Chocolate Truffle Cheesecake with Sour Cherry Glaze

Many months ago I came across this recipe and I instantly knew the occasion I would save it for...my cousin's birthday. She is a big fan of my cheesecakes and always tells me that she really has no preference for flavor, as long as I make it with the crust that she loves. At the time when I found the recipe it appealed to me because it was slightly different than my usual cheesecake base recipe since it used heavy cream in combination with cream cheese, rather than sour cream. I was curious as to how this would manifest in terms of texture and density of the cheesecake.

While I was preparing the batter I noticed that my chocolate had separated and I was afraid that this would impact the smooth texture. I'm happy to report that it did not...the cheesecake was velvety smooth and melted in the mouth. The substitution of heavy cream for sour cream made the cake less dense than my usual cheesecake. Flavor wise, the sour cherry glaze paired very nicely with the chocolate cheesecake and seemed appropriate for the gorgeous spring day. Everyone at the party enjoyed the cake and it was the first time that an entire cake I had made was devoured without any leftovers.

Chocolate Truffle Cheesecake with Sour Cherry Glaze

For the crust:

• 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and then transfer to an 11" springform pan. Gently press down all along the bottom and sides and then bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 8 minutes. Set aside to cool.

For the cheesecake:

• 2 lbs (4 blocks) cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 300grams dark chocolate, melted

1. Beat the cream cheese on medium-high speed for about a minute, until smooth.
2. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, at low speed. Beat in the sugar. Scape down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
3. Add a small amount of the cheesecake mixture to the melted chocolate and mix until it starts to look like dough. 
4. Add the chocolate-dough mixture to the mixer and mix on medium speed until fully incorporated.
5. Beat in the vanilla and heavy cream on medium speed until it is fully blended and thick, almost mousse-like. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
6. Pour the mixture into the cooled springform pan and bake for 55 minutes at 325 degrees Fahrenheit using a hot water bath or by placing a pan of hot water on the lowest rack beneath the cake.
7. Without opening the oven door, turn off the oven and leave the cake to cool for 1 1/2 hours inside the oven. Afterward, remove from the oven and cool to room temperature before refrigerating for at least 4 hours, though preferably overnight.

For the Sour Cherry Glaze

• 1 32 oz jar sour cherries
• 2 tbsp corn starch

1. Separate the cherries from the liquid in the jar and pour out the liquid into a medium-sized saucepan.
2. Add the cornstarch to the liquid and whisk until dissolved.
3. Add the cherries back to saucepan and heat on low heat for 6-10 minutes or until the mixture starts to bubble and thicken. 
4. Remove from the heat and cool slightly before spreading over top of the cheesecake.