Cappuccino cheese cake

This cake is awesome, normal cheesecake you know, have cheesecake layer. Not this one. This one decides that you need an inch-thick cushion of fudgy Kahlúa-spiked ganache to soften the blow of the cappuccino cheesecake layer, to make a coffee-flavoured cheesecake, you’d simply dissolve some instant espresso in your batter. You probably wouldn't think to also stir in rum, vanilla, and molasses follow the molasses recipe instruction and land a coffee cheesecake that is neither sweet nor obvious, but laced with the faint bitter complexity you’d want from a good cup of coffee. When you put out a cake like this, all of the questions and conversations and clattering of dishes in the kitchen just stop.

Cake is best made a day ahead, so the flavours have time to settle. The cake also takes enough time to make, it’s best not to rush through it the day you want to serve it. It can be made up to four days ahead. Wrap loosely in foil, keep chilled.

Ingredients:

1 9-ounce box chocolate wafer cookies or 9 ounces of homemade chocolate wafers 6 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped1/2 cup (packed) dark brown sugar1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg7 tablespoons hot melted unsalted butter

1 1/2 cups heavy or whipping cream20 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped1/4 cup Kahlúa or other coffee-flavored liqueur

3 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature1 cup sugar1 1/2 tablespoons all purpose flour1 1/2 tablespoons dark rum1 1/2 tablespoons instant espresso powder or coffee crystals1 1/2 tablespoons ground whole espresso coffee beans (medium-coarse grind) (I skipped this, increased the espresso powder instead)2 teaspoons vanilla extract1 1/2 teaspoons mild-flavored (light) molasses3 large eggs

1 1/2 cups sour cream1/3 cup sugar2 teaspoons vanilla extract

A handful of chocolate covered espresso beans (optional)

preparation:

Finely grind cookies, chopped chocolate, brown sugar, and nutmeg in processor. Add butter and process until crumbs begin to stick together, scraping down bowl occasionally, about 1 minute. Transfer crumbs to 9-inch-diameter spring form pan with 3-inch-high sides. Wrap plastic wrap around fingers and press crumb mixture firmly up sides to within 1/2 inch of top edge, then over bottom of pan.

Bring cream to simmer in large saucepan. Remove from heat; add chocolate and Kahlúa. Whisk until chocolate is melted and ganache is smooth. Pour 2 cups ganache over bottom of crust. Freeze until ganache layer is firm, about 30 minutes. Reserve remaining ganache; cover and let stand at room temperature to use later for decorating.

Position rack in middle of oven and preheat to 350°F. Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl until blended. Scrape down bowl, making sure you get to the bottom, where little pockets of unmixed cream cheese love to hide. Beat in flour. Stir rum, espresso powder, ground coffee, vanilla, and molasses in small bowl until instant coffee dissolves; beat into cream cheese mixture. Beat in eggs one at a time, scraping down sides of bowl between each addition.

Pour filling over cold ganache in crust — it will go nearly all of the way to the top, don’t panic. Place cheesecake on rimmed baking sheet. Bake until top is brown, puffed and cracked at edges, and the center two inches moves only slightly when pan is gently shaken, about one hour. Transfer cheesecake to rack. Cool 15 minutes while preparing topping (top of cheesecake will fall slightly, making room for topping). Maintain oven temperature.

Whisk sour cream, sugar, and vanilla in medium bowl to blend. Pour topping over hot cheesecake, spreading to cover filling completely. Bake until topping is set, about 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer cheesecake to rack. Refrigerate hot cheesecake on rack until cool, about three hours.

Run small sharp knife between crust and pan sides to loosen cake; release pan sides. Transfer cheesecake to platter. Spoon reserved ganache into pastry bag fitted with small star tip. If you’d like to make an approximation (perhaps less rushed?) of the above decoration, pipe 6 diagonal lines atop cheesecake, spacing 1 inch apart. Repeat in opposite direction, making lattice. Pipe rosettes (or, uh, stars if you realize you do not have the energy nor inclination to practice rosette piping at that hour) of ganache around top edge of cake. Otherwise, have fun decorating freely.

Garnish with chocolate-covered espresso beans, if desired. Chill until lattice is firm, at least 6 hours.