Chocolate and Coffee Cheesecake

Preheat oven to 300°F.

Make the crust: Combine cookie crumbs, sugar, and butter in a bowl. Stir until well combined. Press onto the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Set aside.

Make the filling: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese on medium speed. Gradually add sugar. Mix until well blended. Add egg yolks one at a time, then vanilla; mix well.

In a separate bowl, whip egg whites for about 5 minutes or until stiff peaks form (mixture should not be dry). Gradually fold egg whites into the cream cheese mixture. Divide mixture evenly between 2 bowls.

Make the chocolate layer: Scoop about 1/2 cup of the cream cheese mixture from the first bowl and combine with melted chocolate. Pour chocolate mixture back into the bowl and gradually stir until
chocolate is well distributed. Pour over the cookie crust. Set aside.

Make the coffee layer: Combine coffee powder and water in a small bowl. Stir until granules are dissolved. Pour coffee mixture into the second cream cheese mixture; stir gently until well combined. Gradually pour over the chocolate mixture to create a layer. You can use a large spoon for this and gently place scoops of the batter on the sides, then on the center. Smoothen the surface using the back of a spoon.

Place the pan on a baking tray. Bake in the center of the oven for about 1 hour or until it's no longer wet but still jiggles when shaken. Remove cake from the oven and let cool completely.

Make chocolate curls using a peeler. Garnish cheesecake with chocolate curls before serving.


TIP: When baking, place a pan with water on the side of the cake and another on the bottom layer of the oven. The moisture will help prevent the cheesecake from cracking.