Did you know that July 30th is National Cheesecake Day? Well, now you have plenty of notice and can be prepared. What I’d like to know, however, is why, in the middle of swimsuit season, did the food industry thrust this fattening holiday upon us? Food bloggers feel compelled to follow these designated food days like a religion, so of course we will all be making cheesecakes. How can this be right?
I suppose I could have made a low fat, low sugar, low calorie version, but what’s the fun in that? If you want low carb and no refined sugar, try this Primal Chocolate Cheesecake or this Paleo Dark Chocolate Torte. I am afraid I don’t do low calorie much at all when it comes to cheesecake. You may want to get out your stretchie swimsuit cover-up for this recipe. I used three pounds of cream cheese in it. The finished dessert weighed in at about five pounds. Go big or forget it is my cheesecake motto. I think it’s a pretty good motto.
Summer is flying by. The Thinker’s best friend from Arizona is flying out to visit next week. The Good Guy will be home from a long visit with his mother in Seattle next week, too. My parents are coming to Florida at the end of July. The boys have a big camping trip planned for late July, as well. By the time all of that excitement is over, there will only be two weeks to panic about school clothes and supplies. We were completely rained out on the night of the Fourth of July, but we have not had any really major storms yet. It’s been a really good summer. The cheesecake helped.
Chocolate Cheesecake
Author: Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker
- 3 pounds cream cheese
- 1½ cups sugar
- ¾ cup cocoa
- 4 eggs
- 1 Tbsp vanilla
- ⅓ cup butter, melted
- 9 large graham crackers, crushed fine
- Make the crust by combining the butter and graham cracker crumbs.
- Press into the bottom of a 9-10 inch spring form pan.
- Bake 8 minutes at 375 degrees.
- Remove pan from the oven and turn down the temperature to 325 degrees.
- Place a pan with 2-3 inches of water on the bottom rack of the oven.
- While the crust is baking, make the filling.
- Cream the sugar and cream cheese until smooth.
- Add the cocoa and mix until completely combined.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl between each egg.
- Add the vanilla and let the mixer run for 3 minutes, getting the filling nice and fluffy.
- Pour the filling onto the hot crust and bake for 75 minutes in the steamy oven.
- Remove from oven and let cool 15 minutes then refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving.
The filling is gluten free. If you use gluten free cookies instead of regular graham crackers for the crust, it will be gf safe.
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