Decadent Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake: National Cheesecake Day

Today is National Cheesecake Day!

I mentioned a few posts ago how much I love Driscoll's Berries, and I posted their Mixed Berry Chocolate Molten Cake recipe. Their berries are always flavorful!

So here's another Driscoll's recipe that's perfect for National Cheesecake Day! Driscoll's actually sent this recipe for me to post. It's fabulous--and easy! I've tweaked the recipe just a bit, but not much. As always, use the very best ingredients--fresh cream cheese and high quality chocolate.

Decadent Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake
Prep time: 15 minutes
Bake time: 1 hour 10 minutes

2  packages (8-oz each) cream cheese, softened
2  packages (8-oz each) 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened
1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cup unsweetened dark cocoa powder
1 teaspoon Madagascar vanilla extract
4  large eggs
2  packages (6-oz each) Driscoll’s Raspberries
2  ounce bar of semi-sweet chocolate (65-70% fair trade cacao)

Preheat oven to 325ºF. Butter bottom and sides of a 9-inch round springform pan.

Beat cream cheeses in a large bowl of electric mixer until smooth. Beat in sugar, cocoa powder and vanilla, starting on low speed then increasing to high, until thoroughly mixed.

Beat in eggs one at a time, scraping edges well after each addition. Pour into pan.

Bake about 1 hour and 10 minutes or until just barely set in center. Edges may crack slightly. Turn oven off and leave in oven 1 hour with door ajar. Remove from oven and cool completely.  Cover and chill at least 8 hours. Run a knife around edge and remove rim.

Top cheesecake with raspberries. Hold chocolate bar over cheesecake; firmly slide a sharp vegetable peeler along edge of chocolate allowing shavings to fall on cake.

Lighten Up:
Use four 1/3 less fat packages of cream cheese, or two 1/3 less fat and two fat-free packages. Cheesecake will be denser.


Healthy Tip:
Calorie and fat content of this cheesecake can be adjusted by using regular, low-fat, or fat-free cream cheese.

Looking for other Cheesecake recipes to celebrate National Cheesecake Day? I've posted quite a few.

Amaretto Cheesecake

White Chocolate Cheesecake

Bailey's Irish Cream Chocolate Cheesecake

Addendum: Free or Cheap Cheesecake today! 

The Cheesecake Factory: promotion for National Cheesecake Day. Half Off Today! Also exclusive (printable) coupon for Facebook fans yesterday to receive cheesecake slices for $1.50.

Junior’s in Brooklyn: People who order lunch or dinner today get a free slice, and to celebrate the NYC institution’s 60th anniversary, a la carte cheesecake is only 60 cents a slice. Brooklyn only. No other locations.