Spider Web Cheesecake (White Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake)
Smooth peanut butter cheesecake and white chocolate cheesecake are swirled together on top of sweet graham cracker crust and topped with white chocolate drizzle.
1/2cupwhite chocolate meltsit will be about 1/4 cup melted
Topping:
1cupwhite chocolate melts
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and grease a 9 inch springform pan. You will need a large roasting pan that’s bigger and longer than the springform pan. (I use the aluminum foil disposable ones). If you are not sure about your springform holding up in water, you can wrap the outside of the springform pan in heavy duty aluminum foil from bottom up to the sides.)
Crust:
In a small bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, vanilla extract and brown sugar. Mix very well.
Spread crumb mixture in the bottom on the spring form, evenly, pressing it over the bottom and about half way up the sides.
Cheesecake:
In a bowl of an electric mixer, beat cream cheese on medium-high speed until smooth and fluffy, 3-4 minutes. Scrape sides and bottom of the bowl and beat for another minute.
Add eggs, one at the time, beating after each addition.
Add vanilla extract and sour cream. Beat until incorporated. Scrape sides and bottom on the bowl.
Pour in heavy whipping cream and beat until smooth and all completely incorporated. (If it starts to splatter while pouring in the heavy cream, you can lower the speed until the cream is incorporated and then raise it back up.)
Lower speed and add sugar and corn starch. Make sure that all ingredients are well combined. Scrape sides and bottom on the bowl and beat for a few more seconds, until all smooth.
Take out about 1/3 of the batter into a separate mixing bowl.
Add peanut butter to the larger amount of batter in the mixer and beat until evenly incorporated. Scrape sides and bottom of the bowl and mix again until smooth.
Melt the 1/2 cup of white chocolate melts according to the package instructions. (Don't overcook.) Pour melted white chocolate into the smaller portion of the batter while whisking. Whisk until all smooth.
Pour the peanut butter cheesecake batter into the pan with crust and make sure it's spread evenly. Drop white chocolate cheesecake batter over the peanut butter batter and gently swirl them together. Don't mix them, just swirl. (Try not to scrape the crust.) Gently shake and pat the springform to even out the top of the batter.
Place roasting pan into the oven and place cheesecake springform pan inside the roasting pan. Carefully add water to the roasting pan, about half way up the side of the springform.
Bake for about 85 minutes. Turn off the oven and open the oven door half way. Let cheesecake rest for about 5 minutes and take it out of the oven (out of the roasting pan and carefully take off the foil).
Let it rest for 10 minutes on the counter and then gently run a greased butter knife between sides of the cheesecakes and the springform to carefully separate it. (You don't actually have to take the cheesecake out of the pan until ready to serve.)
Cool cheesecake for an hour and then place in the refrigerator. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before decorating.
Topping:
Melt white chocolate melts according to the package instructions and make sure not to overheat it (especially if using a microwave.)
Fit a piping bag with a thin attachment meant for writing (I use #2 Wilton attachment).
Pour melted white chocolate into the piping bag and carefully decorate the whole cheesecake with a spider web.
*If preparing the cheesecake for any other occasion, generously drizzle the cheesecake with white chocolate.