This Valentine’s Day, if after dinner you find yourself stuck between reaching for a café noir or a chocolatey dessert, consider chef Brian Mooney’s solution: combining both in a decadent espresso chocolate cheesecake. “My wife, Erin, and I love to finish a meal with a dessert or something sweet, usually a cappuccino or an espresso martini,” says Mooney, co-owner of Tre Luna Bar & Kitchen in Hoover, Alabama. “This cheesecake is the perfect combination of both.”
Baking a cheesecake is a labor of love, so Mooney shares a few tips on how to tackle common concerns and keep Valentine’s spats to a minimum. While it might require some restraint not to tuck in right away, he emphasizes the importance of patience. “Letting it finish in the oven helps prevent the cake from cracking, as it doesn’t cool down too quickly, and refrigerating it for twenty-four hours intensifies the flavors.” He also favors blending the cream cheese and mascarpone for a velvety finish. “Mascarpone has a more subtle flavor, allowing the espresso and chocolate to shine,” he says. “If you were to taste the batter, it would taste like a cappuccino.”
