounds cream cheese ( three 8 oz blocks)
3 squares unsweetened baking chocolate, melted
( In a pinch you can substitute 2/3 cup cocoa but add 4 tbsp whipping cream with it)1 ¼ cups sugar

Add, one at a time:

3 eggs

Then add:

2 tsp vanilla extract

 

To the bowl of your electric mixer add

1 cup whipping cream
2 tbsp powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Whip to soft peaks and then fold gently into the cheesecake batter.

Pour into prepared spring form pan. Drop the cooled cherry compote in heaping tablespoonfuls over the surface of the cheesecake, avoiding hitting the edges. Using the handle of a wooden spoon swirl the cherry compote gently through the chocolate cheesecake batter. Do not push the spoon handle all the way to the bottom of the cheesecake batter. You don't want to hit and disturb the crust.

Bake in a water bath (bain marie) at 300 degrees F for about an hour and 10 minutes (maybe a few minutes longer) or until the surface of the cake no longer looks glossy. Cool completely in the pan and chill for several hours in the fridge before serving.

Chocolate Cherry Swirl Cheesecake

 Some friends dropped by for Sips 'n Nibbles last evening to help celebrate my birthday this week and after a few sticky wings and other finger foods, as  I always do, I served a decadent dessert to top off the evening. On this occasion I decided to try an idea that I've had for a while to combine two of my favorite flavors, chocolate and cherry into a creamy cheesecake. The result was outstanding, with some guests even declaring it to be the best cheesecake I had ever come up with. You're going to have to make it for yourself and see if you agree.

I always start my cheesecake recipes with a word about baking a cheesecake using the bain marie method, so here goes.

I bake my cheesecakes in a 10 inch spring form pan that has the bottom and sides wrapped in multiple layers of wide heavy duty aluminum foil which forms a sort of boat that the cheesecake pan sits in. The roll of aluminum foil that I use is about 16 inches wide. I use at least 4 layers of foil to make sure that no water leaks in and ruins the crust of my cheesecake. The aluminum foil wrapped pan is then placed inside a larger baking pan; I use a 12 inch cake pan. Boiling water is then poured into the larger pan filling it from 1/2 to 2/3 of the way to the top.

I find it best to pour the boiling water into the pan after it is placed on the rack in the oven as you are less likely to splash water onto the cheesecake or inside the aluminum foil. I reuse the aluminum foil for several future cheesecakes, adding a couple of layers to it each time just to be safe. 

Even if you choose not to use a water bath method, wrapping the outside of your spring form pan with 4 or 5 layers of heavy duty aluminum foil will greatly help the even distribution of heat through your cheesecake as it bakes, making it more evenly creamy from edges to middle.

Prepare your cherry compote beforehand so that it can cool to room temperature.

Cherry Compote

2 cups pitted cherries

½ cup sugar

3 tbsp water

Simmer together for only a few minutes.

Stir together:

1 ounce water

2 rounded tbsp corn starch

Add quickly to the simmering cherries stirring constantly. Cook for only a minute before taking off the heat and allowing it to cool to room temperature.

Line the bottom of a 9 or 10 inch spring form pan with parchment paper. You can grease the bottom of the pan but using parchment paper is the best way to easily release a cheesecake from the bottom of the pan. I just lay a sheet over the bottom of the pan before clicking the side portion of the pan into place and then trim the excess paper. 

Mix together and press into pan :

1 ½ cups Oreo Cookie Crumbs
1/3 cup melted butter
3 tbsp sugar

Cream together:

1 ½ pounds cream cheese ( three 8 oz blocks)
3 squares unsweetened baking chocolate, melted
( In a pinch you can substitute 2/3 cup cocoa but add 4 tbsp whipping cream with it)1 ¼ cups sugar

Add, one at a time:

3 eggs

Then add:

2 tsp vanilla extract

 

To the bowl of your electric mixer add

1 cup whipping cream
2 tbsp powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Whip to soft peaks and then fold gently into the cheesecake batter.

Pour into prepared spring form pan. Drop the cooled cherry compote in heaping tablespoonfuls over the surface of the cheesecake, avoiding hitting the edges. Using the handle of a wooden spoon swirl the cherry compote gently through the chocolate cheesecake batter. Do not push the spoon handle all the way to the bottom of the cheesecake batter. You don't want to hit and disturb the crust.

Bake in a water bath (bain marie) at 300 degrees F for about an hour and 10 minutes (maybe a few minutes longer) or until the surface of the cake no longer looks glossy. Cool completely in the pan and chill for several hours in the fridge before serving.