Chocolate Eruption Cheesecake

By mitzzy

This is one of my best cheesecakes of all times and usually, it is found in my cookbook, A Passion for Baking, Oxmoor House 2007. But somtimes, as a treat, I offer it online. It's perfect for Valentine's Day or anytime you need a big, impressive celebration cheescake. I don't know where I first heard the term Chocolate Eruption Cheesecake but I knew once I did, I had to create something that befit the name. Chocolate Eruption Cheesecake can be made in a few ways (if you are prone to tinkering with recipes) but these elements are constant: caramel swirls, chocolate chunks, white chocolate, pieces of Turtle Bar chocolates or similar pecan and caramel candy (Snickers will do just fine), and a shower of chocolate curls on top. I took my version up a level by adding hunks of homemade brownies like Notting Hill Brownies (but in a pinch, even a brownie mix is fine). This is a dense, rich, gorgeous cheesecake that will be the talk of any party or place you create it for. It feeds a crowd and is the stuff of instant legend. Btw, it's not hard to bake up (even a novice can make it) it just takes alot of elements - but worth every minute of effort and every calorie.

Ingredients

• Bottom Crust
• 1 Batch prepared brownies (recipe below) or a Chocolate Crumb Crust
• Filling
• 2 1/2 pounds cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 14-ounce can condensed milk
• 5 eggs
• 1/3 cup whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• Pinch salt 1 1/2 cups white chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips or coarsely chopped chocolate
• 2 cups coarsely chopped chocolate caramel bars such as Snickers or Turtles
• 1 cup coarsely cut brownie chunks (recipe below or mix prepared)
• 1/2 cup dulce de leche or caramel sundae sauce
• Finishing Touches 1/4 cup each, melted white, semi-sweet, and milk chocolate Chocolate shavings, confectioners’ sugar

Preparation

Step 1

You need to have brownies prepared before. A brownie mix is fine, or a chocolate crumb crust, but a brownie recipe is below.

Preheat oven to 325 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spray a 10 inch springform pan with non-stick cooking spray. Line the bottom and sides of the pans with parchment paper, cut to fit, allowing side pieces to extend a bit over top of pan (to make a collar because this cake is big and you'll need the support of a cake 'girdle' as it bakes). Arrange pieces of brownies to line the bottom of the pan.

For the filling, in a mixer bowl, blend the cheese with the sugar until smooth. Add in the condensed milk and blend in the eggs, cream, flour, vanilla, and the pinch of salt until smooth, about 5 minutes on slowest speed, scraping bottom of the mixing bowl often to make sure batter does not stick in well of bowl.

Remove one-third of batter and mix it with the white chocolate. Pour this into the cheesecake pan. Fold in the remaining ingredients, except the dulce or caramel sauce, into the cheesecake batter. Mix gently by hand so as not to break up the brownie chunks too much.

Fold half the batter into the pan (on top of the white chocolate cheesecake batter), and then drop dollops of half the dulce or caramel sauce all over. Top with remaining batter and then remaining dulce or caramel sauce. Stir with a knife very briefly. Pan will be very full. Place cheesecake on the baking sheet and bake until set about 45-55 minutes. Turn off the oven and open the oven door.

Let the cake cool in oven an hour and then in fridge overnight. Remove from pan and unmold onto a serving plate. Before serving, drizzle on melted milk, white and dark chocolate over top, allowing it to drip down on side. On top of melted chocolate, garnish with large chocolate shavings and dust with confectioners' sugar. Serves 16-20

* Brownies for Chocolate Eruption Cheesecake

A small batch of brownies designed for Chocolate Eruption Cheesecake.

1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 1/2 cups brown sugar, firmly packed
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup cocoa
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt


Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Generously spray a 9-by-13 inch pan lightly with non-stick cooking spray and line bottom with parchment paper.

In a food processor, blend the melted butter with white and brown sugars, then add vanilla and eggs. Stir in the cocoa, flour, baking soda and salt and process to make a smooth batter.

Spoon into prepared pan. Place the pan on a baking sheet and bake until done and just set, 25-30 minutes. Cool, then place cake (in pan) in freezer for 1 hour before cutting.

To cut, unmold the brownies and peel off parchment paper. Cut in half and then horizontally to make slabs which you use for the bottom of the cheesecake. Chop the remaining brownies for use in the cake filling.