Vanilla Bean Cheesecake with Chocolate Ganache Recipe

This recipe is the most recent cheesecake I gave to my mother for her birthday, and we all just loved it...too much! There's a hint of orange in the chocolate crust that makes every bite worth savoring.

—Jenn Tidwell, Fair Oaks, California


Vanilla Bean Cheesecake with Chocolate Ganache Recipe
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TOTAL TIME: Prep: 50 min. Bake: 1 hour + chilling
MAKES: 16 servings


Ingredients
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    2 cups chocolate graham cracker crumbs (about 16 graham crackers)
    4 teaspoons grated orange peel
    1/3 cup butter, melted

    FILLING:
    3 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
    1 cup sugar
    1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
    1 vanilla bean or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    3 large eggs, lightly beaten
    TOPPING:
    1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
    2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
    2 cups fresh raspberries


Directions
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1. Preheat oven to 325°. Place a greased 9-in. springform pan on a double thickness of heavy-duty foil (about 18 in. square). Wrap foil securely around pan.
2. In a small bowl, mix cracker crumbs and orange peel; stir in butter. Press onto bottom and 2 in. up sides of prepared pan. Refrigerate 5 minutes.
3. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in sour cream. Split vanilla bean lengthwise; using the tip of a sharp knife, scrape seeds from the center into cream cheese mixture. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until blended. Pour into crust. Place springform pan in a larger baking pan; add 1 in. of hot water to larger pan.
4. Bake 60-70 minutes or until center is just set and top appears dull. Remove springform pan from water bath. Cool cheesecake on a wire rack 10 minutes. Loosen sides from pan with a knife; remove foil. Cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight, covering when completely cooled.
5. For topping, place chocolate chips in a small bowl. In a small saucepan, bring cream just to a boil. Pour over chocolate chips; stir with a whisk until smooth. Cool to room temperature or until mixture thickens to spreading consistency, about 10 minutes.
6. Remove rim from springform pan. Spread chocolate mixture over cheesecake. Refrigerate 1 hour longer or until set. Top cheesecake with raspberries before serving. Yield: 16 servings.

Courtesy: Taste of Home