Dark Chocolate Ganache Cheesecake Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°. Place a greased 9-in. springform pan on a double thickness of heavy-duty foil (about 18 in. square). Securely wrap foil around pan., In a small bowl, combine cracker crumbs and sugar; stir in butter. Press onto the bottom of prepared pan. Place pan on a baking sheet. Bake 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. , In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in cooled chocolate and cocoa. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Pour over crust. Place springform pan in a large baking pan; add 1 in. of boiling water to larger pan. , Bake 55-60 minutes or until center is just set and top appears dull. Remove springform pan from water bath; remove foil. Cool cheesecake on a wire rack 10 minutes; loosen edges from pan with a knife. Cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight. , For ganache, place chocolate in a small bowl. In a small saucepan, bring cream and sugar just to a boil. Pour over chocolate; whisk until smooth. Cool to reach a spreading consistency, stirring occasionally., Remove rim from pan. Spread ganache over cheesecake to within 1 in. of edge. Refrigerate 1 hour or until set.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• To make the crust:
• Place the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter and cinnamon in a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse until combined. Pour into a 9-inch springform pan. With your hands, press the crumbs into the bottom of the pan. Bake for 12 minutes. Cool to room temperature.
• Meanwhile, chop the bittersweet chocolate and place it in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Add the espresso and stir until just melted. Set aside until cooled to room temperature.
• To make the filling:
• Cream the cream cheese, sugar, cornstarch, vanilla and almond extracts and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Reduce the speed of the mixer to medium and add the eggs, 1 at a time, mixing well. Scrape down the bowl and beater, as necessary. With the mixer on low, add the sour cream, and the cooled chocolate mixture. Mix thoroughly and pour into the cooled crust.
• Bake for 1 hour. Turn the oven off and allow the cake to sit in the oven with the door opened wide for 1 1/2 hours. Take the cake out of the oven and allow it to sit at room temperature, until completely cooled.
• For the ganache:
• Finely chop the semisweet chocolate and place it in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Add the cream and stir until just melted. Set aside until cooled to room temperature.
• Remove the cake from the springform pan by carefully running a hot knife around the outside of the cake. Leave the cake on the bottom of the springform pan for serving. Drizzle the ganache over the top of the cheesecake.

Steps:

• Prepare the Crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Stir together cookie crumbs, butter, and sugar in a medium bowl until well blended. Press mixture into bottom and up sides of a 9-inch springform pan coated with cooking spray.
• Bake in preheated oven 10 minutes. Cool crust completely in pan on a wire rack, about 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F.
• Prepare the Cheesecake: Beat cream cheese with a heavy-duty stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Gradually add sugar and flour, beating until smooth. Add eggs and egg yolks, one at a time, beating on low speed just until yellow disappears after each addition. Beat in vanilla.
• Divide batter into 2 equal portions in separate medium bowls. Pour 1 portion into prepared crust; spread evenly.
• Place Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Baking Chips in a small microwaveable bowl. Microwave on medium (50% power) until melted and smooth, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds.
• Stir together coffee liqueur and espresso granules in a small bowl until espresso dissolves; stir mixture into remaining bowl of cheesecake batter. Stir melted bittersweet chocolate into coffee batter until blended.
• Gently pour over plain cheesecake batter in prepared crust, and spread evenly. Pan will be very full. Place springform pan on a rimmed baking sheet.
• Bake at 325 degrees F until center is almost set but center still jiggles slightly when pan is prodded, 1 hour and 5 minutes to 1 hour and 15 minutes. Remove to a wire rack and cool completely, about 2 hours.
• Cover pan loosely with aluminum foil and chill 8 to 12 hours. Gently run a knife or offset spatula around outer edge of cheesecake to loosen from sides of pan. Remove sides of pan.
• Prepare the Topping: About 1 hour before serving, bring cream and corn syrup just to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium. Place Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet Chocolate Baking Chips in a small heatproof bowl; pour cream-syrup mixture over chocolate chips. Let stand 1 minute. Whisk gently until smooth. Cool slightly, about 15 minutes.
• Pour chocolate mixture over top of cheesecake, and gently spread to edge of crust. Chill until set, about 30 minutes. Garnish if desired.

Steps:

• Place chocolate chips in a small bowl. In a small saucepan, bring cream just to a boil. Pour over chocolate; whisk until smooth., For a pourable ganache, cool, stirring occasionally, until mixture reaches 85°-90° and is slightly thickened, about 40 minutes. Pour over cake, allowing some to drape down the sides. Spread ganache with a spatula if necessary to evenly coat, working quickly before it thickens. Let stand until set., For spreadable ganache, chill, stirring occasionally, until mixture reaches a spreading consistency. Spread over cake.

Steps:

• Place the chocolate into a medium bowl. Heat the cream in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Bring just to a boil, watching very carefully because if it boils for a few seconds, it will boil out of the pot. When the cream has come to a boil, pour over the chopped chocolate, and whisk until smooth. Stir in the rum if desired.
• Allow the ganache to cool slightly before pouring over a cake. Start at the center of the cake and work outward. For a fluffy frosting or chocolate filling, allow it to cool until thick, then whip with a whisk until light and fluffy.