Chocolate Kahlua Cheesecake
I know you’re not going to believe me, especially now that I said that. But this is the first time I’ve EVER made an entire cheesecake. A real cheesecake. Not a no-bake, fake cheesecake. A real (adult) cheesecake. I was so impressed with myself. This Chocolate Kahlua Cheesecake was just amazing! It’s fairly straightforward as far as cheesecakes go and I know that if I can bake it, you can too! The Kahlua added a little extra punch of coffee flavor, but if you are really opposed to using it, you can substitute it with vanilla extract. The chocolate flavor is outstanding and I hope you’ll include this for your next party!
The biggest thing was keeping the cream cheese smooth. For full disclosure, I did end up with a few lumps in my batter, but it was from the melted chocolate. It seems that when I added the melted chocolate to the cold, metal mixing bowl, the chocolate did harden in a few lumps. I tried my best not to have them end up in the crust and I hoped that they would melt while baking.
This is exactly why I started this blog. I wanted to challenge myself in the kitchen and bake things that scared me. Recipes that intimidated me and thought were beyond my skill level.
Well, I beat you Mr. Cheesecake! I made you and I made you good! Boo-ya Baby!
I always liked the way a crust comes up around the outside of a cheesecake. Most people enjoy the crust the best. I liked all of it! I don’t know if this was much of a beginner’s cheesecake, but overall it wasn’t difficult.
This cheesecake recipe is used in conjunction with the homemade graham crackers and the Cheesecake with Praline Sauce.
Check out more amazing Cheesecake Recipes
Sugar Cookie Cheesecake
Strawberry Brownie Cheesecake
Lemon Ricotta Cheesecake
Yield: 16
Chocolate Kahlua Cheesecake
A delicious and decadent Chocolate Cheesecake infused with Kahlua. Just amazing!
Prep Time1 hour
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time2 hours
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 1 1/2 C crushed graham cracker crumbs
- 3 Tbs. sugar
- 1/8 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 C melted butter
For the Cheesecake
- 1/2 C sour cream
- 2 tsp Kahlua (or vanilla if you don’t want alcohol)
- 1 tsp instant coffee granules or espresso powder
- 8 oz bittersweet chocolate, melted
- 24 oz. (3- 8oz packages) cream cheese, at room temperature
- 3 Tbsp unsweetened natural cocoa powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 1/4 C sugar
- 3 large eggs
Instructions
For the Crust
- Preheat the oven to 400F.
- Crumble the graham crackers in a food processor until they are like sand. Pulse in the sugar and cinnamon and then gradually pour in the melted butter while pulsing. The crumbs should be evenly coated.
- Dump the mixture into a 9-inch springform pan and press evenly on the bottom and about an inch up the sides. Use a straight edged cup to press in the corners. You can also place down a sheet of plastic wrap to prevent the mixture sticking to your hands and equipment.
- Bake for 10 minutes and then cool on a wire rack.
For the Cheesecake
- Reduce the oven heat to 300F.
- Mix the sour cream, Kahlua, and coffee in a small bowl. Set it aside while the coffee dissolves.
- Melt the chocolate either over a double boiler or in the microwave on 70% power. Cool.
- Beat the cream cheese, cocoa, and salt until fluffy and smooth. Be sure all the lumps are out. Scrape the sides of your bowl and add in the sugar. Blend until smooth. Scrape down the sides and add in the cool, melted chocolate and blend until incorporated and smooth.
- Beat in the sour cream mixture until well blended. Add the eggs one at a time. Add the next one when it’s just blended. Be careful not to overbeat the filling once the eggs are added or it will cause the cheesecake to puff up.
- Pour the filling into the cooled crust and smooth the top.
- Bake at 300F for 50 to 60 minutes. The cheesecake will puff slightly, but the center should still be jiggly and the edges may crack a bit.
- Let cool on a wire rack for an hour, then cover and refrigerate overnight.
- When ready to serve, cut along the edge of the pan and cheesecake, then carefully remove from the springform pan. Work a knife under the bottom of the crust to carefully remove the bottom disk.
- Use a clean, warm knife to cut the cheesecake into 16 servings.
Notes
Enjoy this cheese cake as is, or add some Kahlua Sauce or Praline Sauce.
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