Mascarpone Cheesecake with Almond Crust
This recipe creates a rich mascarpone cheesecake with a toasted almond crust. It's baked in a water bath for even cooking and finished with a simple chocolate-hazelnut topping after chilling.
Equipment
- 1 Springform Pan 9-inch diameter, 2 3/4-inch high sides
- 1 Food Processor For grinding crust ingredients
- 1 Electric Mixer Stand or hand mixer for the filling
- 1 Roasting pan Large enough to hold the springform pan for a water bath
- 1 Cooling Rack For initial cooling
Ingredients
Main
- 1 cup slivered almonds lightly toasted
- 2/3 cup graham cracker crumbs
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter melted
- 2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
- 2 8-ounce containers mascarpone cheese, room temperature
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 1/2 cup chocolate-hazelnut spread recommended: Nutella
- 1/4 cup whipping cream
Instructions
- For the crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Tightly wrap the outside of a 9-inch diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides with 3 layers of heavy-duty foil. Finely grind the almonds, cracker crumbs, and sugar in a food processor. Add the butter and process until moist crumbs form. Press the almond mixture onto the bottom of the prepared pan (not on the sides of the pan). Bake the crust until it is set and beginning to brown, about 12 minutes. Cool. Decrease the oven temperature to 325 degrees F.
- For the filling: Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese, mascarpone cheese, and sugar in a large bowl until smooth, occasionally scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Beat in the lemon juice and vanilla. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.
- Pour the cheese mixture over the crust in the pan. Place the springform pan in a large roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into the roasting pan to come halfway up the sides of the springform pan. Bake until the center of the cheesecake moves slightly when the pan is gently shaken, about 1 hour 5 minutes (the cake will become firm when it is cold). Transfer the cake to a rack; cool for 1 hour. Refrigerate until the cheesecake is cold, at least 8 hours and up to 2 days.
- For the topping: Combine the chocolate-hazelnut spread and cream in a small bowl. Heat in the microwave until warm, stirring every 20 seconds to blend, about 1 minute.
- Cut the cake into wedges. Drizzle the chocolate sauce over the wedges and serve.
Notes
Ensure all dairy ingredients for the filling (cream cheese, mascarpone, eggs) are at room temperature for a smooth, lump-free texture. Tightly wrapping the springform pan exterior with multiple layers of heavy-duty foil is crucial to prevent water from the bath seeping in. When adding the eggs to the filling, mix only until just blended to avoid incorporating too much air, which can lead to cracks during baking. The water bath provides gentle, even heat, also helping prevent cracks. Do not overbake; the center should still be slightly jiggly. Proper chilling time is essential for the cheesecake to set completely before slicing.