Cappuccino Cheesecake with Fudge Sauce

Ever wonder what would happen if Starbucks and The Cheesecake Factory hooked up? Say…on your counter top? Well, wonder no more. I’ve discovered nothing less than their lovechild.

For our last few days with family in Florida, I saw it only fitting to make something indulgently delicious to remember our stay. So we welcomed the New Year with this coffee, chocolate and fudge-lover’s dream dessert. It was my first stab at cheesecake, and I must admit, I was a bit nervous. Cheesecake seems so delicate. But I was pleasantly surprised by its simplicity. Although, I’m sure that having my mom’s stand mixer and infinite knowledge of baking by my side helped just a bit.

Now if you read my previous post, you know I was in no mood to bake on New Year's Day.  I was exhausted. But I was also on a mission. A mission that, once completed, promised lots of dark chocolate fudge sauce. So we strapped on our aprons, wiped our drool off the recipe and got to work.

First was the crust, which sadly forced me to crush dozens of innocent teddy grahams. Quite a cruel task. But for the sake of an amazing cheesecake, I pressed on. (Pun absolutely intended.) After patting the crumbs, butter and sugar into the pan, it was ready to be baked. (Which we unknowingly overlooked and skipped. Luckily, no harm was done to the final product.)

 

 

 

 

 

The cheesecake layer was next, and was an effortless step with just a bit of measuring and pouring. Although a warning: Don’t premix ingredients unless the recipe so instructs. I mixed the espresso powder, vanilla and cinnamon together before adding them to the batter. But before I got the chance, they formed into a rock-hard piece of candy that took quite a bit of extra time to break up in the mixer.

And by the way, if you try this recipe and have trouble finding instant espresso powder, Target sells little packets of Starbucks instant extra bold coffee. (You'll need two.) I discovered these after endless searching when I made the chocolate lava cakes. And I highly recommend espresso over instant coffee if you want a prominent coffee flavor.

 

 

Appropriately, the most delicious step came last. The step that allowed me, without guilt, to dig a spoon deep into a jar of dark chocolate fudge sauce. And I tell you, it took all my courage not ditch the swirls and instead scarf down the entire jar right then and there. But my family was grateful that I controlled my cravings, spared the cheesecake, and added the final touch to my creation. I think my husband was the most grateful, because at the end of this step, he got to lick the spoon clean. And the measuring cup. And the knife.

A little over an hour later, our cheesecake was done. It cracked a bit in the middle, which was supposedly normal, and actually looked kinda neat. After cooling, into the fridge it had to go for…gasp….eight hours. There was NO way we could all wait that long. You try telling three grown men and two chocolate-obsessed woman they have to wait until midnight to enjoy a cheesecake that's sitting in the fridge two feet away.

 

 

When we could take it no longer, I sliced it up, drizzled on the sauce, and in a matter of minutes, our mouths were stuffed with cappuccino cheesecake, and our lips were covered in fudge. It would have been even better if we chilled it for the full eight hours, but...it was simply delicious. Seriously, were you expecting me to say otherwise?

 

Luke and I each ate one piece, but unfortunately, the next night was our last night in Florida, and we ate out with friends. Could we seriously leave with only one taste? No way. So after a big breakfast Sunday morning, just minutes before we headed for the airport, we scarfed down one more. Nothing like a little fudge sauce in your teeth to make the bitter goodbyes a little more sweet.

 

Cappuccino Cheesecake with Fudge Sauce

Cooking Light, September 1999

Yield: 16 servings

Ingredients:
1 1/2  cups reduced-fat chocolate wafer crumbs (about 50 cookies)
3  tablespoons  butter or stick margarine, melted
2  tablespoons  sugar
Cooking spray
1  cup  sugar
3  tablespoons  all-purpose flour
2  (8-ounce) blocks fat-free cream cheese
2  (8-ounce) blocks 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
2  large eggs
2  large egg whites
2  tablespoons  instant espresso or 1/4 cup instant coffee granules
1  teaspoon  vanilla extract
1/2  teaspoon  ground cinnamon
1 1/2  cups  fat-free hot fudge topping, divided

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 325°.

Combine first 3 ingredients in a small bowl; firmly press mixture into bottom of a 9-inch springform pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 325° for 10 minutes; cool on a wire rack.

Preheat oven to 450°.

Place 1-cup sugar, flour, and cheeses in a large bowl; beat at medium speed of a mixer until smooth. Add eggs and egg whites, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add espresso, vanilla, and cinnamon; beat well. Pour cheese mixture into prepared crust; spoon 4 mounds of fudge topping (2 tablespoons each) onto cheese mixture; swirl mixtures together using a knife. Bake at 450° for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 250° (do not remove cheesecake from oven); bake an additional 1 hour or until almost set. Remove cheesecake from oven, and cool to room temperature. Cover and chill at least 8 hours.

Drizzle 1 tablespoon fudge topping onto each of 16 plates; top each with 1 cheesecake wedge.

Nutritional Information: Calories: 313 (30% from fat), Fat: 10.3g (sat 5.9g,mono 3g,poly 0.7g), Protein: 9.9g, Carbohydrate: 44.1g, Fiber: 1.1g, Cholesterol: 60mg, Iron: 0.7mg, Sodium: 468mg, Calcium: 130mg.