Every year on Christmas Day, after the Christmas Dinner, after the reading of the Christmas Story, after the playing of the Christmas Carols, after the opening of the Christmas Gifts, after the collapsing on the sofa and gazing cross-eyed at the piles of paper and boxes and toys, we gather one more time for a light meal and a special cake - a Birthday cake for Baby Jesus. For this year's birthday cake, I couldn't wait to try this Chocolate Truffle Cheesecake recipe which I found in the December issue of Southern Living Magazine. I don't know what lured me more - the multiple layers of chocolate, or the gorgeous white chocolate snowflake on top!
The recipe says it serves 10, but this is so rich in dense, it could easily serve 20 - 30. The cake has a rich, not-too-sweet dark chocolate flavor and will appeal to a sophisticated palate. For a sweeter chocolate, follow the recipe, but substitute some milk chocolate for the semi-sweet, or semi-sweet for the dark chocolate in the ganache.
The snowflake topper is made from melted white chocolate piped onto a piece of parchment which is placed over a snowflake stencil, similar to the Bug and Butterfly Cupcakes! So easy, it's a piece of cake!
Chocolate Truffle Cheesecake
From Southern Living Magazine, December 2010
1 1/2 cups crushed dark chocolate-and almond shortbread cookies
2 Tbsp. melted butter
2 (4-oz) semisweet chocolate baking bars, chopped
1 cup whipping cream
4 (8-oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
1 (14-oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
2 tsp. vanilla extract
4 large eggs
Ganache Topping
Garnish: fresh raspberries or White Chocolate Snowflakes
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Combine crushed cookies and butter. Press mixture on bottom of a 9-inch springform pan.
- Microwave chocolate and cream at HIGH 1 1/2 minutes or until melted, stirring at 30-second intervals.
- Beat cream cheese at medium speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer 2 minutes or until smooth. Ad sweetened condensed milk and vanilla, beating just until combined. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating at low speed just until blended after each addition. Add chocolate mixture, beating just until blended. Pour batter into prepared crust.
- Bake at 300 degrees for 1 hour and 5 minutes or just until center is set. Turn oven off. Let cheesecake stand in oven with door closed 30 minutes. Remove cheesecake from oven; gently run a knife around outer edge of cheesecake to loosen from sides of pan. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack (about 1 hour). Cover and chill 8 to 24 hours.
- Remove sides of pan, and place cheesecake on a serving plate. Slowly pour warm Ganache Topping over cheesecake, spreading to edges. Chill 1 hour before serving. Garnish if desired.
Ganache Topping
1 cup whipping cream
1 (4-oz.) semisweet chocolate baking bar
1 (4-oz.) dark chocolate baking bar
- Bring cream to a light boil in a saucepan over medium heat.
- Process chocolate bars in a food processor until coarsely chopped. With processor running, pour cream through food chute in a slow, steady stream, processing until smooth. Let mixture cool until slightly warm (about 20 minutes).