This popular spin on a cheesecake recipe takes inspiration from another popular dessert, the marble cake. Both vanilla and chocolate batter are mottled and swirled together for a simple decorated dessert to enjoy. If you're not accustomed to either recipe, don't worry. This marble cheesecake is very simple to follow.

The recipe

Crust Ingredients:

  • 2 cups graham crackers, crushed
  • 3/4 stick unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 pinch kosher salt

Batter Ingredients:

  • 3 packs (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch
  • 3/4 cup sour cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate, melted

The directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 325°F and position the rack to the lower middle position.
  2. Remove the cream cheese from the containers to thaw and soften to room temperature. Melt the butter in a small sauce pan over low heat and pour into a bowl. Set aside.
  3. Combine the graham crackers, brown sugar and salt in a food processor and grind to fine. Pour in the melted butter while the crust mixture is still processing. Stop when a sticky, crumbly mix forms.
  4. Grease the inside of a 9" round spring form pan with more butter. Transfer the crust to the pan and press it down. Smooth the surface flat.
  5. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes or until the crust browns around the edges. Remove to cool.
  6. Beat the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla extract together with an electric mixer. Add the eggs to the mixture one at a time while it still beating until fully combined. Beat in the cornstarch until fully combined. Finally, beat in the sour cream to complete the batter.
  7. Melt the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl in a microwave or in a saucepan. Let it cool for 2 minutes.
  8. Divide the batter evenly among two bowls. Fold the melted chocolate into one batter until fully combined.
  9. Assign a clean spoon to each bowl and use them to dollop all the vanilla and chocolate batters into the spring form pan consecutively. Use one of the spoons to gently pat down the top of the batter, then swirl the two batters together to make a pattern. Do not mix.
  10. Bake the cheesecake for an hour or until its outer sides set, but the center wobbles when shaken. Turn the oven off and leave the cheesecake inside to cool for another hour.
  11. To remove the cheesecake from the spring form pan, run a sharp knife around its edges of the ring, then remove it by lifting it straight up.
  12. Slice and serve the cheesecake or seal and refrigerate when ready.

Serves: 12
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