The Brownie Cheesecake

The Brownie Cheesecake

I know you know how much I love cheesecake!  After a recent lunch date at the Cheesecake Factory with my daughter, I am feeling inspired to create a bunch of new cheesecake recipes this spring!  I can't believe the amount of different kinds of cheesecake they have.  They are all so gorgeous and fun to admire!  I am going to be creating some recipes that will give you a beautiful and delicious cheesecake that you can make easily at home for only a fraction of the price!    Here's the most recent cake creation...The Brownie Cheesecake!  Serve with or without fresh berries or the Fresh Berry Puree.  

Brownie Crust

3/4 cup softened butter

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

2 eggs

1 cup flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon baking POWDER

1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Prepare the pan.  Trace the bottom of a 9-10 inch spring form pan onto parchment paper. Cut it out.  Cut a strip of parchment paper to cover the inside of the pan's sides.  Grease the pan and then stick the parchment paper onto the bottom and around the side of the pan.  Spray parchment paper with bakers spray (the kind with flour preferably.)  In bowl of electric mixer, whip butter, sugar and vanilla until creamy.  Whip in eggs.  Stir dry ingredients together and add to butter mixture.  Whip until mixture looks like soft ice cream.  Spread into bottom of prepared 9 inch spring form pan.  Place spring form pan on a large baking sheet.  Bake for 15 minutes.  While bottom layer bakes, make the cream cheese layer.

Cream Cheese Layer

3, 8 ounce packages cream cheese, softened

1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs

1 egg yolk

1/4 cup milk

In electric mixer whip cream cheese, sugar, flour and vanilla until creamy.  Add eggs and yolk and beat on low until just combined.  Stir in milk and beat for 10 seconds.  Pour over brownie layer and bake 30 minutes or until center of cheesecake is set and not jiggly.  Top may brown a little, which is fine. Remove from oven and cool before adding Chocolate Glaze.

Chocolate Glaze

1 cup milk chocolate chips

6 tablespoon butter

In top of double boiler, melt chocolate and butter and stir until smooth.  Pour over cooled cheesecake.  With backside of spoon, smooth melted chocolate over the top of cheesecake. Place a large dinner plate over the cheesecake pan and place in refrigerator.  Let cheesecake refrigerate over night and up to two days.  Remove from fridge.  Remove sides of pan. Carefully slip a long knife under cake.  Insert knife under the parchment paper and loosen cake from bottom of pan.  Slip cake carefully onto a cake platter or cake stand.   Let stand on display at room temperature a while before cutting and serving.  I like to serve this cheesecake with a dollop of sweetened whipped cream and a Fresh Berry Puree, or with plain fresh berries. 

Fresh Berry Puree

 2 cups fresh berries, of any kind

1/4 cup sugar

Puree fruit and sugar in food processor and spoon a little Fresh Berry Puree over the top of each slice of cheesecake.