Dark Chocolate Marbled Pumpkin Cheesecake on a Brownie Crust

Wow!

• Ready In: 7 hrs
• Serves: 12

Ingredients

• Crust

• 4  tablespoons butter
• 2  ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 1⁄4 cup sugar
• 1  large egg, lightly beaten
• 1⁄4 cup flour
• 1⁄2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1⁄8 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄4 cup walnuts (optional)

• Cheesecake

• 4  ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1  cup sugar
• 4  large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 1⁄2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1  teaspoon vanilla extract
• 16  ounces canned pumpkin puree
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1⁄2 teaspoon  grated fresh nutmeg
• 1  pinch ground cloves

Directions

1. Make the crust: Heat oven to 325*F. Lightly butter a 9" springform pan.
2. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter with the chocolate over low heat, stirring constantly, until melted and smooth.
3. Remove pan from heat and cool slightly; stir in the sugar and egg until blended.
4. In a small bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt; add to the chocolate mixture and mix until combined.
5. Spread batter in the prepared pan and smooth top with a spatula; bake 10 minutes, or until risen and dry to the touch. Let cool completely.
6. Wrap the outside of the springform pan in a large sheet of foil. Leave the oven on.
7. Make the cheesecake: Melt the chocolate, stirring, until smooth; set aside.
8. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the cream cheese until smooth.
9. Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy.
10. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition; blend in the cornstarch and vanilla.
11. Add 1 cup of the cheesecake batter to the melted chocolate; stir until well blended.
12. Beat the pumpkin, cinnamon, nugmeg, and cloves into the remaining batter.
13. Pour 3/4 of the pumpkin batter over the crust.
14. Pour the chocolate batter over the pumpkin batter. (If the chocolate batter is too thick to pour easily, heat in the microwave for 10 seconds.).
15. Spoon the remaining pumpkin batter over the chocolate batter; use a table knife to make a few decorative swirls. Do not overswirl.
16. Set the pan in a medium roasting pan; add enough hot water to the roasting pan to reach halfway up the sides of the springform.
17. Bake the cheesecake in the water bath in the center of the oven for 90 minutes, or until firm around the edges but slightly jiggly in the center.
18. Turn the oven off, prop the door open a few inches, and let the cake stand in the water bath for 1 hour, or until completely set.
19. Remove cake from the water bath and refrigerate at least 4 hours. Remove the foil and sides of springform; transfer cake to a platter, cut and serve.
20. If desired, serve with a drizzle of caramel, or a mocha fudge sauce.