Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, combine…
- 1 1/4 graham cracker crumbs, finely crushed
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Mix well. Press the crumbs evenly onto the bottom of an ungreased 9-inch springform pan.
Bake for 8-minutes. Cool on wire rack.
In a double-boiler, with hot, not boiling water, melt…
- 10 ounces ( 2 1/2 baking bars) semi-sweet chocolate, broken into 1-inch pieces
Stirring until smooth. Remove from heat.
In a stand mixer, beat on low until smooth…
- 24 ounces cream cheese, softened
Gradully add…
- 1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
Scrape down sides and beat until smooth.
Add one at a time…
- 3 eggs
Scrape down sides and beat until smooth.
Add…
- melted chocolate
Scrape down sides and beat until smooth.
Add…
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Beat until smoooth.
Pour filling into the crust and place the the cake in the oven. Immediately lower the over temperature to 325 degrees.
Bake 1 hour to 1 hour 10-minutes, or until the center is set. Turn off oven, leaving the cake inside with the oven door closed for 30 minutes.
Transfer cake to a wire rack, using a metal spatula, loosen the cake from the sides of the pan.
To make the topping, reheat oven to 350 degrees.
On baking sheet, place…
- 1/2 cup pecans, chopped
Toast for 3-5 minutes.
In a bowl, combine…
- 1/2 cup ready-made caramel topping (for ice cream)
- toasted pecans
- 2 ounces (1/2 baking bar) semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
Spoon the mixture over the warm cake.
After the cake has cooled completely, place in the refridgerator for at least 8-hours (or overnight).