Cheesecake With Marbleized Chocolate Glaze

If you want a showstopper dairy dessert for Shavuot, this beauty fits the bill.  The marbleized glaze does require a bit of technique.  You can simplify the recipe by finishing the cake with a sprinkling of confectioner’s sugar or a simple chocolate glaze.

Before you begin: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and have ready an 8-inch by 3-inch spring form pan, sides sprayed with Pam and bottom lined with parchment paper. Wrap the outside of the pan tightly with a double layer of heavy duty aluminum foil.  Bring to a simmer several quarts of water in a teapot.  Make sure all ingredients are at room temperature.

In a mixing bowl, combine all the graham cracker crumb crust ingredients.

Place into the spring form pan and press crumbs evenly along the bottom and halfway up the sides.  Place in the refrigerator to cool while you are mixing the cheesecake batter.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar until fluffy, about 2 minutes.  Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat well.  Add the vanilla, almond extract, salt and sour cream and beat until well combined.

Pour the cheesecake batter onto the prepared crust.  Place into a larger pan and pour in simmering water until it reaches one inch up the sides of the pan.  Place in the oven and bake for 45 minutes.  After 45 minutes, turn off the oven and leave the cake in the oven for one hour.  Do not open the oven door.

After one hour, remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight.

When ready to serve, unmold the cake and a sprinkling of confectioner’s sugar is all you need to garnish this cake.

If desired, you can surround the base of the cake with raspberries.

If desired, you can glaze and marbleize the top of the cake.

Place bittersweet chocolate, butter and corn syrup in the top of a double boiler.  Whisk together and remove from heat when warm and melted.

Place milk chocolate chips in a heat proof bowl in microwave and heat at 50% power for one minute.  Repeat until the milk chocolate chips are fully melted.

Repeat microwave process with white chocolate chips.

Pour ¼ to ½ cup of the melted bittersweet chocolate onto the top of the cake in a circle, leaving a one-inch border of cheesecake showing.  Place the melted milk and white chocolates into squeeze bottles and drizzle overlapping loops of each onto the bittersweet chocolate glaze.  Using the tip of a toothpick or wooden skewer, make a series of bisecting strokes over the loopy scribbles to marbleize the chocolates.

Allow the chocolates to set before serving or refrigerating.

Makes 10 to 12 servings.