Cafe Latté Orange Chocolate Chunk Cheesecake
Posted by: Elaine Sun, 30 May 2004, at 7:30 a.m.
 

Shortbread Crust:
11/3 c. flour
1/3 c. cocoa
½ c. powdered sugar
6½ oz. butter, cold and chopped
Vegetable spray (such as PAM)

Cheesecake:
2½ lb. cream cheese, softened
1¼ c. sugar
3 eggs
1/3 c. sour cream
1 oz. orange zest
½ c. orange juice
8 oz. chocolate (dark or semi-sweet), coarsely chopped

Chocolate Glaze:
1/3 c. cream
8 oz. chocolate (dark or semi-sweet)
2 tbsp. corn syrup

To make shortbread crust, mix 11/3 cups flour, cocoa and powdered sugar together. Cut in cold, chopped butter with pastry blender or with hands or fork. Mix until it comes together like pie dough. With vegetable-oil spray, coat sides only of 10-inch springform pan which has removeable bottom. Press dough into bottom of pan.

To make cheesecake, in a mixing bowl with a paddle or sturdy beaters, beat the softened cream cheese and 1¼ cups sugar until smooth and creamy. Scrape bowl. Add eggs one at a time. Scrape the bowl.

Add sour cream and orange zest. Slowly add orange juice. Fold in chocolate chunks. Pour mixture on top of shortbreak crust and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 mintues, or until cheesecake is golden in color and slightly domed on top. Cool completely.

To make chocolate glaze, heat cream until tiny bubbles form around the inside of edge of pan -- do not boil. Remove from heat and add 8 ounces chocolate; whisk until smooth (return to low heat, if needed, to fully melt the chocolate). Add corn syrup and mix well. Pour into bowl. Let chocolate glaze cool before spreading on top of cooled cheesecake.

If desired, pipe whipped cream on top of the outside edge and decorate with candies that look like oranges. Makes 1 (10-inch) cake or 12 to 20 servings.

Star Tribune