Brownie Cheesecake

Written out, this Cheesecake looks complicated. It’s not. I’m using a packaged brownie mix for The base, as well as, an easy decorative topping. I happen to love packaged, brownie mixes. They’re one of the few convenience, bakery items that taste just as good, or even better than homemade.

Another easy step to this cheesecake, is the ganache drip border. It’s two ingredients: chocolate and heavy cream. I’m taking those two ingredients, one step further; and whipping the ganache; for an equally simple border.

This cheesecake, like most of my cheesecakes, uses the base: Fresno Jason’s California cheesecake. It’s tried. It’s true. It’s tested. It just works like a superstar, for all my cheesecakes.

YouTube Video coming soon.

Brownie Cheesecake

BROWNIE BASE:

1 Box brownie mix

2 Tablespoons Hershey’s unsweetened cocoa powder

2 Tablespoons mini chocolate chips

Eggs, per package 

Water, per package

Oil, per package

BROWNIE TOPPER: (optional bake with base)

1 Box brownie mix

2 Tablespoons Hershey’s unsweetened cocoa powder

2 Tablespoons mini chocolate chips

Eggs, per package 

Water, per package

Oil, per package

CHEESECAKE BATTER:

5 (8 ounce) Packages cream cheese, room temperature

1 1/2 Cups sugar

1/3 Cup flour

3/4 Cup sour cream, room temperature

2 Teaspoons vanilla 

3 Large eggs, room temperature

2 Large egg yolks, room temperature

CHOCOLATE DRIP:

1 Cup heavy whipping cream, heated

1 Cup semi sweet chocolate chips, or Belgian chocolate

(Reserve leftover drip, combine with chocolate ganache and chill)

 

WHIPPED CHOCOLATE GANACHE:

1 Cup heavy whipping cream, heated

1 Cup semi sweet chocolate chips, or Belgian chocolate

TO PREPARE BROWNIE BASE:

Preheat oven to 325°. Line a (9 X 3 inch) springform pan with a circle of parchment, on the bottom. Latch spring form pan. Place on a large baking tray. Pour brownie mix into a large mixing bowl. Whisk in unsweetened cocoa powder. Stir in chocolate chips. Using a wooden spoon, stir ingredients to combine. Spoon batter into prepared springform pan. Level better with the back of a spoon. Bake in the center rack of oven for 1 hour. The center of the brownies should puff up. The edges will just slightly pull from the pan. Let cool. Do not remove brownie from pan.

TO PREPARE BROWNIE TOPPER:

Preheat oven to 325°. Grease, and line the bottom, of 2 (6 X 2 inch) round cake pans. You will have 1 extra brownie left over. Place on a baking tray. Mix brownie batter, as above. Spoon brownie batter into pans, and level, using the back of a spoon. Bake, in the center rack of oven for 1 hour. The brownies puff up, in the middle, and just barely start to pull from the sides of the pan. Cool brownies. Release from pan. Wrap in plastic wrap, if baking at the same time as cheesecake base; to lock in freshness.

TO PREPARE CHEESECAKE BATTER:

Preheat oven to 300°. Place cream cheese in a large mixing bowl. In a medium bowl, whisk sugar and flour until flour clumps are smooth. Add flour and sugar mixture to the cream cheese. Beat until cream cheese is mostly smooth. Scrape down sides of mixing bowl, and beater. Continue beating cream cheese until smooth. Scrape down sides of mixing bowl, and beater, once again. When the cream cheese is smooth, stir in sour cream and vanilla to combine. Continue stirring eggs, one at a time, just until combined. Give a final scrape down, of the mixing bowl, with a rubber spatula. Cut 3” strips of parchment, to line inside of baked brownie springform pan. Use leftover egg white, or cooking oil, for parchment to adhere to pan. Don’t release the springform pan, with the brownie base. Place the parchment strips, along the sides of the pan, starting at the top of the brownies. Transfer cheesecake batter to prepared springform pan. Use the back of a spoon, to spread batter. Spread batter, touching sides of pan. This reduces shrinkage. Slice through air bubbles, using a butter knife. Do not rap the pan on the counter. Bake, in the center rack of oven for approximately 2:10. The cheesecake will start to puff, and just barely crack. The center may be slightly jiggly. Let cheesecake cool, on the counter, to room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap, after cheesecake cools. Clean edges of springform pan base, so cheesecake can be removed later. Refrigerate 8 hours, or overnight. 

      

TO MAKE CHOCOLATE DRIP:

Heat whipping cream, in a medium sized bowl, in the microwave for 1 minute. Add chocolate. Let sit for a minute. Whisk to combine. Let ganache cool, to a thick, but pourable consistency. Use a small spoon, to drizzle ganache, over the top edge, and down side of cheesecake. Spoon a few tablespoons of ganache onto center of cheesecake, to adhere  1 (6 inch) brownie round. Add leftover chocolate to whipped ganache mixture.

 

TO MAKE WHIPPED GANACHE:

Use the same directions, for the drip. Stir the left over ganache, from the drip, into this ganache. Spread into a mixing bowl. Refrigerate until chocolate hardens. Scrape ganache, from sides of mixing bowl. Beat ganache, using a wire whisk, until light and fluffy. Spoon into a piping bag, fitted with a large star tip. Pipe two borders around center brownie, to cover entire top of cheesecake.