Let’s face it, cheesecake recipes never come out right on the first try, and require at least 2-3 tests (or in this case, 4) before they are deemed post (and photo) worthy.
And if you’re a household of two people, well, that’s a lot of cheesecake to consume on your own. Even making half-size cheesecakes for the first couple tests, it’s still more than the two of us can (or want to) eat.
Turns out the holiday party season is the perfect time to work on a new cheesecake recipe.
I mean, when else will there be multiple joyous occasions to force full-size cheesecakes on festive party-goers? And not only that, but you’ll be that awesome friend who generously showed up to the party with a decadent triple chocolate cheesecake, rather than the friend that’s secretly using you all as test subjects and human garbage disposals so she doesn’t feel guilty about a good cheesecake going to waste.
Happy holidays, suckers.
I will say that as a food blogger, there’s one skill that I take extreme pride in, and that is the ability to package and present a cake in such a way that no one will know a slice is missing.
I needed that slice for the photos, you see, otherwise how would you be able to visualize the silky consistency of this divine cake? Not to mention that quality control is absolutely essential to ensure the final product lives up to my stringent standards of cheesecake texture, flavor, and appearance. I wouldn’t dare bring a cake to a party without tasting it first.
The trick to accomplishing such a feat? Pre-slice the whole thing and arrange it on a platter with a little bit of space between each slice to make up for the missing one, and in the process, you’ve made enjoyment of said dessert so much easier for those who might have had one too many glasses of eggnog (Pre-sliced cheescake? What a concept! You’re so thoughtful, Lindsay!)
Trust me, no one will ever know.
Until they read your blog, that is.
I do hope said party hosts (if you are indeed reading this, you know who you are) forgive this food blogger for her party fouls and honest admissions.
But you have to admit, the cheesecake was pretty darn fantastic, wasn’t it?
I set out to make a dark chocolate cheesecake, but quickly learned that it’s much harder to get a divinely light and airy texture in a chocolate cheesecake than, say, a blueberry one. I like my cheesecakes light in texture but not in flavor, and that proved challenging with this recipe.
I eventually dialed back on the chocolate, using unsweetened in place of dark or semisweet for maximum chocolate flavor, but the cheesecake still didn’t meet my standards, its sad sunken sides looked as deflated as I felt after three tries already.
Luckily Alisa came to my rescue, offering a slew of valuable suggestions and advice to turn my sunken shipwreck into a treasure. Trust me, Alicia knows her stuff, baking up hundreds (maybe thousands) of cheesecakes during her 10-year tenure as pastry chef at the Loveless Cafe. When she tells you to ditch the springform pan, you throw it in the garbage and don’t look back. Use a cake pan instead, which will insulate your cheesecake in much the same way a water-bath would (without the leakage). I discovered an amazing cake pan with a convenient removable bottom, that’s truly the best of both a springform and a heavy duty cake pan in one, and makes for near-perfect cheesecakes. You can also use a regular 9-by-3-inch cake pan, but either way, the heavier the better and the more evenly your cheesecake will bake.
A new pan and few tweaks later, and we have ourselves a winner-winner-cheesecake-for-dinner.
The balance of texture and flavor and richness is perfect. For as much chocolate flavor as is packed into this cheesecake, the texture remains astoundingly light and silky smooth, thanks in part to the addition of sour cream to offset the density of the cream cheese as well as impart a delightful tartness that plays off the sweet, rich chocolate in ways you never knew possible.
The “triple” chocolate part comes from the fact that the crust, filling, AND glaze are all intensely chocolate. Technically I could probably call it quadruple since the filling contains both melted chocolate and cocoa powder, but triple just rolls off the tongue a little bit better (clearly I like calling things triple [insert ingredient here]… like triple citrus or triple ginger or triple almond… I’m sensing a pattern).
I topped the cheesecake with a mix of chocolate jimmies, chocolate curls, and edible gold glitter stars. The stars add a glitzy touch that makes for a festive presentation. It is a cheesecake that is just dying to adorn your New Year’s Eve table.
The perfect chocolate cheesecake, with plenty of dark chocolate flavor and a light and silky texture (thanks in part to the addition of sour cream), and a creamy chocolate ganache glaze on top.
Let us know what you think!
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