Vanilla Bean Cheesecake with Chocolate Ganache

  Desserts

This recipe is the most recent cheesecake I gave to my mother for her birthday, and we all just loved it...too much! There's a hint of orange in the chocolate crust that makes every bite worth savoring.

Vanilla Bean Cheesecake with Chocolate Ganache

Average Rating: 5

TOTAL TIME: Prep: 50 min. Bake: 1 hour + chilling
YIELD: 16 servings.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups chocolate graham cracker crumbs (about 16 graham crackers)
  • 4 teaspoons grated orange zest
  • 1/3 cup butter, melted

  • FILLING:
  • 3 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 vanilla bean or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 large eggs, lightly beaten

  • TOPPING:
  • 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • 2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 2 cups fresh raspberries

Instructions

  • 1. Preheat oven to 325°. Place a greased 9-in. springform pan on a double thickness of heavy-duty foil (about 18 in. square). Wrap foil securely around pan.
  • 2. In a small bowl, mix cracker crumbs and orange zest; stir in butter. Press onto bottom and 2 in. up sides of prepared pan. Refrigerate 5 minutes.
  • 3. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in sour cream. Split vanilla bean lengthwise; using the tip of a sharp knife, scrape seeds from the center into cream cheese mixture. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until blended. Pour into crust. Place springform pan in a larger baking pan; add 1 in. of hot water to larger pan.
  • 4. Bake 60-70 minutes or until center is just set and top appears dull. Remove springform pan from water bath. Cool cheesecake on a wire rack 10 minutes. Loosen sides from pan with a knife; remove foil. Cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight, covering when completely cooled.
  • 5. For topping, place chocolate chips in a small bowl. In a small saucepan, bring cream just to a boil. Pour over chocolate chips; stir with a whisk until smooth. Cool to room temperature or until mixture thickens to spreading consistency, about 10 minutes.
  • 6. Remove rim from springform pan. Spread chocolate mixture over cheesecake. Refrigerate 1 hour longer or until set. Top cheesecake with raspberries before serving.

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