Belgian Chocolate Cheesecake

YIELD: 1 LONG (14-INCH × 4B/c-INCH × 1-INCH) RECTANGULAR TART PAN / 8 SERVINGS

Eli’s Belgian Chocolate Cheesecake is the richest, most intensely chocolate dessert I have ever tasted. When I was a little girl, my mother, Harriet, only made chocolate cheesecake for company. In fact, the recipe she used, which she’d cut out of a now-yellowed 1960s newspaper, called chocolate cheesecake “an unusual and elegant dessert you’ll want to serve for a very special occasion.”

We were so excited when we found out that the 2015 James Beard Awards were coming to Chicago, and even more so when we learned that Eli’s had been invited to serve dessert to an incredible audience of James Beard Award winners and nominees at the event’s welcome reception at Soho House. Diana and her team decided to create this recipe for the occasion, alongside a giant strawberry cheesecake.

Don Welsh, President...

From left to right: Don Welsh, President, Choose Chicago; Sam Toia, President, Illinois Restaurant Association; Susan Ungaro, CEO, James Beard Foundation; and Maureen and Marc Schulman.

PHOTO BY LEIGH LOFTUS

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       FOR THE CHOCOLATE SHORTBREAD CRUST:

            1½ sticks (12 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter

            ⅔ cup confectioners’ sugar

            ½ teaspoon salt

            ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

            1½ cups all-purpose flour

            3 tablespoons cocoa powder

       FOR THE BELGIAN CHOCOLATE GANACHE:

            5 ounces Belgian bittersweet chocolate

            ⅓ cup heavy cream

       FOR THE BELGIAN CHOCOLATE BATTER:

            1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, room temperature

            ⅓ cup granulated sugar

            1 tablespoon cocoa powder

            2 large whole eggs, room temperature

            ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1.    Prepare the Chocolate Shortbread Crust (see recipe on p. 113). Follow the recipe as directed. Roll out the dough in a rectangular shape to ¼-inch thick. Carefully lay the dough over the tart pan and gently press the dough into the sides and onto the bottom of the pan. Use a paring knife to cut off any excess dough.

2.    Prepare the Belgian Chocolate Ganache and then the Belgian Chocolate batter (see recipes on pp. 83 and 82, respectively). Follow the recipes as directed.

3.    Preheat the oven to 280°F. Pour the Belgian Chocolate batter into the prepared tart pan. Using an offset spatula, smooth down the batter until it is level.

4.    Set the tart pan on a baking sheet and place the baking sheet in the center of the oven, directly on the middle shelf. Bake for 25 minutes, until the cake is slightly firm to the touch, jiggles in the center, and is lightly souffléd on the sides. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool to room temperature, about 1 hour.

5.    Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight to completely set before serving.

6.    Transfer to the freezer for 2 to 3 hours before slicing.

7.    Slice the tart with a thin, nonserrated knife that is dipped in hot water and wiped dry after each slice. Serve immediately or store in the freezer well wrapped for up to 3 months.


Always make sure the ganache is warm (about 110°F) when adding it to the batter; otherwise, it will not incorporate well.