Triple Chocolate Cheesecake

Ingredients

• 8 chocolate graham crackers, crushed
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
• Pinch of kosher salt
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
• 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
• 4 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3 packages cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 tablespoon corn syrup
• 8 oz semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. For the crust, put the graham crackers in a food processor with the metal S-blade in place, then pulse until the crumbs are fine and sandy.
2. Add the sugar, cocoa powder, and salt, and pulse 2 or 3 times, just to bring everything together. Drizzle the melted butter around the bowl, then pulse 4 or 5 times until it’s mixed in. The crumbs should hold together a bit when pressed, even if the mixture still seems slightly dry.
3. Transfer the crust mixture to the bottom of your ungreased springform pan. Press it firmly and evenly across the base with your fingers or the bottom of a cup.
4. Bake the crust for about 8 to 10 minutes, then take it out and let it cool. Lower the oven temperature to 300 degrees F.
5. In a medium-sized, heavy-bottom saucepan over low heat, combine the chopped chocolate with 1/3 cup heavy cream. Stir the mixture constantly for about 10 minutes, until smooth and melted. Take it off the heat and set it aside; you’ll add it to the filling in a bit.
6. In a small bowl or Pyrex measuring cup, use a fork to lightly beat together the eggs, vanilla extract, and salt. Set that aside for now.
7. Add the cream cheese to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or use a large bowl and a hand mixer on low. Beat on low or stir speed until the cream cheese is smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes, then scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.
8. Mix again on low for about 1 minute. While the mixer is still running on low, gradually add the sugar and 2 tablespoons cocoa powder. Stop and scrape down the bowl again, then beat for another 1 to 2 minutes, until the mixture looks lighter and fluffier.
9. Keeping the mixer on low, add the egg mixture 1/3 at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition.
10. Pour the cooled melted chocolate into the mixer bowl and beat on low for about 1 minute. Scrape the sides and bottom, then mix on low for about 30 seconds more, or until the chocolate is completely blended in. If you’d rather, you can fold the chocolate in with a spatula instead.
11. Wrap the outside of the springform pan in 3 layers of aluminum foil, taking care not to rip or poke holes in it. Bring the foil all the way up the sides of the pan, then place the pan inside a roasting pan or large Dutch oven.
12. Pour the cheesecake filling into the springform pan.
13. Add warm water to the roasting pan until it reaches about 1/2 way up the sides of the springform pan. Be careful not to splash water into the cheesecake pan or inside the foil.
14. Move the pan to the oven and bake until the cheesecake is barely set in the middle, 55-65 minutes. It should still have a gentle jiggle, but the center shouldn’t look liquid or slosh when you move it.
15. Take the roasting pan out of the oven and let the cheesecake cool in the water bath for about 1 hour. Remove it from the water bath and place it on a cooling rack on the counter for 1 more hour. Keep the cake in the springform pan and chill it uncovered in the fridge overnight.
16. For the ganache, put the chopped chocolate in a medium-sized bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the heavy cream, corn syrup, and salt, stirring until mixed, and bring it to a simmer.
17. Pour the hot cream mixture over the chopped chocolate, but don’t stir yet. Let it stand for 5 minutes, then add the vanilla. Stir gently with a spatula until smooth. Let the ganache cool at room temperature for 2 hours, then cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate until you’re ready to serve the cheesecake.
18. When you’re finishing the cake, the ganache will likely be too thick to pour. Warm it in the microwave in 15-second intervals, or longer if your microwave needs it, just until it’s pourable. Go carefully here, because chocolate can scorch fast in the microwave. Stir gently.
19. Release the cheesecake from the springform pan. Pour about 1/2 of the ganache over the top, letting it run just a little down the sides. You probably won’t need all of it, so save the rest for stirring into hot milk or freeze it in scoopfuls for a future chocolate emergency.
20. Serve the cake with sliced strawberries if you’d like, then slice and enjoy.