Deep Dark Chocolate Cheesecake

Okay...do yourself a favor and make this cheesecake. After you sit down and eat a piece, you will want to run for the hills, screaming like a lunatic. It is that good. If you've never attempted a cheesecake, it really isn't as difficult as it may seem. I think one of the most common problems that people encounter is under baking and over baking. It is very difficult to tell when a cheesecake is actually "done". I remember, years ago, making a chocolate chip cheesecake for my dear friend Jen. That thing was so incredibly over baked that I still cringe when I think about it (sorry about that, Jen!). One easy way to ensure that your cheesecake is baked through is to turn the oven off after the directed baking time, and then letting the cheesecake sit in the oven for an hour. Another trick that works really well is to bake your cheesecake in a water bath. Check out this link for all kinds of helpful tips for fabulous cheesecake.

Anyway, back to the cheesecake I made the other day. The recipe originated in Bon Appetite magazine, and it is a keeper. I found it at Epicurious.com (another wonderful website). The batter was almost like mousse. The best part was the chocolate ganache topping, because my cake cracked, but after covering it with the ganache, nobody was the wiser. The texture of the cake is almost like fudge, and a little goes a loooooong way. Very, very rich, and very dense. I think it would also be delicious with a raspberry sauce drizzled over the top. So, do yourself a favor and bake this. You will not be sorry!