Four Words to Make You Happy
This oh-so decadent dessert is that it is an easy-to-make recipe that combines chocolate, espresso—and coffee liqueur!—into one of the smoothest cheesecakes ever to melt in your mouth.
Whenever I make this for the family, it disappears almost instantly! Try it yourself and you’ll agree: it has four words that’ll make you happy.
Chocolate Espresso Mousse Cheesecake
Ingredients
Crust
- 3 cups graham cracker crumbs
- ¾ cup butter
- 8 Tbsp. sugar
- 1-½ tsp. ground cinnamon
Cheesecake
- 3 - 8 oz. packages (1-½ lbs.) cream cheese at room temperature
- ¾ cup sugar
- 3 jumbo eggs
- 1 - 8 oz. package semi-sweet baking chocolate squares
- 2 Tbsp. whipping cream
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 tsp. instant espresso in ¼ cup hot water that is cooled (should be strong)
- ¼ cup coffee liquor (Kahlua or Tia Maria)
- 2 tsp. vanilla
Garnish
- Whipped cream
- Shaved chocolate
- Fresh raspberries
Instructions
- Butter all sides of an 8" springform pan. Wrap aluminum foil all around the outside sides and under the outside bottom of the pan.
- Combine the first four (4) ingredients thoroughly. Press evenly and firmly onto the bottom of the buttered pan.
- Preheat the oven to 350 Fº.
- Beat cream cheese until smooth. Gradually add the sugar, mixing until blended.
- Add eggs one at a time and beat at low speed with a hand-held mixer until smooth.
- Melt the chocolate with whipping cream, stirring frequently until smooth.
- Add chocolate mixture to the cream cheese mixture; blend well.
- Mix in sour cream, followed by the cooled espresso, then the liqueur and vanilla. Beat until well blended.
- Pour into the pan and bake for 60 minutes or until sides are slightly puffed (center will still be soft, but will firm up when chilled).
- Cool cake in the pan on a wire rack.
- Refrigerate for at least 12 hours before serving.
- Remove the sides of the springform pan and garnish.
About the author
Roz Corieri Paige is the author of La Bella Vita Cucina, a food and lifestyle blog where she inspires others to live life more deliciously and beautifully, whether in the kitchen or the garden. Find out more Roz at italianbellavita.com.
