Gluten-Free Chocolate Cheesecake for the New Year

One of my favorite simple recipes to start the New Year out with is a Gluten-Free Chocolate Cheesecake.  I love cheesecakes, and it always amazes me how most all commercial cheesecakes manage to include some type of wheat and gluten in them, even though from my experience I can create any cheesecake I want without gluten.  The only "flour" in this cheesecake is cocoa. It is too bad I can not simply go to the store, or a restaurant, and order a slice of cheesecake that is safe for Celiacs.  So, in the meantime I bake one of these cakes at least once per year to treat myself (and others) to a fantastic GF cheesecake - my gluten-free diet must contain cheesecake on occasion: that is non-negotiable.

This cake recipe is straight out of our Gluten-Free Desserts cookbook (page 30), and it yields a nice thick and rich and creamy dessert that can also be kept frozen if you want to save part of it for a later date (which I did, after I at nearly half of this beast myself over a week's time). This cake will serve a nice sized party, since it weighs nearly 5# (it fills a 10-inch round springform pan to the brim); 3.5 pounds of that weight is from the cheeses in this delicious treat!  I just cut the chilled cake into pieces, wrap those pieces in plastic wrap, place those into freezer baggies, and freeze them until I want to thaw and eat more (after my recent mass consumption spree, it may be June until I get a piece out again. lol)

The cake makes a perfect recipe even for inexperienced bakers, presuming you have a decent mixer that can handle the pile of cheeses and other ingredients (our Kitchenaid works just fine).  I create the crust and get that pre-baked while mixing the cheesecake filling.  Total prep-time is no more than 1/2hr, and then another 70minutes of baking time.   Cool the cake overnight, and it is ready for eating by you and/or anyone else you would like to share it with.

Couple this cake with your New Years exercise plan, and it will work out even better :)