Fudge Truffle Chocolate Cheesecake

This cheesecake is absolutely perfect in every way.  I made this for my mom a few days ago for her birthday, and I couldn't believe how well everything went to prepare it.  I had a chocolate cheesecake recipe saved in my recipe box, and I altered it to make it extra delicious (I don't reveal my secret ways, though!) and it turned out phenomenal.  There's a thin, sweet, slightly crunchy, vanilla-chocolate cookie layer on the bottom....a rich, soft, silky, smooth, cream-cheesy, fluffy, milk chocolatey layer in the middle....and a thin, super rich, dark chocolatey, fudgey ganache layer on top.  It just gets richer and more chocolatey as you work your way up the layers of the cake.   The only thing that was kind of annoying about this recipe is the crust is super messy to make because you have to mix the ingredients by hand...but it comes off your fingers easily (and you can lick them when you're done pressing it into the pan!) and is totally worth the effort.  This was the second cheesecake I've ever made that didn't crack (behind my incredible strawberry cheesecake recipe found here).  Even if your cheesecake does crack, you can always cover it with the oh-so-rich-and-delicious chocolate ganache.  The three wonderful layers of this cheesecake really make it seem as though you're biting into a chocolate truffle...but I'd rather have this cheesecake over a chocolate truffle any day.  Serve each slice with a dollop of whipped cream and you'll never order a chocolate cheesecake at the Cheesecake Factory ever again. (Because this recipe is sooo much better!!!)

Yield: 1 9-inch springform pan (about 14 servings)

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups Nilla wafer crumbs

• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

• 1/3 cup butter, softened

• 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

• 3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened 

• 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk, at room temperature

• 4 eggs, at room temperature

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
2. In a large mixing bowl, mix together crushed vanilla wafers, confectioners' sugar, cocoa, and butter or margarine by hand. Press ingredients into a 9 inch springform pan (a 10-inch will work also).
3. In the top of a double boiler, melt the chocolate chips, making sure that they are very smooth.
4. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy with an electric mixer. Gradually beat in condensed milk until smooth. Mix in melted chocolate, eggs, and vanilla. Beat with electric mixer on low speed until the ingredients are thoroughly blended. Pour the filling into the prepared crust.
5. Bake at 300 degrees F (150 degrees C) for 55 minutes.  The cake will seem underbaked in the center, but will continue to cook after you turn the oven off.  Turn the oven off and leave the cake in the oven, with the oven door slightly cracked, for at least one hour (this prevents the cake from cracking).  Carefully remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours (or preferably overnight) before topping with the chocolate ganache. 

For the Chocolate Ganache:

Ingredients:

• 4.5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 1/2 cup heavy cream

Directions:

1. Place the chocolate into a medium bowl. Heat the cream in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Bring just to a boil, watching very carefully because if it boils for a few seconds, it will boil out of the pot. When the cream has come to a boil, pour over the chopped chocolate, and whisk until smooth.
2. Allow the ganache to cool slightly before pouring over a cake (about one minute). Start at the center of the cake and work outward. Spread a thin layer all over the top of the cake, spreading just over the sides.  Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Tres Leches Cake

If you've never had Tres Leches Cake before, you HAVE to try it!  And if you've never even heard of it before, it's a common Mexican dessert and it's literally made with what the title is: three types of milk.  And of course, the three types of milk it uses are the sweet, fatty types.  The cake is chilled and soaks up all those delicious milks and creates a sweet, melt-in-your-mouth, refreshing dessert like no other. I had it for the first time at a Cuban restaurant and I fell in love with it.   I made it for a Spanish presentation a few days ago and everyone wanted the recipe.  I definitely want to make this for a party/celebration/holiday sometime soon because it's my new favorite cake.  I did use a box..which I usually never do because I'm a "scratch is best" girl, but since I had to make it for school and I had never made it before, I really didn't want to mess up.  It is semi-home made because of all the things you add to it, though(:

Ingredients:

1 box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® yellow cake mix

1 1/4 cups water

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

4 eggs

1 can (15 oz)sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)

1 cup evaporated milk or whole milk

1 cup whipping cream

1 tub of Cool Whip

Instructions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Grease and flour or spray bottom and sides of 13x9-inch pan.

2. In large bowl, beat cake mix, water, oil, vanilla and eggs with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, then on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour into pan.

3. Bake as directed on box for 13x9-inch pan. Let stand 5 minutes. Poke top of hot cake every 1/2 inch with long-tined fork, wiping fork occasionally to reduce sticking.

4. In large bowl, stir together sweetened condensed milk, whole milk and whipping cream. Carefully pour evenly over top of cake. Cover; refrigerate about 1 hour or until mixture is absorbed into cake. Top with desired amount of Cool Whip. Store covered in refrigerator.

 

Chocolate Gingerbread Toffee Cake

This may be the best cake I've ever had.  I made this for Christmas dessert yesterday, and it is absolutely outstanding. Oh..and just a warning: it makes a very large cake.  There's only 3 people in my family, and we've probably cut about 10 slices out of it, and there's still over half a cake left. I guess it's because it's 3 layers instead of the usual two. We even freezed some of it to save for the future, since we didn't want it to go bad. It took some time to prepare, but it was TOTALLY worth it...and lots of fun to make. This was on the cover of the December issue of Southern Living, and it was the winning recipe for the annual white cake recipe.  My cake did not turn out looking quite as perfect as the one on the magazine (be sure to refrigerate it after you fill the layers ASAP or else the melted ganache will pull the cake apart and may break some pieces...) - but hey, it's the taste that counts, right?  First, you start off by making 3 layers of gingerbread cake.  Melted chocolate chips, softened butter, sour cream, and hot water make it exceptionally moist.  And the molasses, spices, and vanilla give it a perfectly spiced flavor.  After the cakes have cooled, you make the silky ganache.  And this is what makes the cake so rich; it's mainly chocolate chips, butter, sweetened condensed milk, and heavy cream. Wow...now that sounds like a heart attack just waiting to happen.  But we're not even done yet.  As you slather the ganache between the cake layers,  you'll also sprinkle a generous amount of toffee bits on top. Pop it in the fridge for a few hours, and then spread on the "icing on the cake": the ginger whipped cream. I didn't think ginger would taste very good in whipped cream, but it's absolutely heavenly.  Especially since it uses fresh ginger (I'm not sure how dried ginger would have tasted, but I'm definitely sticking to fresh when I make this whipped cream). After all those hours preparing this cake, and when you finally take a bite, it will taste like "all the wonderful flavors that come tumbling from a stocking: milk chocolate santas, gingerbread men, and buttery toffee candy."


You can find this spectacular recipe here.

Strawberry Cheesecake

I made this cheesecake for my mom on Mothers Day, and she declared it was by far the best cheesecake she's ever had.  She declared it her cake after the first bite, and my dad and I seriously had to beg her to have a piece. It truly is incredible.  And it looks absolutely gorgeous!  Almost too pretty to eat.  But once you have the first bite, you just can't stop eating it - it's so delicious.  This is tied with my pumpkin pecan praline cheesecake for my favorite cheesecake of all time. I've had the strawberry cheesecake at the Cheesecake Factory, and I promise you: this is better. The sweetened condensed milk makes it unique from other cheesecakes because it gives it a rich, creamy, dreamy texture.  The sauce served on top adds more deliciousness as well...even though it's outstanding without it.  This was also the first cheesecake I've ever made that didn't crack!  Happiest day of my life right there(;  My mom now wants it every Mothers Day.

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted
• 2 1/2 cups fresh strawberries
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 eggs
• 1 tablespoon water

Directions

1. Combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar and butter. Press onto the bottom of an ungreased 9-in. springform pan. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. 
2. In a blender or food processor, combine strawberries and cornstarch; cover and process until smooth. Pour into a saucepan; bring to a boil. Boil and stir for 2 minutes. Set aside 1/3 cup strawberry sauce; cool. Cover and refrigerate remaining sauce for serving.
3. In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in milk. Add lemon juice and vanilla; mix well. Add eggs, beat on low just until combined. 
4. Pour half of the cream cheese mixture over crust. Drop half of the reserved strawberry mixture by 1/2 teaspoonfuls onto cream cheese layer. Carefully spoon remaining cream cheese mixture over sauce. Drop remaining strawberry sauce by 1/2 teaspoonfuls on top. With a knife, cut through top layer only to swirl strawberry sauce. 
5. Bake at 300 degrees F for 45-50 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight. Remove side of pan. Thin chilled strawberry sauce with water if desired; serve with cheesecake. Store in the refrigerator.