Chocolate Almond Cheesecake

Chocolate Almond Cheesecake

If you’re looking for an elegant dessert to serve for a special occasion, why not give this Chocolate Almond Cheesecake a try? My husband recently surprised me with this dessert – he presented it to me as an alternative to a traditional birthday cake - and it became an instant favorite among family and friends!

My husband adapted this recipe from one of our favorite cookbooks – Williams-Sonoma Holiday Favorites. One of the main alterations he made to the recipe was to increase the amount of sugar the recipe called for, as we prefer our cheesecakes on the sweeter side (so you will want to reduce the amount of sugar if you prefer more tartness in your dessert). He also tweaked a few of the other ingredients along the way and eliminated the marzipan fruits (which were an optional decorating idea).

The recipe called for a 10-inch spring form pan, but ours was 9-inches, so we used the extra filling and Oreo crust to make four additional mini-cheesecakes in our 4 inch diameter x 2 inch deep ramekins! We adjusted the baking times for these accordingly – the approximate times for Step 2 was 8 minutes; Step 5, 20 minutes; and Step 6, 8 minutes – but you will need to check these visually to make sure everything sets properly.

I hope you’ll give this decadently delicious dessert a try – it is well worth the effort!

Ingredients:

 1 ½ Cups Oreo Cookie Crumbs
 1     Cup Chopped Almonds
 6     Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, Melted and Cooled
 9     Tablespoons Granulated Sugar
 4 ½ Cups Granulated Sugar
10    Ounces Bittersweet Chocolate – Chopped
 2     Ounces Bittersweet Chocolate – Chopped
 2     Pounds Cream Cheese, Room Temperature
    ½ Cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
 4     Eggs
    ½ Cup Heavy (Double) Cream
  1    Tablespoon Vanilla Extract (Essence)
  1    Teaspoons Almond Extract (Essence)
  2    Cups Sour Cream

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Create the crust by mixing the cookie crumbs, almonds, melted butter, and 2 tablespoon of sugar together in a bowl. Press the mixture evenly over the bottom and up 1-inch of the side of a 10-inch spring form pan. Bake for approximately 12 minutes, until the crust is just golden. Let the crust cool completely on a wire rack.

Step 2 - Oreo and Almond Crust

3. Place 10 ounces of chopped chocolate in the top pan of a double boiler or a heatproof bowl placed over (but not touching) the simmering water. Heat and stir until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Let the chocolate cool.

4. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer set on medium speed, beat together the cream cheese, the 4 ½ cups of sugar, and the cocoa powder until well blended, scraping the sides of the bowl. Beat in the cooled chocolate. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the cream, vanilla, and ¾ teaspoon of the almond extract.

Step 5a - Chocolate Mixture, Before Baking

5. Pour the chocolate mixture over the cooled crust. Bake until puffy and gently set in the center, about 1 hour. Let it cool on the wire rack until the cake deflates slightly, about 20 minutes.

Step 5b - Chocolate Mixture, After Baking

6. Stir the sour cream, the remaining sugar, and ¼ teaspoon of almond extract together in a bowl. Spread the mixture over the settled cheesecake. Return the cheesecake to the oven and bake it until it just sets, for about 8 minutes. Let the cheesecake cool completely on a wire rack.

Steps 6 and 7

7. Melt the remaining chocolate as indicated in Step 3. Dip fork tines into the melted chocolate and wave the fork back and forth over the cheesecake to create a zigzag pattern. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

This recipe makes one 10-inch cheesecake that serves 12-16 people.

Now, if you are looking for more fabulous recipes to try – or have a recipe of your own you’d like to share – then join me at the following sites for more culinary inspiration!

Foodie Friday at Designs By Gollum
Friday Favorites at Simply Sweet Home
Cookbook Sundays at Brenda’s Canadian Kitchen
Recipe Swap Sundays at Remodelaholic
Motivate Me Monday at Keeping It Simple
Mouthwatering Mondays at A Southern Fairytale
Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays at Blessed With Grace
Tuesdays At The Table at All The Small Stuff
Two For Tuesdays at Girlichef
Tasty Tuesday Parade Of Foods at Balancing Beauty And Bedlam
Tasty Tuesdays at A Beautiful Mess
Tuesday Night Supper Club at Fudge Ripple
The Weekend Wrap-Up at It's So Very Cheri