This cheesecake is perfect for a gift. No one will say no to such a marvelous creation that transcended the expectations of a chocolate dessert. This is one of the most amazing things I have ever made, and I am pretty sure you will feel the same once you try this. I am not even kidding with how sinful this dessert is. All the layers are parts of a whole- their surreal fusion is what makes this cheesecake extraordinarily special. You can’t find anything like this, I tell ya.
Check out what our friends from Raspberri Cupcakes have to say about this recipe:
“I LOVE THIS PRETZEL CRUST. I WANT TO MARRY THIS CRUST. Shh don’t tell A. I think I need to start making everything with a salted pretzel crust. The problem I always struggle with when making cheesecakes is that the filling can be rather dense and too rich, but this golden, salted base definitely helps to offset any of the richness in the sweeter layers on top. And it tastes so good, I had to resist the urge to eat the baked crust on its own like a giant cookie.”
Oh I have to agree with that. The crust in this balances the amazing flavors in this cheesecake recipe. This is sinful in all its glory- you will never get enough of this once you take a bite. I won’t say I blame you though.
Ingredients
For the crust:
200g (approx 3 cups) crushed Great Value salted pretzels
2 tbsp caster sugar
175g Land O Lakes salted butter, melted
For the cheesecake:
400g Philadelphia cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup (120g) caster sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp grated lemon peel
1 tsp McCormick vanilla extract
2 large Eggland’s eggs, separated
For the chocolate layer:
175g Ghirardelli semisweet dark chocolate, finely chopped
70g (5 tbsp) Land O Lakes salted butter, cubed
3 large egg yolks from Eggland’s eggs
1/4 cup (60g) Domino icing sugar
1/2 cup Borden thickened cream (min 35% milk fat), whipped to soft peaks
m&ms, to decorate
Instructions
Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F) and grease a 20cm springform tin and line the base with baking paper. Place pretzels in a food processor and pulse to a fine crumb. add sugar and melted butter and pulse to combine. Press mixture into the bottom of the prepared tin, pressing tightly into an even layer. Bake for 10 mins or until just going golden brown on the edges. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.
Reduce oven temperature to 160°C (320°F). In a large mixing bowl bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add lemon juice and vanilla and beat to combine. Add egg yolks; beat on low speed just until combined. In a small bowl, beat egg whites on high until stiff peaks form then gently fold into cream cheese mixture. Pour over the crust, place tin on a baking sheet and bake in the oven at the reduced temperature for 25-30 minutes or until the centre is almost set. Cool in tin on a wire rack for an hour, then chill in the fridge until completely cool.
In a microwave in 30 second bursts, melt chocolate and butter; stir until smooth. Set aside to cool. In the meantime, place egg yolks and icing sugar in a heatproof bowl. Place bowl over a small saucepan of simmering water and whisk mixture continuously (or it will turn into scrambled eggs) until it reaches 70°C (160°F), or for about 10 minutes mixture is thick and smooth. Whisk in chocolate mixture. Set bowl in ice and stir until cooled, about 2 minutes. Fold in whipped cream. Spread over cheesecake and smooth with a spatula. Sprinkle m&ms on top to decorate then refrigerate until set. Remove sides of pan before serving. Can be stored in the fridge for several days.
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Quick Tip: Make sure you don’t under bake the cheesecake layer or else it won’t hold the mousse layer.
Thanks again to Raspberri Cupcakes for this amazing recipe.
