Categories: Dessert: Cheesecake
Ingredients
- 1 9 inch Junior's sponge cake crust
- 1 Tablespoon instant freeze-dried espresso or coffee
- 1 Tablespoon hot water
- four 8 oz packages cream cheese, softened
- 1 2/3 cups sugar
- 1/3 cup cornstarch
- 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 extra-large eggs
- 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
- Chocolate curls
- 1 Tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- coffee beans (optional)
Directions
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter the bottom and sides of a 9 inch springform pan. Wrap the outside in aluminum foil, covering the bottom and extending all the way up the sides. Make and bake the cake crust and leave it in the pan. Keep the oven on.
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Dissolve the instant espresso in the hot water in a small cup and let stand. Put one package of the cream cheese, 1/3 cup sugar, and the cornstarch in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer on low until creamy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the bowl several times. Blend in the remaining cream cheese one package at a time, scraping down the bowl after each one. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat in the remaining 1 1/3 cups sugar, then the vanilla. Blend in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the cream just until completely blended. Be careful not to overmix! Gently spoon batter over the crust.
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Place the cake in a large shallow pan containing hot water that comes about 1 inch up the sides of the spring form pan. Bake until the edges are light golden brown and the top is slightly golden tan, about 1 1/4 hours. Remove the cheesecake from the water bath, transfer to a wire rack, and cool for 2 hours (just walk away-dont touch it). Then, leave the cake in the pan, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and refridgerate until completely cold, preferably overnight, or at least 4 hours.
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To decorate, release and remove the sides of the spring form pan, leaving the cake on the bottom of the pan. Place on a cake plate. Cover the top with the chocolate curls and dust with cocoa. Decorate the center of the cake with a few coffee beans, if you wish (be sure to remove them before serving.) Refrigerate until ready to serve. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Slice the cold cake with a sharp straight edged knife, not a serrated one. Cover any leftover and freeze for up to one month.