Jon-Marc's Deep Dark Chocolate Cheesecake

The Naked Baker, Jon-Marc McDonald, makes his most famous dessert to date, a Deep Dark Chocolate Cheesecake from the October / 2006 issue of Bon Appetit magazine. He also gets naked and highlighted in part 2 of the video.

Part 2 and the full recipe after the jump

Deep Dark Chocolate Cheesecake Bon Appétit | October 2006

by Jeanne Thiel Kelley

In the '80s and early '90s, chocolate cheesecake was at the top of our list. The simple ingredients in this rich, dense version let a good boutique chocolate shine. Yield: Makes 12 servings Crust 24 chocolate wafer cookies (from one 9-ounce package) 1 tablespoon sugar 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted Filling 1 9.7-ounce bar Scharffen Berger 70% Cocoa Bittersweet Chocolate,* chopped 4 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature 1 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Scharffen Berger) 4 large eggs Topping 3/4 cup whipping cream 6 ounces Scharffen Berger 70% Cocoa Bittersweet Chocolate,* chopped 1 tablespoon sugar Bittersweet chocolate curls *Use Ghirardelli 60%. Trust me! For crust: Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 3-inch-high sides. Blend cookies in processor until finely ground; blend in sugar. Add melted butter and process until well blended. Press crumbs evenly onto bottom (not sides) of prepared pan. Bake just until set, about 5 minutes. Cool while preparing filling. Maintain oven temperature. For filling: Stir chopped chocolate in metal bowl set over saucepan of simmering water until melted and smooth. Remove bowl from over water; cool chocolate until lukewarm but still pourable. Blend cream cheese, sugar, and cocoa powder in processor until smooth. Blend in eggs 1 at a time. Mix in lukewarm chocolate. Pour filling over crust; smooth top. Bake until center is just set and just appears dry, about 1 hour. Cool 5 minutes. Run knife around sides of cake to loosen. Chill overnight. For topping: Stir cream, 6 ounces chocolate, and sugar in heavy medium saucepan over low heat until smooth. Cool slightly. Pour over center of cheesecake, spreading to within 1/2 inch of edge and filling any cracks. Chill until topping is set, about 1 hour. Do ahead: Can be made 3 days ahead. Cover with foil and keep refrigerated. Release pan sides. Transfer cheesecake to platter. Top with chocolate curls. Let stand 2 hours at room temperature before serving.