CHOCOLATE ZEBRA CHEESECAKE

By gaster16

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 cups chocolate wafter crumbs (about 30 wafers)
• 3 tablespoons margarine or butter, melted
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate pieces
• 4 - 8 oz. packages cream cheese softened
• 1-1/4 cups sugar
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 5 large eggs
• 1 - 8 oz. container sour cream
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1-1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 12 - 1 ounce semisweet chocolate squares
• 8 ounces white chocolate

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease springform pan. In bowl, mix chocolate wafer crumbs and margarine or butter, firmly press onto bottom of springform pan for crust. Bake crust 12-15 minutes. Remove crust from oven, sprinkle with chocolate pieces. Let stand several minutes until chocolate pieces often, then spread softened chocolate evenly over crust. Refrigerate while preparing filling.

In large bowl, with mixer at medium speed, beat cream cheese until light and fluffy. In small bowl, mix sugar, cornstarch, and salt, gradually beat into cream cheese until blended. With mixer at low speed, gradually beat in eggs, sour cream, vanilla and 1 cup of heavy cream until blended and smooth.

Divide batter evenly into two 4 to 8 cup measuring cups or other containers with pouring spout. In small saucepan over low heat, melt 8 squares semisweet chocolate. In another small saucepan over very low heat, melt white chocolate. Stir melted semisweet chocolate into batter in one measuring cup and stir melted white chocolate into batter in second measuring cup.

To create "zebra" design, pour half of dark batter into springform pan. Holding white batter about 2 feet above pan, pour about half of batter directly into center of dark batter (pouring from this height will cause batter in center of cake to be pushed toward edge of pan, forming zebra design.) Repeat procedure 3 times, decreasing the amounts of batter each time and pouring from high above pan only into center, ending with white batter. Top of cake should look like a series of concentric circles.

Bake cheesecake 30 minutes. Turn oven control to 225 degrees, and bake 1 hour and 45 minutes, longer or until center is set. Turn off oven, let cheesecake remain in oven 1 hour. Remove cheesecake from oven. Run thin bladed spatula or knife around edge of cheesecake to loosen from side of pan. Cool cake in pan or wire rack. Refrigerate cheesecake at least 6 hours or until well chilled.