Chocolate Rum Cheesecake
Our first inclination when thinking about the type of dessert to make for our classic Italian dinner was a cheesecake. We couldn’t decide between a plain cheesecake with a fruit topping, a filling of some sort, etc. Our friend Amber was nice enough to remind us of a recipe she showed us a couple of weeks ago that we were enamored with – Chocolate Rum Cheesecake.
This was our second time making a cheesecake (the first was an Oreo Cheesecake) and we found it once again to be rather simple. This cheesecake required a few extra steps but none that were complicated or advanced in any way.
This recipe called for superfine sugar, which we could not find at our grocery store. After researching for a bit we found that you can easily make your own by merely processing regular granulated sugar in the food processor or blender until it is fine and powdery, which is what we did.
We were proud in that we only managed one small crack in the top of the cheesecake! This recipe produced an insanely creamy cheesecake. The bittersweet chocolate was reliable because it wasn’t too sweet, and consider yourself warned — you can most definitely taste the rum in this!
Chocolate Rum Cheesecake
(Source: Williams Sonoma)
For the crust:
1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
For the filling:
6 oz bittersweet baking chocolate
1/4 cup rum (we used dark rum)
1 lb cream cheese
3/4 cup superfine sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
4 extra-large eggs
Directions:
Position a rack in the center of an oven and preheat to 325 degrees. Butter a 9-inch springform pan and cover the outside with aluminum foil, shiny side out.
In a mixing bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs and granulated sugar and stir to mix. Add the melted butter and stir until blended. Press the mixture evenly into the bottom and halfway up the sides of the pan. Refrigerate until ready to use.
In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the chocolate and rum and melt, stirring often, about 1 minute; set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth and fluffy. Gradually add the superfine sugar and continue beating until blended. Then beat in the sour cream and vanilla extract. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Remove the bowl from the mixer and set it over a pan of simmering water but not touching the water. Warm the mixture, stirring constantly, until completely smooth and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes.
Pour 1 1/3 cups of the batter into another bowl and set aside. Add the chocolate mixture to the remaining batter and whisk until blended. Set the bowl back over the simmering water and stir until creamy and smooth.
Pour the chocolate batter into the prepared pan. Gently pour the plain batter over the top and make swirls in the batter with a fork.
Bake until the cake is set around the edges and the center is still a little loose, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool to room temperature, remove the rim from the pan and refrigerate overnight. Serves 10 to 12.
Chocolate Rum Cheesecake
Yield: 10 to 12 servings You've got to try this decadent cheesecake!For the crust:
- 1 ¼ cups (105 g) graham cracker crumbs
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, (1/2 stick )
For the filling:
- 6 oz (170.1 g) bittersweet baking chocolate
- ¼ cup (60 ml) rum, We used dark rum
- 1 lb (453.59 g) cream cheese
- ¾ cup (150 g) superfine sugar
- ½ cup (115 ml) sour cream
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 4 extra-large eggs
- 1. Position a rack in the center of an oven and preheat to 325 degrees. Butter a 9-inch springform pan and cover the outside with aluminum foil, shiny side out.
- 2. In a mixing bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs and granulated sugar and stir to mix. Add the melted butter and stir until blended. Press the mixture evenly into the bottom and halfway up the sides of the pan. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- 3. In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the chocolate and rum and melt, stirring often, about 1 minute; set aside.
- 4. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth and fluffy. Gradually add the superfine sugar and continue beating until blended. Then beat in the sour cream and vanilla extract. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- 5. Remove the bowl from the mixer and set it over a pan of simmering water but not touching the water. Warm the mixture, stirring constantly, until completely smooth and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes.
- 6. Pour 1 1/3 cups of the batter into another bowl and set aside. Add the chocolate mixture to the remaining batter and whisk until blended. Set the bowl back over the simmering water and stir until creamy and smooth.
- 7. Pour the chocolate batter into the prepared pan. Gently pour the plain batter over the top and make swirls in the batter with a fork.
- 8. Bake until the cake is set around the edges and the center is still a little loose, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool to room temperature, remove the rim from the pan and refrigerate overnight. Serves 10 to 12.
- Yield: 10 to 12 servings
- Prep: 30 minutes
- Cook: 50 minutes
- Total: 1 hour 20 minutes
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 1 ¼ cups ( 105 g ) graham cracker crumbs
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, (1/2 stick )
For the filling:
- 6 oz ( 170.1 g ) bittersweet baking chocolate
- ¼ cup ( 60 ml ) rum, we used dark rum
- 1 lb ( 453.59 g ) cream cheese
- ¾ cup ( 150 g ) superfine sugar
- ½ cup ( 115 ml ) sour cream
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 4 extra-large eggs
Method
- 1. Position a rack in the center of an oven and preheat to 325 degrees. Butter a 9-inch springform pan and cover the outside with aluminum foil, shiny side out.
- 2. In a mixing bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs and granulated sugar and stir to mix. Add the melted butter and stir until blended. Press the mixture evenly into the bottom and halfway up the sides of the pan. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- 3. In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the chocolate and rum and melt, stirring often, about 1 minute; set aside.
- 4. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth and fluffy. Gradually add the superfine sugar and continue beating until blended. Then beat in the sour cream and vanilla extract. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- 5. Remove the bowl from the mixer and set it over a pan of simmering water but not touching the water. Warm the mixture, stirring constantly, until completely smooth and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes.
- 6. Pour 1 1/3 cups of the batter into another bowl and set aside. Add the chocolate mixture to the remaining batter and whisk until blended. Set the bowl back over the simmering water and stir until creamy and smooth.
- 7. Pour the chocolate batter into the prepared pan. Gently pour the plain batter over the top and make swirls in the batter with a fork.
- 8. Bake until the cake is set around the edges and the center is still a little loose, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool to room temperature, remove the rim from the pan and refrigerate overnight. Serves 10 to 12.
