There must be one cake to rule them all....Silky....Rich....Complex....Desirable....
This is the cake that will rule them all!
Oreo Crust
First, prepare your 9 inch springform pans by covering the outsides with aluminum foil. (I recommend using extra wide 18-24 inch wide foil and double layering the foil in a crossed patter to make a water tight seal.) Roll back and crimp the foil around the top edge of the pan so that fit is taut making sure that there is no extra foil on the inside of the springform pan.
Place the top rack in lower third of oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine crushed Oreos, crispy chocolate chip cookie bits, toasted coconut crumbles, sugar and salt in a large mixing bowl. Pour in melted butter and mix gentle by hand until the entire mixture is equally coated and holds form when compressed.
Pour crust mixture into prepared springform pan. Spread evenly and firmly pack the mixture. (I like to use the backs of my fingers or a large flat metal spoon.) The mixture should be about 1/4 of an inch thick on the bottom and go up the sides of the pan about 1.5 - 2 inches. Place in the oven and bake for about 10 minutes. After 10 minutes remove from oven and place on a cooling rack.
Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F
Chocolate Cheesecake Filling
In a large mixing bowl combine cream cheese, sugar, sour cream, heavy cream and vanilla. Beat the ingredients together with an electric mixer for 4-5 minutes, starting on a low speed and gradually increasing to a high speed. Once the mixture is smooth and creamy, return to a low speed and gradually incorporate the melted chocolate, cocoa powder, espresso and salt. (To melt the chocolate use a double boiler or microwave on low heat, stirring between every 30 second interval in the microwave) Turn mixing speed back up to high and beat for an additional minute. With mixing speed on low, add the eggs one at a time, incorporating each egg thoroughly before adding the next. After adding the last egg return to a high speed for about 2 minutes.
Place the prepared springform pan into a large high-sided roasting pan. (I like to use the foil turkey pans for this, they are easy to find at an grocery store and you can reuse them multiple times.) Pour the filling into the springform pan, smoothing out the top with a spatula. Fill the roasting pan with boiling water around the springform pan, until it reaches about half way up the side of the springform pan. Be careful not to get any water on the cheesecake filling. Place in the oven and bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until the cheesecake has a firm giggle when you shake the pan.
After the cheesecake has baked, remove from oven, leaving the cheese cake in the roasting pan with water place on top of oven for and additional 30 minutes. This will help prevent the cake from falling or forming cracks.
After the 30 minutes are up remove the cheesecake from the water bath, remove the foil from pan and place on wire cooking rack, uncovered, at room temperature for 2-3 hours. Wrap the top of the cheesecake and place in the fridge for an additional 4-6 hours. Cooling the cheesecake this way allows for it to set properly and pull away from the edges of the pan, making it easy and mess-free to remove the springform.
Toasted Coconut French Butter Cream
Combine 1/2 c. sugar, 1 oz rum and 2 tablespoons water to small saucepan over a medium heat. Bring the sugar syrup mixture up to 235 degrees F and immediately remove from heat.
Meanwhile, in a mixing stand or large glass mixing bowl separate the yolk from 5 large eggs, taking care not to get any whites or shell in the bowl. Use an electric mixer with a whisk attachment and cream the egg yolks on a low speed. Once yolks have become thick and buttery in appearance begin to slowly incorporate the hot syrup with the mixer on low.
Next, using the beater attachment add in the butter (room temperature), 1-2 oz at a time fully incorporating each portion before adding more. Beat in salt, coconut extract and sweated condensed coconut milk. Mix for approximately 5 minutes until buttercream is smooth and silky. Finally fold in 1/2 c. toasted coconut crumbles. (See instructions for toasted coconut.)
Dulce de Leche
Combine Frangelico liquor and sugar in a large saucepan and place over medium heat. Heat for approximately 1-2 minutes to burn off alcohol. Add milk and vanilla, both scrapings and bean. Bring the mixture to a simmer continuously stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Once the sugar has dissolved stir in the baking soda. The mixture will foam and rise, but don’t be alarmed, this is normal. Leave the saucepan uncovered and reduce the heat to low, stirring occasionally for about 1 hour.
After cooking for about 1 hour remove the vanilla bean, continue to cook for another 2 hours until the mixture is a dark caramel color and has reduced to approximately 1 cup. Remember to stir occasionally throughout the entire process taking care not to scorch the caramel.
Next strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer and season with a pinch of salt. The mixture can be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for approximately 4 weeks.
Toasted Coconut
Add 1 and 1/2 c. of shredded unsweetened coconut to a medium sauté pan on a medium-low heat. Heat for approximately 3-5 minutes tossing occasionally coconut until the all of the coconut has a uniform golden brown color. Remove from heat and transfer to a small bowl.
Once the coconut has cooled rub the coconut between your finger tips crushing into small sized crumbs. It is important that the coconut is broken up into crumbles or it will clog the piping tip on your icing bag.
Topping the Cheesecake
After the cheesecake has fully set remove it from springform. Place cheesecake on a cake serving tray to begin adding the topping.
Fill a piping bag with the Toasted Coconut French Butter Cream. Using ruffling cake icer piping tip either 1.5 or 2 inch pipe your frosting around the top edge of the cake. If you do not have a ruffling cake icer piping tip, you can use a large star tip going in a back and forth layering motion to get a similar effect.
Once you have piped the icing around the top edge creating a outer ring, fill the center with the dulce de leche caramel. Evenly spread the caramel until the top of the cake is no longer visible, the caramel should be approximately 1/8-1/4 of an inch thick. (I find that the caramel spreads easiest when it is warm, not hot, to the touch 15-20 seconds in the microwave should do the trick.) Finally, Sprinkle the top of the cake with the remaining toasted coconut and serve.
Bon Appétit
Ingredient list
Crust
1 1/2 c. crushed Oreos (cream removed)
1 c. crushed crispy chocolate chip cookies
1/2 c. toasted coconut crumbles
2 tbsp. granulated sugar
6 tbsp. unsalted butter (melted)
Pinch of salt
Filling
32 oz. cream cheese (room temperature)
1 1/2 c. granulated sugar
1/2 c. sour cream (room temperature)
1/2 c. heavy whipping cream (room temperature)
12 oz. bittersweet chocolate warm melted
1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp. kosher salt 4 eggs at room temperature
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. espresso (finely ground)
Toasted Coconut French Butter Cream
5 large egg yolks
hot sugar syrup (1/2 cup sugar, 2 tablespoon water)
1 oz dark rum
8 oz unsalted butter
4 Tbsp of sweated condensed coconut milk
2 teaspoon coconut extract
1 cup toasted coconut (1/2 cup for garnish)
Pinch of salt
Dulce de Leche
1 quart whole milk
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 vanilla bean (split and scraped)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 oz Frangelico Liquor
Pinch of salt