- Chocolate Crumb Crust:
- 1 cup vanilla wafer crumbs
- 1/4 cup Hershey's cocoa
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup melted butter or margarine
- Cheesecake filling:
- 1 3/4 cups Hershey's premium semi-sweet chocolate chunks, divided
- 1 cup whipping cream, divided
- 1/4 cup Kahlua
- 3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup Hershey's cocoa
- 3 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons Kahlua
- One 9 inch spring form pan
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- First prepare Chocolate Crumb Crust: In a small bowl, combine the wafer crumbs, cocoa and powdered sugar. Stir in melted butter or margarine. Press mixture on bottom of pan and bake for 8 minutes. Set aside.
- Next prepare cheesecake filling: Turn oven temperature to 400 degrees F. In small microwave safe bowl, place 3/4 cup chocolate chunks. Microwave on HIGH for one minute; stir. If necessary, microwave at HIGH an additional 15 seconds at a time, stirring after each heating, just until chunks are melted when stirred.
- Add 1/4 cup whipping cream and stir until well blended. Stir in 1/4 cup Kahlua and set aside.
- In large mixer bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until fluffy. Add cocoa and beat well until blended. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla and reserved chocolate mixture, blending well. Pour over prepared crust and bake for 10 minutes. Decrease oven temperature to 275 degrees F and continue baking for 45 minutes.
- Remove from oven to cooling rack, loosening cake from rim of pan. Cool completely and remove spring form rim.
- In a small microwave safe bowl, place remaining 1 cup chocolate chunks and microwave on HIGH 1 minute, then stir. If necessary, microwave at HIGH an additional 15 seconds at a time, stirring until chunks are melted. Stir in 1/4 cup whipping cream and blend well. Stir in remaining 2 tablespoons Kahlua, blending well. Spread on top of cheesecake and refrigerate for about 6 hours or overnight.
- At serving time, beat remaining 1/2 cup whipping cream and powdered sugar until stiff, then garnish cheesecake with small rosettes of whipped cream.
- Refrigerate leftover cheesecake.