Chocolate and Coffee Baked Cheesecake

Submitted by Brittney_B

"This lusciously smooth cheesecake is a coffee lover's dream! The marriage of the chocolate and coffee flavours is truly divine and was loved by all at our family dinner party. The chocolate along the base of the cheesecake developes a melt-in-your-mouth texture after baking adding further character to this brilliant indulgence. It is a very attractive looking cheesecake that will definitely impress all those that see or try it!"

 

• Ready In: 3hrs
• Ingredients: 10
• Serves: 14

ingredients

• 2 cups crushed plain sweet biscuits (i used Arrowroots)
• 2⁄3 cup butter
• 900 g reduced-fat cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup caster sugar
• 1⁄4 cup Kahlua (or any other coffee liqueur)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon instant coffee granules
• 4 eggs
• 250 g chocolate-covered caramel candies, coarsely chopped (i used cadbury caramello chocolate block)
• 100 g milk chocolate

directions

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C Lightly grease a 22cm diametre springform tin and line the base with baking paper.
2. Melt the butter and stir into the crushed biscuits in a small bowl. Press mixture onto the base and up sides of the prepared springform tin.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and set aside to cool and sprinkle chopped chocolate evenly over the cheesecake base when completely cool. Reduce oven temperature to 160°C.
4. Beat cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer (or food processor) until smooth. Add liqueur, vanilla, and coffee granules, beating until well blended.
5. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Set aside 1 cup of the cheesecake mixture and then pour the remaining mixture into the prepared crust over the chopped chocolate.
6. Melt the milk chocolate in a medium-size, microwave-safe bowl. Stir the reserved cream cheese mixture into the melted chocolate until smooth.
7. Spoon the mixture in straight, parallel lines over the top of the cheesecake in the tin. Going in the opposite direction use a skewer to drag lines across the top of the cheesecake at equal intervals to create an attractive pattern.
8. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour or until set. Turn oven off and let cheesecake stand in oven (with door closed) for 30 minutes. Remove cheesecake from oven and allow to cool for 1 hour and then refrigerate overnight or for at least 4 hours. Serve.