This Neapolitan Cheesecake has 4 layers of deliciousness - dense chocolaty brownie, creamy vanilla bean cheesecake, light and sweet strawberries and cream and a topping of thick rich chocolate ganache. OMG! What's not to love?
½cup+ 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour(3.3-oz or 94g)
Vanilla Bean Cheesecake
8ozcream cheese,softened (225g)
8ozmascarpone cheese,softened (225g)
2teaspoonscornstarch(6g)
¼cup+ 2 Tablespoons sugar(3.5-oz or 100g)
Pinchof salt
1Tablespoonvanilla bean paste or sees scraped from 1 vanilla bean(15ml)
3eggs
Strawberry Topping
6Tablespoonswater,divided (89ml)
1teaspoonpowdered gelatin
16ozfresh or frozen strawberries,hulled & cut in fourths (455g)
½cup+ 6-½ teaspoons sugar(5.3-oz or 150g)
2Tablespoonscornstarch(6g)
1cupwhipping cream,chilled (236ml)
Chocolate Ganache
6ozsemi-sweet chocolate chips(170g)
½cupwhipping cream(236ml)
Pinchof salt
Instructions
Chocolate Brownie
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8” springform pan, bottom and sides, with butter and line bottom with parchment paper. Dust sides with flour.
In a microwave safe measuring cup, melt chocolate and butter in microwave using 30-second increments and stirring in-between, until completely melted and smooth. It takes about 1 minutes.
Let cool.
Combine the chocolate mixture with sugar, salt and vanilla and whisk until combined. Add eggs, one at a time, whisking in-between until smooth and creamy.
Stir in flour.
Pour into prepared springform pan and bake for 15 minutes. Remove to wire rack to cool.
Turn oven down to 300 degrees.
Vanilla Bean Cheesecake
While brownie layer is cooling, make cheesecake batter.
Using your electric mixer, whip cream cheese, mascarpone cheese, cornstarch and sugar together until creamy and smooth.
Add whipping cream, salt and vanilla bean and continue to whip until well mixed.
Add eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed until fully incorporated. Do not overmix!
Pour batter over cooled brownie layer.
Wrap bottom of springform pan with aluminum foil and seal it well. Place in a large pan filled with hot water that reaches about ½ way up sides of pan.
Bake for 60-70 minutes. The cheesecake will be just a little jiggly when you gently shake it.
Turn oven off, leaving door ajar, and let cheesecake sit for another 30 minutes in oven.
Remove from water bath and let cool on wire rack until room temperature, about 4 hours.
Loosen the sides of the springform pan and remove. Cover the cheesecake and place in refrigerator overnight.
Strawberry Topping
Pour 3 tablespoons water into a small bowl. Sprinkle gelatin on top and let side for 10-15 minutes.
In a medium saucepan, place strawberries and sugar and heat over medium heat, stirring often. Bring to a boil then turn down heat and let simmer for 20 minutes. Liquid should be syrupy.
Mix cornstarch with remaining 3 tablespoons hot water and stir to dissolve. Add to hot strawberry mixture and let cook several more minutes until the mixture has thickened.
Remove from heat and add gelatin. Whisk to dissolve gelatin then transfer mixture to bowl to cool.
When the strawberry mixture is cool. Whip whipping cream in a cold bowl until it forms very nice soft peaks.
Fold whipping cream into strawberries.
Remove Cheesecake from refrigerator and place springform ring back around cheesecake. Pile on the strawberry mixture and smooth top.
Refrigerate until layer has gelled.
Chocolate Ganache
In a microwave safe measuring cup or bowl, combine chocolate chips with whipping cream. Microwave in 30-second increments, stirring in-between, until melted and smooth.
Let chocolate cool until it is of spreadable consistency.
Take cheesecake from refrigerator and remove springform ring. Spread the ganache over the strawberry layer.
Let the chocolate layer set.
Store in refrigerator until ready to serve.
Notes
Total time does not include the overnight chill time for the cheesecake layer or the 1-2 hour chill time for the strawberry layer.