Chocolate Orange Marble Cheesecake

Molly53's Note:

A delicious and beautiful dessert from an old Family Circle magazine. Overnight refrigeration not included in preparation time.

• Total Time: 2 hrs 30 mins
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 2 hrs

Ingredients:

Servings: 16

• 24 ounces cream cheese , softened
• ¾ cup light brown sugar , firmly packed
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 4 eggs
• 4 cups sour cream
• 1 tablespoon orange rind , grated
• 6 ounces squares semisweet chocolate , melted and cooled

Crust

• ½ cup graham cracker crumbs
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter or 2 tablespoons margarine , melted
• 1 ounce unsweetened chocolate square , melted
• orange slice (optional)
• chocolate leaves (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F and lightly butter 8" x 3" deep springform pan.
2. Combine crumbs, sugar, butter and chocolate in a small bowl.
3. Press into bottom of prepared springform pan; refrigerate.
4. Beat cream cheese in a large bowl until smooth.
5. Gradually beat in sugars until well mixed.
6. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until fluffy.
7. Beat in sour cream and grated orange rind; reserve 3 cups.
8. Beat cooled semisweet chocolate into remaining cream cheese mixture until well mixed.
9. Spoon one cup of the reserved plain cheese mixture over crust in springform pan.
10. Spoon half the chocolate-cheese mixture in for separate mounds over the plain layer.
11. Cover with another cup of plain cheese mixture; repeat layers.
12. Cut through batter with zigzag motion to marbelize.
13. Bake in preheated oven for an hour; turn heat off and leave in oven for an additional hour.
14. Remove from oven and cool on rack; refrigerate overnight.
15. Remove from pan and decorate with orange slices and chocolate leaves, if desired.