October 23, 2013

Cannoli Cheesecake

I am usually drawn to chocolate desserts.  If I'm at a restaurant and still have room for dessert, chances are I'll want the dessert with the most chocolate in it. Unless, of course, there's cheesecake on the menu.  Then I have a dilema.  And, if I'm having Italian food and cannolli appears on the menu-then we have a problem.

Which is exactly why I'm in love with this cannoli cheesecake. It's the best of all worlds.  Creamy cheesecake flavored with distinct cannoli flavor and dotted with chocolate chips.  Yum!

I decreased the orange zest by quite a bit from the original recipe because I'm not a huge fan of citrus flavor in my cannoli but if that's what you like, include it all.

This cake is also my contribution for week 5 for the 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats Blog Hop hosted by Meal Planning Magic.  If you served or brought this to any holiday gathering, you just be asked to make this every year!



Cannoli Cheesecake

2 cups crushed vanilla wafers
3 tablespoons sugar
7 tablespoons butter, melted
3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup ricotta cheese
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
pinch of salt
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
2 tablespoons finely grated orange zest (I used 1/4 teaspoon)
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
4 eggs, at room temperature
confectioners’ sugar, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and position an oven rack to the center of oven.

In a medium bowl, combine crushed vanilla wafers and 3 tablespoons sugar; stir in melted butter until crumbs get slightly clumpy. Transfer to a 9 inch springform pan and press evenly along the bottom and 1-2 inches up the sides of the pan.  Bake for about 10 minutes, or until slightly brown. Let cool on a rack. Lower oven temperature to 300 degrees.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix cream cheese, ricotta, flour and salt on medium speed, scraping sides of bowl frequently, until very smooth and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Make sure the mixture has no lumps. Add sugar and beat until well blended and smooth.

Add chocolate chips, orange zest and vanilla. Beat until just combined, about 30 seconds. Add eggs, one at a time, also beating until just blended. Do not overbeat. Pour filling into cooled crust and smooth the top.

Bake at 300 degrees for about 55-65 minutes. The sides will be puffy and the center will look soft and will jiggle when nudged. Set on a rack and cool completely. Cover and refrigerate, at least 8 hours and up to 3 days.

Unclasp and remove side of pan and run a long, thin spatula under the crust. Slide onto flat serving plate carefully (or leave it on the bottom of the springform pan). Garnish with confectioners’ sugar. To cut the cake, dip a knife in hot or warm water before cutting each slice, wiping inbetween cuts.  *To freeze, put the unmolded, cooled cake on a rimmed baking sheet in the freezer, uncovered, until the top is cold and firm; then wrap it in two layers of plastic and one layer of foil. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.


Source: Eva Bakes as seen on I Was Born to Cook, originally from Fine Cooking

3 comments:

  1. If we were at a restaurant, I'd be going for the chocolate dessert and my husband would aim for something like this cheesecake. Great cake for the holidays!

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  2. Isn't this cheesecake AWESOME? I absolutely loved it and even had a coworker ask me to make one for just for him. So glad you all enjoyed this!

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  3. This sounds delicious!! I love the addition of orange zest!

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