Black N’ White Spiral Cheesecake

This isn’t only a delicious cake—it’s also very beautiful, and it’s probably the most ordered item in Bagels N Greens’ platters collection, certainly on their Shavuos menu. Because what could be better than cheesecake with milk chocolate and white chocolate?

Crust
6 ounces graham crackers, ground into crumbs
4 ounces (1 stick) butter, melted

Batter
18 ounces (2¼ packages) cream cheese
1 cup sugar
seeds of 1 vanilla bean or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 eggs
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup sour cream

Topping
1 cup heavy cream, divided
4 ounces milk chocolate
4 ounces white chocolate

1. Prepare the crust. Combine graham cracker crumbs and butter. Fill a muffin pan with paper liners. Press crust down into the bottom of each cup with a spoon. Keep in freezer until cheese filling is ready.
2. Preheat oven to 350°F. Place a deep baking pan filled with boiling water in the bottom of oven. This creates a steam environment for baking your cheesecake.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer on low speed, gently combine cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and eggs. Add cornstarch and mix until smooth. Add sour cream and beat again until smooth.
4. Pour cheesecake batter over crust, filling until muffin cups are ¾ of the way full. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until cakes rise slightly, with the edges stable and the center still soft and slightly wobbly. They should not be golden. Let cool. Remove from baking pan and keep refrigerated.
5. Meanwhile, in a saucepan, bring ½ cup heavy cream to a boil. Place milk chocolate in a glass bowl and pour cream over it. Stir until chocolate melts. Repeat the same procedure with the white chocolate.
6. Place chocolates in two pouring pitchers (a measuring cup with a spout works). Pour a little dark chocolate into the cake center. This mixture will spread and cover the surface. Pour a little white chocolate (a little less than the dark) in the center to form two rings. Repeat with dark chocolate. Refrigerate until chocolate has hardened.

Yield: 8 personal cakes