Creamy Cappuccino Cheesecake

This is serious YUM! I know I've been on a bit of a sweet kick lately which is a little unlike me, I do love sweets but usually me and my sweet can't get through a whole cake or pie etc. But let me tell you, this cheesecake did not last long around our house!

And its no wonder why just look at this delicious confection!

Lets get just a little closer!

  Is that? Did she really? No she didn't! 

Oh Yes! I did! That is Dulce de Leche swirled about!

Here is the recipe

Crust

• 20 graham cracker cookies, crushed
• 5 tbsp melted butter
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 tbsp espresso powder

Filling

• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 4 teaspoons espresso powder powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla 
• 3 tbsp Kahlua
• 4 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 can dulce de leche

Dulce de Leche

•  1 can of sweetened condensed milk

First start by making the Dulce de leche by cracking the can slightly open and  adding it to a small pot with water about 2/3 of the way up.

Bring to a boil and let it go for about 1 & 1/2 hours. You will need to top up the water as it will evaporate so keep an eye on it. Let it cool, crack the lid the rest of the way off and Voila!
Dulce de Leche! You can use this in soo many ways, as simply as dipping apple wedges into it for a caramel apple treat or for a Mexican Baileys liqueur that I will show you soon, or for our purposes the fabulous surprise in a cappuccino cheesecake. This will give the Starbucks Carmel Frap a run for its money!

So anyways....
Mix all of the ingredients for the crust together, grab a handful and make sure that it is sticking together, it should hold its shape, but it is ok if it cracks a little, as long as you know it is going to hold together. Spread evenly into the bottom and sides of a spring form pan (This is a Must for cheesecake making!) And bake in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes. Allow to cool while you get onto the filling. Because we all know that a crust is nothing without its filling!

Now onto the creamy goodness:
In a small bowl combine the cream, vanilla, Kahlua and espresso powder. This will help to distribute the espresso powder evenly. I wanted to see the flecks and it is ground so finely that they don't create any sort of textural difference, just add a visual affect, plus you know me! I like the real thing! No instant powders for moi! In a separate and I advise a quite large bowl beat the cream cheese until it is fluffy, incorporate the sugar and then add the eggs one at a time. Slowly add the flour, then add in the cream and Kahlua mixture. Combine until it is one big mess of goodness and slowly pour into the crust.
Remember the dulce de leche? How could you forget, pour it into a swirl around the pan if you can. (If it is warm it should pour alright, I had to use a spoon to coerce it, then the heat had its way with it so it turned out as you saw in the picture above.
Bake for about 1 hour or until the sides start to pull away and the top is brown. If you can avoid it cracking let me know your trick!

Also I added a pan of water in the bottom of the oven to create moisture, I'm sure I just left it in a little to long and that is why it cracked, it did turn out to be very golden! perhaps a little too golden.... whoops... it was still oh so good!