Chocolate and Pumpkin Cheesecake

Back in my grad school days, pre-internet, I copied a wonderful recipe for a layered pumpkin and chocolate cheesecake with chocolate ganache. I'm not sure if this is the same recipe but it's close. It makes a wonderful holiday dessert.

Crust:

• 1 1/4 cups graham cracker crusts
• 2 tablespoons cocoa
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 cup butter, melted

Mix crumbs, sugar and cocoa. Pour butter over all, stir to coat. Press onto bottom and sides of 9 inch springform pan. Bake for 5 minutes at 350 degrees.

Chocolate layer:

• 2/3 cup chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup coffee
• 12 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Melt chocolate in double boiler. Mix in coffee, set aside. Beat cream cheese, sugar and salt together. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then mix in vanilla. Add chocolate mixture and blend. Pour over chocolate crumb crust.

Pumpkin layer:

• 16 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup pumpkin
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/3 teaspoon cloves
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Beat pumpkin, cream cheese, flour, and sugar together. Add eggs, one at a time. Mix in spices and vanilla. Pour into 9 inch cake pan lined with buttered parchment paper.

Bake both cheesecakes at 350 degrees for 1 hour 10 minutes. Turn off oven and let sit for 20 minutes. Refrigerate chocolate layer, cool pumpkin layer to room temperature.

Ganache:

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 12 oz chocolate chips

Boil cream, butter and sugar, add chocolate and whisk until smooth. Pour one cup of ganache onto chocolate layer. Unmold pumpkin layer and place on top of chocolate layer. Freeze for 1 hour. Frost top and sides of cheesecake with remaining ganache. Keep refrigerated until time to serve.