Creamy Chocolate Cheesecake
Ready In: 26 hrs 35 mins
Serves: 12
Yields: 1 chocolate cheesecake
Ingredients
FOR CRUST
- 3⁄4 cup chocolate graham cracker crumbs (about 12 squares)
- 3 tablespoons Splenda granular, sugar substitute
- 2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder (regular or Dutch process)
- 2 tablespoons butter or 1⁄2 cup margarine
FOR THE FILLING
- 2 cups low fat cottage cheese
- 8 ounces style light cream cheese (1/3 less calories than regular cream cheese) or 8 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese, at room temperature (1/3 less calories than regular cream cheese)
- 8 ounces style fat free cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1⁄2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 1⁄2 cups Splenda granular, sugar substitute
- 4 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1⁄4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1⁄2 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 large egg
- 3 large egg whites
- 1⁄2 cup light sour cream
GARNISH
- chocolate curls (optional) or chocolate chips (optional)
- fat-free whipped topping (non-dairy whipped topping) (optional) or fat free cream (non-dairy whipped topping) (optional) or Cool Whip Lite (non-dairy whipped topping)
Directions
- FOR THE CRUST:
- Preheat oven to 350º F/180ºC.
- Spray a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray; Set aside.
- If starting with whole graham crackers, place them in a blender or food processor and pulse graham crackers to make fine crumbs.
- Melt the 2 tablespoons butter (or margarine, if using) in a small saucepan; set aside.
- Place crumbs in a bowl and add the Splenda, the 2 teaspoons cocoa powder and the melted butter or margarine.
- Stir to mix.
- Spoon the crumb mixture into the bottom of the prepared springform pan.
- With your fingers, the back of a spoon, or a sheet of plastic wrap, press down on the crumbs to cover the bottom of the pan.
- Bake crust in preheated oven for 5 minutes.
- Set aside and let cool.
- Leave oven on at 350ºF/180º Celsius
- THE FILLING:
- Wrap the springform pan filled with baked crust tightly in heavy duty aluminum foil; set aside.
- Place chocolate chips in a small saucepan and melt on low heat on stove stop; let cool.
- Place cottage cheese into a blender or food processor.
- Puree until completely smooth.
- Spoon into large mixing bowl, and add fat-free and reduced fat cream cheeses.
- Beat mixture on medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy.
- Add the cooled melted chocolate, Splenda, brown sugar, cocoa powder, flour, cornstarch, and extracts.
- Beat on low speed until smooth.
- Add whole egg and then egg whites, beating briefly after each addition to incorporate.
- Stir in the sour cream with a large spoon.
- Pour mixture into prepared sprinform pan and smooth top of cheesecake.
- Place the foil wrapped pan in a large deep baking pan and pour boiling water into the larger pan until it reaches halfway up the outside of the springform pan (this is called a "water bath" or "bain marie").
- Bake cheesecake for 55-60 minutes or until sides of cheesecake appear firm and center jiggles slightly.
- Turn off the oven, open the oven door, and let cheesecake cool in the oven for 30 minutes.
- Remove cheesecake from "water bath" and finish cooling at room temperature.
- Once cooled, refrigerate cheesecake for at least 6 hours to overnight before serving.
- When ready to serve, remove sides of springform pan and decorate top of cheesecake with chocolate curls or semisweet or white chocolate chips (optional), and cut cheesecake into 12 slices.
- You may serve cheesecake with fat-free whipped cream or fat-free or sugar free or lite non-dairy whipped topping, if desired.
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