Reviewed: Dec. 31, 2007

I made this for Christmas Dinner. Although the flavor was fantastic, I had trouble cutting this cheesecake. It completely fell apart and the bottom crust was soggy. I followed the recipe exactly, and I'm not sure what I did wrong. I'm thankful I didn't have dinner guests.

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CINDYSI

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA

Living In: Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA

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Reviewed: Dec. 30, 2007

The alcohol cooking off gave it a strange after taste. Still edible and good, but no where near great in the world of cheesecakes.

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rebs138

Cooking Level: Intermediate

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Reviewed: Dec. 20, 2007

Every time I make this recipe for a potluck at work, its the first dessert to disappear! I leave out the liquor and just compensate with more coffee.

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Lauren

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Reviewed: Dec. 2, 2007

Awesome! We substituted 2 shots of espresso with a bit of sugar for the coffee liqueur.

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eliray

Cooking Level: Intermediate

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Reviewed: Dec. 2, 2007

I have never tasted anything like it. Fantabulous.

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annabananat17

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Ketchikan, Alaska, USA

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Reviewed: Dec. 1, 2007

This was really delicious!!! Next time I'll up the Kahlua, and use more coffee disolved in less water. Otherwise perfect! Rich, moist and delicious. Thank you!

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Lece

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Living In: Stockholm, Stockholms, Sweden

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Reviewed: Nov. 20, 2007

I made this as a piece of an insanely decadent birthday cake for my husband, so I divided the batter in half and baked it in an 8" spring form- the resulting cakes were maybe 2" thick, so it makes a nice, thick cheesecake. Because I made it thinner/smaller, it didn't have to bake as long (about 30 min). I used 1/2 cup of espresso instead of the liquor and instant coffee and I sweetened it using concentrated fruit juice. I also used low far cream cheese. The chocolate seized with the cream (I used it anyways) and it still smoothed out in the batter. The cheesecake turned out fantastic. The final product is really only as good as the chocolate and coffee you use though, so don't skimp and buy cheap stuff. I'd recommend melting the chocolate alone (without the cream) and then just add the cream alongside the sour cream. I will make this many times over, I'm sure. Thank you for a wonderful recipe!

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FLIESE

Cooking Level: Expert

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Reviewed: Nov. 16, 2007

This is FANTASTIC! Everybody I have served this to absolutely loves it! Thank you for sharing!

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Valerie E.

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Reviewed: Nov. 10, 2007

This was my first ever cheesecake, I bought my first spring pan to be able to make it! I made this cheesecake last valentine's day, and it turned out PERFECT! My boyfriend I was dating at the time owns a high-end restaurant and served gourmet food and desserts, so I was pretty nervous about how it would turn out. I followed the instructions to a T, but served it the same day. We took the left overs to his restaurant and let all the chefs try it out. Would definately make this again!!

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Melissa23

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Reviewed: Oct. 4, 2007

A friend of mine works at the car dealership I bring my car to. Everyone treats my car like their own. I decided to treat them to something special. My cheesecake got rave reviews. They haven't stopped talking about it. FABULOUS!!! 11/2/07 I made this cake again for a girls get togther the other night. My friend Nancy said " I believe that was the best thing that has ever passed my lips". All of our families will be together again this weekend and I was volunteered to bring dessert and guess what Nancy voted for. I have to agree. It is a fabulous recipe just the way it is. Everyone should try it. A BIG THANK YOU to Cigdem Buke Ugur for sharing your recipe. Happy Holidays to All

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einygav15

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: San Francisco, California, USA

Living In: Novato, California, USA

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Reviewed: Aug. 17, 2007

this recipe is fantastic, by far my favorite. i too used a expresso instead of the coffee and liquer, and also used chocolate grahams. i got a tiny crack in the top but who cares when it tastes that good? mine had to bake for just under an hour and it was perfect!

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michiko

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Reviewed: Jun. 25, 2007

Just received the word from my husband and his co-workers that I made this for that this was the best cheesecake they've ever had! I've personally made them several kinds in the past, so I know they've tried some good recipes too... They said it was silky and a perfect balance of flavor. I followed the recipe exactly, using kahlua and instant coffee, except I used chocolate graham crackers instead of chocolate cookies. I also added the melted chocolate to the cream cheese/sugar before I added the eggs (because I thought that would help lessen the beating time). I lined the springform with aluminum foil and baked it in a water bath (a jelly roll pan half filled with hot water) for 45 minutes. After that, I only opened the door long enough and wide enough to PEEK to see if the sides were set. As they were, I closed the oven door and let the cake cool inside for another hour and 10 minutes. Then I cracked the door open for about 20 more minutes before I refrigerated. There was not a single crack. Well, I guess I will have to hang up my apron because I'll never be able to top this recipe with anything else! Thank you so much for sharing this perfect recipe.

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Hotstuff

Home Town: Portland, Oregon, USA

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Reviewed: Jun. 17, 2007

Turned out amazing. This recipe is a little tricky - so you will most likely need to have experience with cheesecakes to have it turn out "prefect". But keep at it and it will be well worth it. This is one of the best I've made, according to others!

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Eliece

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA

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Reviewed: Jun. 1, 2007

This cake is fabulous. I've made it a few times and the only complaint I've heard is that it's "too rich." It is extremely rich, so serve thin slices. My mother requests this cake for every special occasion that comes around. So, here's what I do. I use Kahlua and I always run to Starbucks and pick up two shots of espresso. I melt the chocolate in a double boiler and have never had trouble with seizing. Cooling the cake slowly is extremely important to avoid cracking. You really need to leave it in the oven for much longer than 45 minutes before you transfer it to the refrigerator. The one thing I haven't figured out is how to make those beautiful chocolate leaves. I've tried before, and the chocolate melted immediately when I tried to peel the leaves off. Suggestions?

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amy-amanda

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Living In: Dallas, Texas, USA

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Reviewed: Apr. 6, 2007

looks good and i had no problem with the process. for those who had trouble with the chocolate seizing, you might try omitting the 2T whipping cream. worked fine that way. i gave four stars because it didn't turn out as dark as the picture. i will definitely make again.

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julie

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Reviewed: Mar. 2, 2007

i struggled with this recipe. mainly because i could not find coffee liquer, only extract. my chocolate also kept seizing which was a problem and in the end i didn't have quite enough chocolate. it really ended up as a coffee flavored cheesecake, but good nonetheless. i was out on chocolate cookies, and they seem to be a bit hard to find these days, so i used chocolate disgestives and that turned out heavenly. i will definetely look for the liqueor and maybe use bittersweet chocolate.

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yummy yummy in my tummy

Cooking Level: Beginning

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Reviewed: Feb. 14, 2007

I made this for husband for Valentine's Day and I would prefer a different type of cheesecake but this was really good. The only thing I changed was that I added 4 teaspoons of coffee and 1/2 cup of cream since I didn't have any of the liquor. After baking and cooling off in the oven, the cake came out looking perfect with no cracks in it all. If you like chocolate cheesecake, this is the perfect recipe for you.

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Kerri

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Agency, Missouri, USA

Living In: Kansas City, Missouri, USA

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Reviewed: Feb. 8, 2007

I've made chocolate cheesecakes before and always been disappointed at the mild impact of the chocolate. This one blew my tastebuds with its serious chocolate flavor! I made it with 60% cocoa bittersweet chocolate chips instead of the semisweet chocolate. Instead of the flavored whipped cream, I made a topping by heating 1/2 cup whipping cream and stirring in 4 oz. of the bittersweet chips until melted. Spread this on the cheesecake while still in the pan, before chilling. I took this to work and overheard one of the women saying it was "absolutely the best thing she had ever put in her mouth"! For anyone wanting a deep, strong chocolate cheesecake, this is the one.

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Jean

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Reviewed: Feb. 5, 2007

I had some trouble with this recipe. First, their was not enough crust to cover the pan so after making what the recipe originally calls for, I had to cut the crust recipe in half and make it again. That made enough. I also recommend melting the butter, it makes it much easier to mix. I too had trouble getting the chocolate to melt. As soon as I added it to the cheesecake batter it became lumpy. Does it need to cool a bit? The recipe doesn't say. I did serve this the day after making it and I thought it tasted just OK. Honestly, it was a little bit bitter and needed more sugar. I also couldn't taste any coffee flavor. I don't know that I would make this again. Something was off.

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amydoll

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Rockford, Illinois, USA

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Reviewed: Dec. 31, 2006

I wouldn't say this is the easiest cheesecake I've ever made, but the responses were great! One friend even told me that this cheesecake is on par with the Cheesecake Factory cheesecakes. I double the amount of whipped cream b/c it is simply delicious (and, as per my mom, I stick the beaters and mixing bowl in the freezer for 10-15 min before making the whipped cream). You will not be disappointed!

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