CAKES - CHOCOLATE BROWNIE CHEESECAKE

Makes 9-inch cake

¾ cup all-purpose flour

¾ cup Dutch-process cocoa powder

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

1 2/3 cups granulated sugar

¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

5 eggs

1 pound cream cheese, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 325F.  Lightly butter and flour a 9-inch springform pan.

Sift together the flour, cocoa, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.

Combine 1 1/3 cups of the sugar and the melted butter in a bowl, and mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon  or whisk.

Beat 4 eggs together lightly.  Add them to the sugar and butter, and mix thoroughly.

Fold in the sifted dry ingredients, mixing just long enough to make a smooth batter.  Do not overbeat.

Pour all but ½ cup of the batter into the prepared pan; reserve the remainder.

Beat together the remaining 1/3 cup sugar and the cream cheese by hand or with an electric mixer until very smooth and light.

Add the vanilla and the remaining egg to the cream cheese, and mix until well combined. 

Pour the cream cheese batter into the center of the brownie batter, keeping it away from the sides. 

With a teaspoon, carefully drop the reserved brownie batter around the top of the cake.  Run a table knife through the pools of brownie batter to achieve a marbled effect.

Bake for 40 to 50 minutes in the preheated oven.  If the top browns too quickly, cover the cake loosely with foil.  The cake is done when the edges begin to shrink from the sides of the pan.  The center should appear set, but still moist.

MY NOTE:  (1)  It normally takes me 65 minutes to bake this cake  (2) Run a knife around the baking pan to release the cake from the pan as soon as the cake comes out of the oven (3) The center of the cake will sag slightly. 

From An American Bounty by The Culinary Institute of America.