Decadent Amaretto Chocolate Cheesecake
Submitted by gerry
Decadent amaretto chocolate cheesecake with an amaretti cookie crust, dark chocolate-almond filling spiked with liqueur, and crunchy amaretti folded into the batter. Italian-inspired showstopper.
YIELD
16 servingsPREP
30 minCOOK
45 minREADY
75 minThis is the chocolate cheesecake that takes the amaretti and almond paste tradition of Italian baking and folds it into a cream cheese cake that earns the word ‘decadent’ without flinching. Three sources of almond flavor (almond paste, amaretto liqueur, and crushed amaretti cookies) layer their character against six ounces of melted semi-sweet chocolate.
The crust is the first clever move. Instead of the usual graham cracker, it uses ground amaretti cookies bound with melted chocolate and butter. The cookies bring almond flavor right from the bottom layer, the melted chocolate sets it into a fudgy, brownie-like base that holds up to the heavy filling.
The filling has an unusual addition: coarsely broken amaretti pieces stirred in just before pouring into the pan. This is what gives the finished cake its characteristic bumpy, cookie-studded top and a textural pop in every slice.
Pro Tips
- The recipe warns the cake will look soft and underbaked at 45 minutes, this is correct. Don’t add bake time, the cheesecake firms up dramatically as it chills
- Beat the almond paste with the amaretto first to dissolve the paste smoothly, dropping cold paste into the cream cheese leaves marble-like streaks
- The bumpy top is a feature, not a flaw. The recipe explicitly notes this so don’t try to smooth it before baking
- Use a 9-inch springform that’s at least 2.5 inches deep, the filling almost reaches the rim
- Refrigerate at least 4 to 6 hours, ideally overnight, the cake transforms during the chill from soft pudding to dense, sliceable elegance
Variations
- Use Italian biscotti instead of amaretti for a different cookie texture in the crust
- Add 1 tablespoon of espresso powder to the chocolate filling for a mocha-amaretto cheesecake
- Serve with chocolate ganache drizzle or a quick raspberry coulis to cut the richness
Ingredients
Directions
MAKE CRUST: Butter the sides only (not the bottom) of a 9-inch spring-form pan (about 2½ to 3 inches deep). Grind the Amaretti very fine in a food processor or blender. Mix with sugar in a mixing bowl.
Melt the chocolate and butter in the top of a double boiler, stirring occasionally. Add the melted mixture to the Amaretti crumbs and sugar and mix thoroughly. (Don’t wash the double boiler; you’ll be using it again in a minute.)
Turn the mixture into the prepared pan. With your fingers, distribute it evenly over the bottom and press it down into a very firm, compact layer. Refrigerate while you prepare the filling.
MAKE FILLING: Adjust rack ⅓ up from the bottom of the oven and preheat to 350℉ (180℃). Partially melt chocolate in the top of a double boiler, then uncover and stir until completely melted. Remove the top of the double boiler and set aside to cool.
Break the Amaretti coarsely into a bowl and set aside. Cut the almond paste into small pieces, and beat on low speed with an electric mixer, while gradually adding the Amaretto liqueur. Beat until thoroughly mixed and set aside.
Beat the cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the sugar and beat until smooth again. Add the almond paste-Amaretto mixture and beat until thoroughly mixed. Add the melted chocolate and beat well again. Add the eggs one at a time, beating at low speed until they are incorporated after each addition. Add the heavy cream and beat until smooth. Add the coarsely broken Amaretti and stir gently only to mix.
Turn into the prepared pan, pouring the mixture over the bottom crust. Rotate the pan gently to level the batter. (Don’t worry if the mixture comes almost to the top; it won’t run over.)
Bake 45 minutes. It will seem soft and not done, but don’t bake any more; it will become firm when chilled.
The top of the cake is supposed to look bumpy because of the large chunks of Amaretti. Let cool completely at room temperature, then carefully remove the sides of the pan and refrigerate the cake (still on the bottom of the pan) for 4 to 6 hours, or overnight.
Comments
Problem with this recipe. No amaretti listed in ingredients for filling, yet instructions say to 'break them coarsely into a bowl'.
amaranth should not be an ingredient in this recipe. The second 7 ounce ingredient should be an additional 7 ounces of amaretti..the cookies, to break up and add to the filling.