May 20, 2011

Chocolate Cheesecake with Caramel Ganache

1Featured Cakes and Cheesecakes, cheesecake, chocolate 0

Howdy! My name is Milisa and I blog over at Miss in the Kitchen! Susan offered up the opportunity of a guest post and I jumped at the chance. You see Susan has been such a great inspiration and a huge help to me in my blogging endeavors, so I feel quite honored to share a recipe here. I knew I needed something ooey, gooey and rich and the result is a rich chocolate cheesecake smothered in dulce de leche caramel with a touch of toasted pecans. My husband and three boys were begging to cut into it. I told them it needed time to setup. They declared that I was just holding out for better light to take pictures. They weren’t wrong but I really wanted the caramel to set, you believe me right? Well, it was worth the wait, it turned out to be the best cheesecake I’ve ever made! It is disappearing fast, but will be reappearing often as one of my favorite desserts.

Chocolate Cheesecake with Caramel Ganache/h2>

24 Double Stuff Oreo cookies
6 tablespoons butter, melted
3 8 oz packages cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup milk chocolate chips
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup dulce de leche
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup toasted pecans, chopped plus 4 pecan halves for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Crush Oreos or process into a fine crumb in a food processor.
In a small bowl combine cookie crumbs and melted butter.
Press into bottom of a 10 inch springform pan.
Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

Melt milk chocolate and semi-sweet chocolate in a microwave safe bowl in 30 second intervals, stirring in between until chocolate is melted and smooth. Set aside.
In a large mixer bowl add cream cheese and beat at medium to high speed until smooth. Beat in sugar and vanilla. Add eggs one at a time, mixing just until combined after each addition. Add chocolate and mix until all combined.
Pour over crust and bake for 45 minutes or until center is set.
Remove from oven and cool for about five minutes. Slide a knife around the edge and remove outer ring and cool for 45 minutes.

Meanwhile stir dulce de leche and heavy cream together and heat at 30 second intervals in the microwave, stirring in between until smooth and combined. Pour over cheesecake coating top and sides. Sprinkle pecans around the edge and sides. Place pecan halves in center.
Refrigerate for 6-8 hours or overnight.

Enjoy!

Miss

Thanks so much, Milisa! This is one gorgeous cheesecake! I’m so glad you were here to share it with everyone, and keep them in sugary goodness while I am away at the Blogher Food Conference! Now they’ll have the perfect goody to make this weekend! Everyone comment and give Milisa a big welcome and thanks!