
Cakes and Frostings
Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake
This decadent dessert sends a sweet message on Valentine’s Day, but it’s really a showstopper any day of the year.

Servings
16
Level
Easy
Crust
- 1 ¾ cups graham cracker crumbs
- ¼ cup sugar
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- 6 Tablespoons Challenge Butter, melted
Filling and Topping
- 12 ounces (approx. 1 ⅔ to 2 cups) fresh raspberries, divided
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- ⅔ cup cocoa powder
- 1 Tablespoon corn starch
- 4 packages (8 ounces each) Challenge Cream Cheese, softened
- 4 large eggs
- ½ cup raspberry liqueur
- 3 ½ to 4 ounces semi-sweet dark chocolate bar (for chocolate curls)
Crust
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1Combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar and cocoa powder. Stir in melted butter until well blended.
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2Press mixture evenly into the bottom and about 1 ½ inches up the side of a 9 ½ to 10 inch spring form pan. Place pan in freezer while assembling the filling.
Filling and Topping
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1Rinse raspberries and drain well. Place cap side down on paper toweling and set aside.
Preheat oven to 325˚F. -
2Beat cream cheese in a large bowl with an electric mixer at low speed until smooth and creamy.
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3Combine sugar, cocoa and cornstarch; then thoroughly blend into the cream cheese.
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4Add eggs, one at a time, mixing to incorporate but taking care not to over beat.
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5Blend in raspberry liqueur.
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6Pour about half of the batter into the prepared crust.
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7Add 1 cup of fresh whole raspberries evenly over surface and cover with remaining batter. (Place remaining berries in refrigerator to use later as topping.)
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8Bake 1 hour 15 minutes or until just barely set in center.
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9Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack. While cake is still warm run a thin knife around the edge of the pan but do not remove the spring form side. Let cool completely.
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10Place in a refrigerator and chill until cold throughout – at least 4 hours and preferably overnight.
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11To serve: Remove sides of pan. Top with remaining berries and garnish with Chocolate curls. Use a vegetable peeler to shave chocolate curls over the top of the berries.