German Chocolate Cheesecake
The cure to just about anything and everything - chocolate. & this weekend we don’t need a chocolate fix as a cure for anything, but instead a needed reward for our half marathon victory. I have been gung-ho about running this damn marathon for weeks. Like couldn’t shut up about, wanted to tell everyone I knew & bring it up in every conversation - just wanting anyone and everyone to know I was running a half marathon. My husband thankfully jumped right on board with me, which was the solidifying factor for us committing to run this St. Patty’s Day half probably 2 months ago, and I have to say this has by far been one of the best experiences for us as a couple.
For me this has been crunch time because I’ve been determined to get a half marathon under my belt before I turn 30. For both Jordan & me, this was our first ever half marathon (our prior runs include an orchestrated 5k & a few 5 mile treadmill runs - the list ends there). Jordan is a rockstar - he's a champ when it comes to crushing athletic challenges like half marathons, and can always just make it happen in the moment. Like it’s kind of annoying. Therefore, I knew that come hell or high water he’d crush it, run the whole thing, and do so with impressive results. I, however, was the wild card. I freaking knew it was going to be challenge for me, and it would take some commitment to get me ready for this bad boy. But I committed, & we trained together, didn’t skip gyms days, and all in all I think we’ve remained each others motivation. I mean thank god for him being willing to do this with me because not wanting to look like a total dweeb in front of my husband definitely pushed me to keep pushing myself.
We always go for a longer run on the weekends, and we’d been stretching the course near our home to get in a full 8 miles, so being able to complete those runs had given me some confidence going into half marathon day. But I tell you - leading up to our big day I was getting so nervous. The butterflies in my stomach everytime I thought about it kind of nervous. We both agreed that we’d feel accomplished as long as we finished it, meaning ran the whole thing, and that we finish the race within two and half hours. More than anything we both just wanted to really keep running the whole time, so speed was borderline irrelevant. During our training I told my husband that he had to pick a mantra to keep him going - something he could repeat to himself to keep him on track with our just keep running goal. Mine has always been “don’t sell yourself short,” & I kid you not I repeat this to myself regularly at 10 minute intervals. My husband, I think, landed on "just keep swimming”. So I didn’t sell myself short, and Jordan just kept swimming, & race day we surprised ourselves. We started strong, kept our 9 minute pace that’s become our norm during our 8 mile weekend runs, and we stayed within 25 feet of each other the whole race, Jordan definitely leading the way. & in the end our 2 hour 30 minute goal turned out to be pretty generous, because we fucking crushed the thing in less than 2 hours. When I realized I’d been running for 90 minutes, and already well surpassed the 10 mile mark, I was like “holy shit I’m really going to do this thing!” So ya - it was a pleasant surprise to cross the finish line at 1 hr 58 min, and probably the best runners high I’ve ever had in my life. My personal take-away - don’t let this be the only half marathon I ever run. Keep it going and be the 60 year old lady that’s out there pounding the pavement. The fatigued legs and sluggish existence the rest of the day is so worth it. Moreover, that kind of athletic display solidifies the need for a celebratory chocolate cake. Because calories don’t count when you run a half marathon, right?
Though we both love chocolate, the chocolate taste buds in our house aren’t quite aligned. My husband is a real deal chocolate fanatic, and he's what I classify a chocolate purest. He prefers no additional mix-ins to his chocolate chip cookies & can thoroughly enjoy a piece of just chocolate cake or just chocolate ice cream. I am the total opposite - I want all the add-ins, all the extras, and all the non-chocolate layers. I like my chocolate chip cookies to be loaded with nuts and toffee bits and anything else that will get ooey gooey when baked, and I like my chocolate cakes to have fruits or a peanut butter layer, and always a fancy frosting. Literally all the things! The straight to the point chocolate stuff just doesn’t quite do it for me, so my poor husband doesn’t typically see many just chocolate desserts coming out of our kitchen. But in an effort to get him on board with the chocolate treats that come out of our kitchen, and more importantly appeal to his sweet tooth, I make sure that chocolate is the flavor that undoubtedly hits you in the face. There’s no chocolate desserts coming out of this kitchen where chocolate is just an add in or a garnish - it’s always the freaking star.
One of my most favorite chocolate variations - German Chocolate. I mean hello - that creamy & nutty German Chocolate layer is actually one of the most perfect things I’ve ever tasted and I can literally eat spoonfuls of it. It’s almost caramel-like, and filled to the brim with coconut and pecans. That kind of filling paired with a rich chocolate cake is total perfection. But because calories aren’t counting for me on race day (I’m actually making that a thing), I’m making it even richer by turning the whole thing into a cheesecake. A German Chocolate Cheesecake that is marked with rich and chocolate-y cheesecake layers that are creamy, tart, and not overly sweet. The German Chocolate layer is used to separate this cheesecake into two distinct layers, so it’s a layered cheesecake. Even more of that yummy, German Chocolate filling is used to garnish the top of the whole darn thing. & all together - a creamy chocolate cheesecake with a nutty and gooey layer - good lawd it’s perfect. So perfect that we ended our half marathon day with 2 pieces of German Chocolate Cheesecake each.
A couple quick reminders about cheesecake. The first - you need a spring form pan. Like this whole thing ain't gonna work unless you have one. Second - I very much suggest making this the night before you want to eat it. It literally needs to cool for 10 hours at least, so if you make this at 3pm in the afternoon with the intention of eating it at the end of the night, it's just not going to work out. So ya, it's best to make ahead. The third Lesley tip, make two cakes. I swear no matter what cheesecake recipe I follow or use as my base when cooking, it always gives . me way too much filling and crust. So I now make two cheesecakes - one normal size cheesecake and one miniature cheesecake. You can easily get a mini springform pan at Michael's or another craft store for like $10, and it's a worth while investment. I then keep the big one for myself (usually) and give my mini cake away to a friend (see my mini cake below). So you'll get a delicious cheesecakes and get your friends, neighbors, or co-workers to like you even more by gifting away a cake. It's perfect!
For the Crust
4 c. Chocolate graham crackers or wafer cookies (I use the chocolate animal cookies from Trader Joes)
1 stick of butter, melted
For the Filling
1 package of sweetened coconut
1 1/2 c. of pecans, chopped
4 egg yolks
1 c. sugar
1 can evaporated milk
pinch of salt
For the Cheesecake
3 8 ounce packages of cream cheese
8 ounces of dark chocolate chips
1 c, sugar
3 eggs
1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 c. sour cream
1 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt
Start by prepping your cake pans. Trace the cake trays on parchment paper so you can measure the most perfect size pieces of parchment. Cut out the circles and lay them in the bottom of each spring form pan. Grease the sides of the pan with butter to prevent the cake from sticking. I use the wrap of the butter stick to do this - it's resourceful.
Then move to making the crust. Place the chocolate wafer cookies in a blender or food processor, and pulse them until they're a sand like consistency. Once you've got all the cookies ground up, add the butter and pulse for an additional 15-30 seconds. You just want to make sure the butter is fairly dispersed and there are no straight clumps of butter soaked cookies in the mix. You can always use your hands to mix things up if your food processor isn't doing the trick. Next, pour the wafer cookies right into your springform pan(s). Use your hands to form the crust by pressing the cookie mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the springform pan (only about a 1/2 inch up the side of the pan). Bake the formed crust in a 350 degree oven for about 12 minutes.
While the crust cooks, you can make the German chocolate filling. Place the entire bag of coconut on a parchment lined baking sheet, and toast the coconut for 12-15 minutes, stirring the coconut every 3-4 minutes to make sure the coconut doesn't burn. Next, place the egg yolks, sugar, and milk in a saucepan over medium heat, whisking the mixture constantly for the first 2-3 minutes. Bring the mixture to a simmer, and it will almost look foam-y. Let it cook for about 10 minutes so it cooks down, gets sticky, and is caramel like. Turn the heat off and then stir in the pecans and only three-quarters of the coconut, reserving some for the last minute garnish. Let the mixture cool and move to making the cheesecake filling.
Start by melting your chocolate chips in a double boiler (which I recommend) or in the microwave. Set the melted chocolate aside to cool oh so slightly and you'll mix it right into the cheesecake batter.
You'll want to use your electric stand mixer or some other handheld substitute to mix the filling. Place the cream cheese and sugar in the bowl, and mix with the paddle attachment on a medium speed. Let those two ingredients combine together for about 2 minutes so the cream cheese is light and fluffy. Next beat in the eggs, letting them mix in until they're fully incorporated. Next add in all of the melted chocolate, and continue to mix on medium for 2 minutes. Lastly, add in the sour cream, vanilla, and salt, letting that mix for another minute or so.
Now it's time to assemble. You'll want to start by pouring half of your cheesecake filling right on top of the prepared chocolate crust, giving the cake a very light shake once in the spring form pan to even out the layer. Next, you'll take half of the German chocolate layer and spread that right on top of the base layer of cheesecake. Suggestion: use a piping bag fit with a large tip, or use a plastic bag with a corner cut out to pipe the cheesecake layer in circles, then lightly spreading with a spatula. This is far easier then globbing it all on top and try to spread from there! The next step is to take the remainder of your cheesecake and pour it on top of the filling. Now it's time to bake - you'll bake the cheesecake in the oven at 350 for an hour and fifteen minutes. You'll want to reserve the left over toasted coconut and filling, setting both aside for use after the baking process.
Once the bake time is up, remove the cheesecake from the oven, letting it cool at room temperature for 2-3 hours, and then place it in the refrigerator for at least 8 more hours (I suggest overnight).
The final step is to then spread the remainder of the filling on top of the cheesecake. To loosen up the filling so it's spreadable, you can microwave or heat it up in the oven for a few seconds, Spread an even layer across the top - place the remainder of the filling in the middle of the cake and spread towards the sides, It totally doesn't need to go all the way to the edges of the cake. Then sprinkle the last of the toasted coconut right on top.
To release the cake from the springform, just run a butter knife along the sides before loosening the spring form clasp. This will prevent the edges of the cake from sticking to the sides of the pan. Your parchment will make it easy for you to then slide the cheesecake off of the spring form base & right on to your favorite cake tray. It's ready to dig your fork into!
