I’ve been holding on to this recipe for Black Forest Cheesecake – first acquired in my culinary school days – for over 20 years without ever making it. It stuck in my memory, though, so I finally pulled it out to make and serve at my New Year’s brunch this year.

Nancy Silverton writes in her classic cookbook, Desserts, that she hates desserts that are too much of one thing – too rich, too bland, too sweet – specifically directing her statement towards cheesecake. So it stood out to me when one of my New Year’s guests complimented this dessert, saying he loved the bitter hints of the chocolate. It reminded me of a friend in my past telling me he always liked that my desserts were not too sweet, like so many other desserts. I’ve always suspected that the desserts I make have probably just as much sugar as others, but are balanced by the other tastes – bitter, sour, etc. – as in this cheesecake, which has not only the bitterness of the chocolate, but the sour acidity of dark cherries – which also offer juicy bursts of textural contrast, btw – to play against the sugar.

Since it’s a wonderful chocolate dessert, I thought I’d share it with you in time for Valentine’s Day. Of course, since it’s filled with luscious dark cherries, it seems perfect for a little later February holiday, too.

P.S. The original recipe states it yields 2- 8 inch cheesecakes. I made 1- 10 inch cheesecake, which left enough batter to make a couple of individual cheesecakes baked in Ateco 3.5 by 2.1-Inch Stainless Steel Ring Mold, again double wrapped in heavy duty foil.

[amd-yrecipe-recipe:19]

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