Ready for Anything Lock-n-Load Sniper's Choice Coffee Cheesecake

I wanted to include coffee in this cheesecake – not just the essence of coffee, but actual traces of ground coffee. This is why the coffee is ground into a fine powder. Enough coffee specks remain in the cheesecake so they can be seen but they are not so coarse as to be detected on the tongue. This cake is dense and creamy and made in the style of authentic New York Cheesecake. If you drop it on your foot, your next stop should be the emergency room.

Ready for Anything Lock-n-Load Sniper's Choice Coffee Cheesecake

by Chiffonade

You will need: 
Metal Pie Plate

1 10” springform pan sprayed liberally with vegetable spray

Half sheet pan to catch drips

Place metal pie plate on oven floor and fill with water. 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

For the crust:

3 cups ground chocolate wafer cookies

½ cup unsalted butter, melted

Combine the crumbs with butter and press into the bottom of the prepared springform pan. Place the springform on the half sheet pan to catch drips, and set aside.

For the cake:

1 cup heavy cream

½ cup Lock-n-Load Java Sniper's Choice – ground to a fine powder

3 pounds cream cheese at room temperature

1 Tablespoon vanilla

3 Tablespoons corn starch

2 cans condensed milk

5 eggs, lightly beaten

Scald the cream. Stir in the coffee powder. Steep for 10 minutes. Using a fine strainer, strain out grounds and set the cream aside. (There will be specks of coffee in the cream, this is fine.)

Place the cream cheese in a food processor, breaking it up into pieces. Add the vanilla and corn starch to the processor bowl. Process for 1-2 minutes to combine. Stop the processor and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Process for another minute. Add the condensed milk, coffee-infused cream and eggs, and process for about 30-45 seconds. Stop the processor and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Process again for about 30 seconds, making sure no lumps remain.

Carefully pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake in a preheated oven at 425F for 8 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 225 and bake for 2 ½ hours. Turn off the oven and leave the cake inside to cool gradually. Chill.

Ganache:

1 Tablespoon Lock-n-Load Java Sniper's Choice coffee

2 Tablespoons water

10 ounces coarsely chopped semisweet or bittersweet chocolate

1 cup heavy cream

Brew the coffee in the water. Allow to steep for 10 minutes. Strain out the grounds and reserve the coffee.

Bring the cream and coffee just to a boil over medium-high heat. Pour over the chocolate and let stand for 10 minutes without stirring. After 10 minutes, gently stir the ganache with a whisk (do not incorporate air into the ganache). Allow to reach room temperature. Pour the ganache over the cake. Swirl the cake so the ganache spreads evenly but does not drip over the sides.

Whipped Cream Garnish:

1 cup whipping cream

½ teaspoon vanilla

¼ cup confectioner’s sugar

2 Tablespoons cocoa powder

Whip the cream until slightly aerated. Stop the mixer and add the vanilla, confectioner’s sugar and cocoa. Whip for another minute to form stiff peaks. Do not overbeat.

Pipe the chocolate whipped cream in decorative pattern on cake.