Killer Chocolate Cheesecake

Total Time: 3 hrs Preparation Time: 2 hrs Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• Servings: 12
• 1 (9 ounce) package chocolate wafers, broken into large pieces
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 lb bittersweet chocolate or 1 lb semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 large eggs
• salt, a pinch
• 1 1/2 cups sour cream, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Recipe

• 1 position oven rack in middle of oven; preheat oven to 350°.
• 2 butter a 9-inch springform pan and wrap the outside tightly with heavy-duty foil.
• 3 have a roasting pan ready, and put a kettle of water on to boil for the water bath.
• 4 make the crust: pulse the chocolate wafers in a food processor until finely ground.
• 5 with the motor running, slowly add the butter, and process just until blended.
• 6 press mixture the bottom of the pan.
• 7 bake crust for 8-10 minutes, until it is set; let cool on a wire rack.
• 8 make the filling: melt the chocolate with the butter in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of about 1 1/2 inches of nearly simmering water, whisking until smooth.
• 9 whisk in the cocoa powder.
• 10 remove the bowl from the heat and let the mixture cool to room temperature.
• 11 beat the cream cheese and sugar with an electric mixer, beginning on low speed and increasing to med-high speed, in a medium deep bowl until light and fluffy.
• 12 add in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• 13 beat in the salt.
• 14 beat in the chocolate mixture just until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.
• 15 add in the sour cream and vanilla; beat until smooth, scraping sides of bowl as needed.
• 16 transfer the filling to the springform pan.
• 17 set the pan in the roasting pan, place it in the oven, and carefully pour in enough boiling water to reach halfway up the sides of the springform pan.
• 18 bake for 45 minutes, or until the center is almost set but still slightly jiggly; do not overbake--the cheesecake will firm as it cools.
• 19 remove the roasting pan from the oven and let the cheesecake cool in the water bath for 15 minutes.
• 20 remove the springform pan from the water bath and let cool completely on a wire rack, then remove the foil and refrigerate the cheesecake, loosely covered, until thoroughly chilled, at least 12 hours, or overnight.
• 21 to serve--let the cheesecake stand at room temperature for 20 minutes.
• 22 remove the pan sides, smooth the sides of the cheesecake with a table knife, and cut into wedges.