Chocolate Ganache Cheesecake with Cinnamon Whipped Cream
Y‘all know I can’t resist a good recipe contest and a while back Scharffen Berger hosted a recipe contest where the prize was $10,000! I would imagine everyone who heard about it entered, including myself! I didn’t win but I came out with a great cheesecake recipe and wanted to share it with you.
This cheesecake is loaded with chocolate and topping it all of is cinnamon whipped cream. Yep, cinnamon whipped cream. I could eat the cinnamon whipped cream with a spoon ALL DAY LONG!
This is quite possibly the richest cheesecake I’ve ever made, you only need a tiny little slice, but that tiny slice is like heaven! I’m thinking after my workout with the cows this morning another cheesecake might be in order.
We put the pregnant cows and heifers in a pen overnight so they are easier to check in the dark. In the mornings I go and let them back out and if there is a new pair then I try to sort them off. Notice I said try. Sometimes I succeed and sometimes I fail. This morning there was a new pair and the cow didn’t want me to know it was her calf. Cows can be wile like that, and it makes it a little harder to sort and it means lots of running for me. Sometimes a cow will take her calf off to the far corner of the pen away from the other cows, which makes sorting so much easier. Or you might have the kind of cow that thinks you are out to get her baby so she’s going to chase you down to keep you away, those are not my favorite!
I do love going out and seeing the new baby calves, they are so darn cute! Don’t you agree?
Chocolate Ganache Cheesecake with Cinnamon Whipped Cream
Ingredients:
Crust
- 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
- ½ cup toasted almonds, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 3 tablespoons grated Scharffen Berger 70% Bittersweet Dark Chocolate
- ¼ cup melted butter
Filling
- 8 oz Scharffen Berger 70 % Bittersweet Dark Chocolate
- 2 teaspoons ground Saigon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder
- 3 8 oz packages cream cheese, at room temperature
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup sour cream
Ganache
- 6 oz Scharffen Berger 62% semi-sweet chocolate chunks
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- ½ teaspoon espresso powder
Cinnamon Whipped Cream
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons ground Saigon Cinnamon
- ¼ cup confectioners sugar
Cooking Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
for the crust:
Combine graham cracker crumbs, almonds, sugar, and grated chocolate with melted butter in a medium-sized bowl. Stir together and press into a 10 inch cheesecake pan.
Bake for 5-8 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
For the filling:
Heat about 1 cup of water until hot but not boiling in a small sauce pan or double boiler.
Place 8 oz bitter-sweet chocolate into a heat safe bowl and place over water. Stir continuously until chocolate has melted and is smooth. Stir in cinnamon and 1 teaspoon espresso powder. Remove from heat and set aside.
Add cream cheese to a large mixing bowl. Beat with a paddle attachment at medium speed until smooth. Add eggs one at a time beating until incorporated. Add sugar and vanilla and continue to beat until well combined. Add sour cream, beating just until combined. Add melted chocolate mixture and continue to beat at medium speed for about 30 seconds. Stop to scrape sides and bottom of the bowl and beat an additional 30 seconds to 1 minutes to ensure all is incorporated.
Pour over crust and bake for 45 minutes or until center is set.
Remove from oven to a wire rack to cool 10 minutes. Run a sharp knife around the edge of the pan and remove the ring of the cheesecake pan.
For the ganache:
Re-heat the warm water in the small sauce pan to hot but not boiling. Place 6 oz semi-sweet chocolate baking chunks and heavy whipping cream in a small bowl. Stir until chocolate is melted and smooth. Stir in ½ teaspoon espresso powder. Pour over cheesecake and smooth with a spatula until top and sides are covered in ganache.
Refrigerated 4 hours or overnight.
For the cinnamon whipped cream:
Place 2 cups chilled whipping cream with 2 teaspoons cinnamon and vanilla extract in a large mixer bowl. Using whisk attachment of an electric mixer beat 1 minute. Gradually increase speed to high, adding confectioners sugar about 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time. When cream is sufficiently whipped, place in an airtight container until ready to serve.
Slice cheesecake with a sharp knife. Using a pastry bag with a star attachment, pipe cinnamon whipped cream over each slice and serve.
Enjoy!
Miss
