Turtle Swirl Cheesecake
Submitted by pburke
Turtle swirl cheesecake on a chocolate wafer crust with semi-sweet chocolate ribbons, butterscotch drizzle, and toasted pecans. Marbled, dense, and unapologetically rich.
YIELD
18 servingsPREP
30 minCOOK
65 minREADY
8 hrsA turtle cheesecake gets its name from the chocolate-caramel-pecan combination of the candy, and this version goes hard on the marbling. Ganache gets dolloped across the cream cheese filling in tablespoons before a knife pulls dramatic swirls through it, leaving each slice looking like brown-and-white agate.
The filling rules apply here. Cream cheese has to be genuinely room-temperature soft. Cold blocks fight the mixer and leave lumps that no amount of beating fully smooths out. Eggs go in one at a time on low speed because over-aerating the batter is what causes the dramatic crack across the top.
Wrap the springform pan in foil before baking. Even without a water bath, the foil shield protects the bottom from the harsh radiant heat of the oven floor, which is the difference between a creamy middle and a rubbery edge.
The overnight chill is a must. Cheesecake gets denser and silkier as it cools, and slicing warm is a mess of melted chocolate and unfirm filling.
Pro Tips
- Bring cream cheese and eggs out 2 hours before baking. Room temperature ingredients blend without overworking the batter.
- Pull from the oven when the center still has a slight wobble. A fully set center means an overbaked, cracked top.
- Toast the pecans right before garnishing. Five minutes in a dry skillet wakes up their oils.
Variations
- Drizzle warm dulce de leche instead of butterscotch for a deeper caramel flavor.
- Swap chocolate wafer crust for graham cracker plus 2 tablespoons cocoa powder.
- Add a tablespoon of espresso powder to the ganache for a mocha twist on the swirl.
Ingredients
Directions
For Crust: Preheat oven to 350?F.
Finely grind cookies in processor.
Blend in butter.
Press crumb mixture onto bottom and 1 inch up sides of 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 ¾ inch-high sides.
Wrap outside of springform pan with foil.
For Filling: Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese in large bowl until fluffy.
Gradually add sugar and beat until smooth.
Beat in eggs 1 at a time.
Mix in vanilla extract.
Bring cream to simmer in heavy small saucepan.
Reduce heat to low.
Add chocolate and stir until mixture is melted and smooth.
Remove from heat.
Pour half of cream cheese mixture into crust.
Spoon half of chocolate mixture over by tablespoons, spacing evenly.
Using tip of knife, swirl chocolate mixture into filling.
Spoon remaining cream cheese mixture over.
Spoon remaining chocolate mixture over by tablespoons.
Swirl into filling.
Bake until sides are set and center moves slightly when pan is shaken, about 1 hour 5 minutes.
(Cake may crack.) Cool in pan on rack.
Chill overnight.
Using small knife, cut around pan sides to loosen cake.
Release pan sides.
Drizzle ¼ cup caramel sauce over top of cake.
Garnish with whole pecans.
Pass remaining sauce separately.
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