Decadent Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake
The raspberries add beautiful, elegant color and sweet-tart berry flavor to contrast with the rich chocolate cheesecake. Calorie and fat content of this cheesecake can be adjusted by using regular, low-fat, or fat-free cream cheese.
Prep Time:
20 minutes
Cook Time:
1 hour 30 minutes
Serves:
16
Perfect for:
Raspberry Desserts
Mothers Day
Birthday Parties
Wedding DIY
Raspberry Cheesecake and Pies
Ingredients
- Ingredients
- Ingredients 1
- Ingredients 2
- 8 Ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 2 Packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese at room temperature
- 2 Packages (8 ounces each) reduced-fat cream cheese at room temperature
- 1 1/2 Cups sugar
- 2/3 Cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 Tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 Packages (6 ounces) Driscoll's Raspberries, divided
- 2 Tablespoons vegetable shortening
- 20 purchased chocolate wafer cookies (such as Famous Chocolate Wafers)
- 4 Large eggs
- 4 Eggs
Directions
- PREHEAT oven to 350°F.
- PLACE cookies into bowl of a food processor.
- PULSE cookies until crushed into fine crumbs.
- ADD butter.
- PULSE several times to combine ingredients.
- PRESS crumb mixture firmly into bottom a 9-inch spring-form pan.
- BAKE 5-10 minutes or until crust is firm and fragrant.
- SET ASIDE crust to cool completely.
- PLACE cream cheese into bowl of an electric stand mixer.
- BEAT cream cheese on high speed until completely smooth WHILE PAUSING to SCRAPE beater and sides of bowl frequently with rubber spatula.
- BEAT IN sugar, cocoa powder, and vanilla.
- BEAT IN eggs one at a time and SCRAPE DOWN sides of bowl with rubber spatula after each addition.
- BRING TO BOIL a large pot of water WHILE CONTINUING with recipe.
- WRAP outside of spring-form pan with three layers of heavy-duty aluminum foil WHILE making sure foil reaches top of pan and does not tear.
- POUR half of batter into spring-form pan.
- ADD 1 package raspberries in a single layer.
- PRESS DOWN raspberries slightly into batter.
- POUR remaining batter over raspberries WHILE making sure berries are completely covered.
- PLACE spring-form into a large roasting pan.
- PLACE roasting pan into oven.
- POUR boiling water carefully into roasting pan until water is halfway up side of spring-form pan WHILE making sure no water spills into spring-form pan.
- BAKE 1 hour 30 minutes or until cheesecake is just barely set in center.
- REMOVE spring-form pan carefully from roasting pan.
- REMOVE aluminum foil carefully from spring-form pan.
- ALLOW cheesecake to cool several hours on a wire rack.
- PLACE cheesecake in refrigerator to chill at least 4 hours or overnight.
- PLACE shortening into a medium microwave-safe bowl.
- HEAT shortening in microwave on medium power until just melted. Do not overheat.
- ADD chocolate chips.
- STIR to combine ingredients.
- HEAT chocolate mixture in microwave again on medium power for 5-10 seconds.
- STIR chocolate mixture again.
- REPEAT heating and stirring in short increments until chocolate is melted and completely smooth. Do not overheat.
- LINE an 8-inch x 4-inch loaf pan with aluminum foil.
- POUR melted chocolate mixture into lined pan.
- PLACE chocolate mixture into refrigerator to cool and set for several hours or overnight.
- UNMOLD chocolate from loaf pan.
- REMOVE aluminum foil from chocolate.
- SHAVE chocolate curls with vegetable peeler directly onto cheesecake.
- GARNISH cheesecake with remaining raspberries.
- Use 4 packages reduced-fat cream cheese or 2 packages reduced-fat cream cheese plus 2 packages fat-free cream cheese. Crust can be omitted by spraying spring-form pan with cooking spray.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Wrap 9-inch spring-form pan with triple layer of heavy-duty aluminum foil, making sure that foil reaches top of side of pan.
- Place cookie wafers in a zip-top freezer bag or double bag. Crush with fingers or roll with a rolling pin or food can to make about 1 cup fine crumbs. Place crumbs in a medium bowl and stir in butter until evenly blended. Press crumb mixture firmly on bottom prepared pan. Bake 5 minutes. Cool.
- Fill a large saucepot with water and bring to a boil over high heat.
- Meanwhile, beat cream cheese in a large bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Beat in sugar, cocoa powder and vanilla, on medium-low speed until thoroughly mixed. Beat in eggs, one at a time, scraping bowl well after each addition. Pour half of batter into cooled crust. Add 1 package raspberries in a single layer. Top with remaining batter. Place pan in a larger roasting pan and fill halfway up side of cake pan with boiling water.
- Bake 1 hour 30 minutes or until just barely set in center. Remove roasting pan from oven. Remove cake pan from water bath and let cool completely on wire rack. Place in refrigerator and chill until cold throughout, 4 to 6 hours or overnight.
- To make chocolate curls, melt shortening in a medium glass bowl in microwave. Stir in chocolate chips and heat in microwave 15 to 30 seconds at 50 percent (medium) power until chocolate chips are melted. Stir until smooth. Line an 8 x 4-inch baking dish with foil. Pour melted chocolate mixture into lined pan and let set in refrigerator overnight.
- To serve, unmold melted chocolate and shave chocolate curls with vegetable peeler. Top cheesecake with remaining raspberries.
