You can mix cream cheese and riocotta cheese. The key is to cream the cream cheese and sugar together first and then add the ricotta. This step is essential for a couple of reasons: as you cream together the sugar and cream cheese, the sugar crystals cut into the cream cheese and hasten the mixing process; you end up thoroughly mixed without introducing nearly as much air. When you read directions like, “Beat slowly,” or “Cream together,” please realize that this is critical guidance. Beating slowly produces a different result than beating fast or whisking. A KitchenAid mixer on the slowest setting is a wonderful thing for those whose wrists are not up to the challenge.
A springform pan is not essential, but if you want to be able to remove your creation from the pan without disturbing the crust, you’ll need either the springform pan or solid cake pan and parchment paper liner.
Sure. But these can get pricey: the single most important factor in good chocolate cheesecake is the quality of the chocolate. Ordinary baking chocolate will produce an ordinary cake. Nothing to sneeze at, to be sure. But I have had women offer their bodies to me (OK, it was my wife, but still) after a Godiva chocolate cheesecake.
I’ll share the recipe, but you must promise to use the power only for good.
First, the crust. You can use a regular graham-cracker crust, but I have found that a chocolate crust works better, and there’s also the tantilizing Oreo crust.
For the generic chocolate crust, crush about 35-40 chocolate wafer cookies. Add in 3 tablespoons sugar, a 1/4 teaspoon salt, and a stick of melted butter. Press that mixture into the bottom and sides of a prepped 10-inch pan (prep as described in my recipe above).
For the Oreo crust, use a blender to dust about 25-30 Oreo cookies. No need to butter them: the Oreo filling works to keep them crushed Oreos moist and sticky.
Now, the cake:
Preheat oven to 450.
Melt 8 ounces of Godiva bittersweet chocolate in a double boiler. CAREFUL! Working with chocolate is an artform in itself. If you don’t use a double boiler, and try to melt it in an ordinary saucepan, you can easily scorch it. Do NOT add anything liquidy cold to the chocolate as its melting, or you’ll seize it. Gently whisk the chocolate as its melting with a dry whisk, then take it off the heat and let it cool. Do NOT add hot melted chocolate to the batter, or you’ll start the proteins in the eggs coagulating.
Cream two pounds of cream cheese at room temp together with 1 cup of sugar. Add 1/4 cup sour cream, scraping the sides of the mixer with a spatula constantly. Add 5 large eggs at room temperature, one at a time, mixing until smooth. Stir two teaspoons vanilla extract into the melted chocolate, then stir the chocolate into the cream cheese batter and mix slowly until smooth.
Pour into your prepared pan.
Put your pan in a water bath and bake for 8-10 minutes at 450, then reduce heat to 300 and bake for 45-50 minutes. Edge of cake should be set and middle should be Jello-jiggly when it’s done. Turn off heat, open open door, and let cool. Then chill cake overnight in the refrigerator. Briefly dip pan in warm water to melt the butter, and remove side of springform pan (or invert solid pan over sugar-sprinkled plate, then invert again on serving plate).
Garnish: whip 1/2 cup heavy cream and use a pastry bag to decorate; sprinkle with chocolate shavings. You may also use halved Oreo cookies as a garnish.