Cheesecake with Brownie-Bottom & Lemon

By OralW

Ingredients

• CRUST:
• nonstick vegetable oil spray
• 6 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate (54 to 60% cacao) -- chopped
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter (1/2 stick)
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup golden brown sugar -- packed
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• FILLING:
• 5 packages cream cheese (8 oz) -- room temperature
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon lemon peel -- finely grated
• 4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 5 large eggs
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• TOPPING:
• 1 cup sour cream
• bitter sweet chocolate curls or shavings
• 1 each lemon, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced
• crosswise

Details

Servings 12

Preparation

Step 1

CRUST:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray inside of 9" springform pan with 2 3/4"
to 3" high sides with nonstick spray.

Whisk flour, cocoa, and salt in small bowl; set aside. Combine chocolate
and butter in medium metal bowl; place bowl over saucepan of simmering
water and stir until melted and smooth. Remove bowl from over water. Add
both sugars to chocolate mixture and whisk until blended. Let cool until
mixture is barely lukewarm, about 10 minutes. Whisk egg and vanilla into
chocolate mixture. Fold flour mixture into chocolate mixture. Spread
brownie batter evenly over bottom of prepared pan.

Bake brownie crust until top looks slightly cracked and tester inserted
into center comes out with some moist crumbs attached, about 20 minutes.
Transfer pan to rack; cool crust to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
Maintain oven temperature.

FILLING:



Place pan with cooled crust on rimmed baking sheet. Using electric mixer,
beat cream cheese in large bowl until smooth. Add sugar, flour, lemon
peel, and lemon juice; beat until smooth. Add eggs and yolks, 1 at a time,
beating just until incorporated after each addition. Beat in 1/2 cup sour
cream and whipping cream. Pour filling over brownie crust in pan; smooth
top.

Bake cake until puffed, light golden, and set around edges (center will
still move slightly when pan is gently shaken), about 1 hour 20 minutes.
Remove cake from oven. Maintain oven temperature.

TOPPING:

Spoon 1 cup sour cream in dollops over top of cake, then spread evenly
over top with offset spatula. Return cake to oven and bake 5 minutes. Run
small sharp knife around sides of cake to loosen. Place pan with cake
directly in refrigerator and chill uncovered overnight (cake may sink in
center) DO AHEAD:

can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled.

Remove pan sides from cake. Run thin sharp knife between pan bottom and
crust to loosen. Using 2 metal spatulas as aid, transfer cake to platter.
Garnish top edge of cake with chocolate curls and lemon slices.