New York cheesecake has a softer, creamier texture than a basic cheesecake. The softer texture comes from adding heavy cream and/or sour cream to the recipe. This particular cake has been prepared by request, for my daughter’s birthday. Bake cheesecake at a low temperature and for a long time. This helps set up the delicate cake and prevent the top and sides from getting too dark. If cake slightly sinks in the middle it’s not a big deal, the 1 1/2 inch of mousse will even out the top. If you just want the cheesecake and you are not a mousse fan then just top the finished cheesecake with fresh or canned fruit and serve.
I didn’t attempt to make and decorate this cake all in one day; it was a three day process.
Day 1: I made the cheesecake, let it cool, then put it in the freezer.
Day 2: Made the mousse, spread it over the frozen cheesecake, returned cake to freezer.
Day 3: Decorated cake, then refrigerated cake until the party the next day.
*Ingredients for an 8 inch spring form cake pan*
Crust:
1 3/4 cup chocolate wafer crumbs
1/8 cup butter
Cheesecake:
2/3 cup light, semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips or chunks
3/4 cup heavy cream (35%)
2 packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs, room temperature
3/4 cup sour cream
Directions for crust:
Mix chocolate crumbs with melted butter and press into an 8 inch spring form pan. Chill.
Directions for cheesecake:
Melt chocolate chips in the microwave at 40 second intervals, stir between each interval. Heat the heavy cream until hot. This can be done in the microwave. Stir chocolate chips and cream together until very smooth. Let cool to lukewarm. (Mixture should not be too hot when adding to rest of ingredients)
Beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth, add lemon juice and vanilla. Add cooled chocolate and cream mixture.
Add eggs one at a time while beating. Stir in the sour cream. Pour mixture into the prepared spring form cake pan.
This Chocolate New York cheesecake is baked at 325°F for 1 hour then the oven temperature is dropped down to 225°F for another 45 minutes, then turn off the oven and leave cake in the oven for about an hour. Decorate as desired.
Chocolate Mousse Topping
1 cup chopped dark chocolate or semisweet chocolate chips
1 1/3 cup whipping cream (35%)
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1/8 cup sugar
1 teaspoon gelatin
In a microwave safe bowl melt chocolate at 20-30 second intervals stirring between each interval until chocolate is all melted, then set aside.
Beat whipping cream until stiff, refrigerate. Sprinkle gelatin over 1/8 cup cold water, let dissolve for a minute. Pour 1/8 cup hot water over gelatin and stir until well dissolved.
Beat eggs and sugar in a heat proof bowl over a pot of simmering water until light and fluffy, beat in the gelatin and the chocolate. Slowly beat mixture until it almost reaches room temperature so that its not too hot before adding whipping cream. Fold in the whipping cream.
Spread mousse over the cheesecake that’s still in the spring form pan. A good idea is to line the sides of the cake tin with parchment so mousse doesn’t stick to cake pan.
Chill cake overnight or put in freezer until an hour before serving.
I would like more directions on how you decorated this cake. It looks awesome! How to you cut and serve it when decorated as such?
Hi Beverly, this was such a fun cake to make. I ‘glued’ the kitkat chocolate bar pieces on the sides with melted chocolate but next time I might just try tying a party themed ribbon around the cake or maybe thin long black licorice strings. As for cutting it, I took off the bigger decorations as needed. The eggs are the Kinder Surprise chocolate eggs with the toy inside. The little chocolate bits are from the bulk food store. Hope this helps.