Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

Despite the fact that I can now bake and cook a variety of items, I still consider my specialty to be cheesecakes. I have made cheesecake in so many different forms and flavors that I feel quite comfortable experimenting and look for new ways to present this classic dessert. For her birthday, my cousin requested that I create a cheesecake that had both chocolate and raspberry in the base flavor, not just a chocolate cheesecake with a raspberry topping. I welcomed her challenge and tried to come up with a chocolate to raspberry ratio that would allow both flavors to come out.

As I mixed the batter and tasted it I was concerned that the chocolate overwhelmed the raspberry, even though I used a whole jar of raspberry preserves. Unfortunately, my concerns were correct because the finished product, although delicious, was not very raspberry tasting. My aunt claimed that she could taste a little bit of frutiness in the cake but she admitted that she would not be able to identify what type of fruit it was. Next time, I will add less chocolate but keep the raspberry content the same and hopefully its flavor will be more pronounced.

Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake
Note: This recipe is for an 11'' cheesecake. I have modified the recipe from my original version with half of the chocolate but the same amount of raspberry.
 
For the crust:

• 2 cups Oreo crumbs
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

Combine the Oreo crumbs and melted butter and transfer to an 11" springform pan, pressing down gently along the bottom and sides. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 8 minutes then set aside to cool.

For the filling:

• 2 lbs (4 blocks) cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 2 cups sour cream
• 100 grams chocolate, melted 
• 1 250 ml jar seedless raspberry preserves

1. Beat together the cream cheese and sugar until smooth.
2. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, making sure to scrape down the bowl occasionally.
3. Beat in the sour cream, followed by the melted chocolate and then the raspberry preserves.
4. Bake the cheesecake in a water bath at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 50 minutes. Without opening the oven door, turn off the oven and allow the cake to cool inside for 1 1/2 hours. Cool completely to room temperature before transferring the cake to the refrigerator and chilling for at least four hours, though preferably overnight.