Chocolate Espresso Cheesecake With Ganache Recipes

CHOCOLATE ESPRESSO CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
• Lightly butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan.
• Combine cookie crumbs, pecans, and melted butter and stir until mixed thoroughly. Press into bottom and up sides of prepared pan.
• Put in the freezer a few minutes to firm. Remove from freezer and brush base with melted chocolate.
• Chill while preparing the filling.
• Combine cream cheese and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat with the paddle attachment until smooth. Scrape down bowl and paddle.
• Add the eggs, one at a time, beating for 20 seconds after each addition. Scrape down bowl and paddle.
• Add vanilla and melted chocolate and mix until combined.
• Add espresso and mix until combined. Scrape down bowl and paddle.
• Add sour cream and mix until thoroughly combined.
• Pour filling into prepared crust.
• Fill a baking pan half way full with water and put on bottom rack of oven. Bake the cheesecake on the middle rack for 1 hour.
• Lower the oven temperature to 275 degrees F and bake 1 hour longer.
• Lower the oven temperature to 250 degrees F and bake 30 minutes longer.
• Turn off oven and leave cake in for 30 minutes with the door closed.
• Remove cake from oven and let cool to room temperature.
• Cover cake and refrigerate at least 4 hours and preferably overnight.
• In a small saucepan, heat cream, sugar, and semisweet chocolate until melted. Stir until smooth.
• Pour glaze over top of cheesecake and smooth. Chill for 1 hour to set the glaze.

GHIRARDELLI LAYERED CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE WITH GANACHE GLAZE

Steps:

• Prepare the Crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Stir together cookie crumbs, butter, and sugar in a medium bowl until well blended. Press mixture into bottom and up sides of a 9-inch springform pan coated with cooking spray.
• Bake in preheated oven 10 minutes. Cool crust completely in pan on a wire rack, about 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F.
• Prepare the Cheesecake: Beat cream cheese with a heavy-duty stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Gradually add sugar and flour, beating until smooth. Add eggs and egg yolks, one at a time, beating on low speed just until yellow disappears after each addition. Beat in vanilla.
• Divide batter into 2 equal portions in separate medium bowls. Pour 1 portion into prepared crust; spread evenly.
• Place Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Baking Chips in a small microwaveable bowl. Microwave on medium (50% power) until melted and smooth, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds.
• Stir together coffee liqueur and espresso granules in a small bowl until espresso dissolves; stir mixture into remaining bowl of cheesecake batter. Stir melted bittersweet chocolate into coffee batter until blended.
• Gently pour over plain cheesecake batter in prepared crust, and spread evenly. Pan will be very full. Place springform pan on a rimmed baking sheet.
• Bake at 325 degrees F until center is almost set but center still jiggles slightly when pan is prodded, 1 hour and 5 minutes to 1 hour and 15 minutes. Remove to a wire rack and cool completely, about 2 hours.
• Cover pan loosely with aluminum foil and chill 8 to 12 hours. Gently run a knife or offset spatula around outer edge of cheesecake to loosen from sides of pan. Remove sides of pan.
• Prepare the Topping: About 1 hour before serving, bring cream and corn syrup just to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium. Place Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet Chocolate Baking Chips in a small heatproof bowl; pour cream-syrup mixture over chocolate chips. Let stand 1 minute. Whisk gently until smooth. Cool slightly, about 15 minutes.
• Pour chocolate mixture over top of cheesecake, and gently spread to edge of crust. Chill until set, about 30 minutes. Garnish if desired.

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE ESPRESSO CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Place a greased 9-in. springform pan on a double thickness of heavy-duty foil (about 18 in. square). Securely wrap foil around pan., In a large bowl, combine the wafer crumbs, butter, sugar and espresso powder. Press onto the bottom and 1 in. up the sides of prepared pan., In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar, sour cream, melted chocolate, cocoa, half-and-half and flour until smooth. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Stir in the espresso powder and vanilla. Pour into crust. Place springform pan in a large baking pan; add 1 in. of hot water to larger pan., Bake at 350° until center is just set and top appears dull, 60-70 minutes. Remove springform pan from water bath. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight. Remove sides of pan., In a small saucepan, combine liqueur and half-and-half. Bring to a boil; cook until liquid is reduced by half. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, beat whipping cream until it begins to thicken. Add confectioners' sugar; beat until stiff peaks form., Drizzle cheesecake with coffee syrup; garnish with whipped cream, chocolate and coffee beans.