Chocolate Cheesecake with Swirled Raspberry

 

DESSERT

 

Total Time: 1 hr, 35 mins

Prep Time: 40 mins

Cook Time: 55 mins

Yield: 12 servings

Dish Size: Small Plates

 

INGREDIENTS

 

Crust

  • 4 eggs
  • 1½ cups graham cracker crumbs
  • ¼ cup confectioners' sugar
  • ⅓ cup butter, melted

 

Filling

  • 1 cup fresh raspberries
  • ½ tsp sugar
  • 3 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
  • 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup (about 6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips, melted and cooled
  • additional fresh raspberries, optional

  

Directions

 

  1. Separate eggs; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Place a greased 9-inch springform pan on a double thickness of heavy-duty foil (about 18 inches square). Securely wrap foil around pan. 
  2. In a small bowl, combine cracker crumbs and confectioners' sugar, then stir in butter. Press onto bottom of prepared pan. Place raspberries and sugar in a blender; cover and process until smooth. Strain and discard seeds. 
  3. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Beat in milk and vanilla. Add egg yolks, beating on low speed just until combined. Remove 1 tablespoon of mixture and stir into raspberry puree. Remove half the remaining mixture to another bowl and stir in cooled chocolate. 
  4. In a large bowl with clean beaters, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. With a spatula, fold half the egg whites into chocolate mixture until no white streaks remain. Pour over crust. 
  5. Fold remaining egg whites into plain cream cheese mixture and spread over chocolate layer. Drop raspberry mixture by tablespoonfuls over top and cut through filling with a knife to swirl. 
  6. Place springform pan in a large baking pan, then add 1 inch of boiling water to larger pan. 
  7. Bake in a preheated 325°F oven for 55-65 minutes or until center is just set and top appears dull. Remove springform pan from water bath, then remove foil. Cool cheesecake on a wire rack for 10 minutes; loosen edges from pan with a knife. Cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate cheesecake overnight. 
  8. Remove rim from pan. Place cheesecake on a temp-tations cake plate. Garnish with additional raspberries if desired. 

 

Tara’s Tidbits®

Want to know my secret for making a lighter, fluffier cheesecake? Just beat it! Your egg whites, that is. When you beat egg whites to stiff peaks and gently fold them into the cream cheese mixture, the air trapped within the egg whites adds both volume and lightness. You'll never want to make a cheesecake any other way after trying this simple trick!

 

This recipe is from my Taste of Home: temp-tations Holiday Cookbook!