OREO CHEESE CAKE
Ingredients
CRUST
24
vanilla-filled chocolate sandwich cookies (e.g., Oreos)
1/4 cup
confectioners' sugar
6 tablespoons
melted butter
FILLING
1/2 cup milk
2 cups
semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon
espresso powder, optional; for enhanced flavor
24 ounces (3
standard packages) cream cheese, at room temperature; reduced-fat is fine
1 cup
granulated sugar
4 large eggs,
at room temperature
1 teaspoon
vanilla extract
2 tablespoons
King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
Instructions
- Preheat the
oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9" springform pan.
- To make the
crust: Crush, grind, or otherwise pulverize the cookies together with the
sugar; a food processor works well here. If desired, set aside about a
tablespoon of the crumbs to garnish the finished cake.
- Add the
melted butter, processing briefly or stirring until the mixture is evenly
crumbly. Press the moist crumbs into the bottom and partway up the sides of the
prepared pan.
- Bake the
crust for 15 minutes. Remove it from the oven, and set it aside as you make the
filling.
- Reduce the
oven heat to 350°F.
- To make the
filling: Combine the milk and chocolate chips in a small saucepan or
microwave-safe bowl or large cup. Heat, stirring frequently, until the chips
melt and the mixture is smooth. Remove from the heat, stir in the espresso
powder, and set the mixture aside.
- In a large
mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese and sugar at low speed, until
thoroughly combined. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl, and beat briefly,
just until smooth.
- Add the eggs
one at a time, beating to combine after each one.
- Stir in the
vanilla, then the flour.
- Add the
chocolate/milk mixture, beating slowly until thoroughly combined. Scrape the
bottom and sides of the bowl; beat briefly, just until smooth.
- Pour the
batter atop the crust in the pan.
- Bake the cake
(remember, the oven temperature should be 350°F) for 45 to 50 minutes, until a
toothpick inserted into the cake 1" from the outside edge comes out clean.
A digital thermometer, inserted at the same point, should read 175°F. The
center may not look set; that's OK.
- Turn off the
oven, crack the door open several inches, and allow the cake to cool in the
oven for 1 hour. Remove the cake from the oven, and set it on a rack to finish
cooling. When it's completely cool, cover the cake, and refrigerate it until
ready to serve.
- Garnish the
cake with the reserved crumbs, if desired. Serve it in small slices, with
whipped cream and berries.
- Yield: one
9" cake, 16 to 24 servings.
PREP :20
mins. to 30 mins.
BAKE :60
mins. to 1 hrs 15 mins.
TOTAL :1 hrs
20 mins. to 1 hrs 45 mins.
YIELD :9" cake,
about 16 to 24 servings |