Chocolate Cheesecake with Caramel Filling

This is a fabulous cheesecake recipe, but I wanted to warn all those low-fat junkies out there that this recipe should not be modified. I made it once as directed (except used Oreo crumbs for the crust, which I highly recommend) and it turned out perfectly - tasted amazing! I made it a second time with 1/3 less fat cream cheese and it was really disappointing. I'm usually all for low-fat modifications because often you can't really tell and it makes sweets a lot healthier, but resist the temptation here. It just doesn't taste right and the texture is off. Go all out on this if you're going to make it. And do make it because you will seriously impress your friends and family.  -  17 Mar 2003  (Review from Allrecipes USA and Canada)

WOW, If i could, I would give this recipe 10 stars. I made it for a church function last night, and I had people coming up to me all night telling me how fabulous it was, one girl scraped the bottom of the platter and showed me she had to o that just to get a taste. another man ate his, and his wife's peice, and tried to steal some one elses! I must have said thank you 100 times. I Used chocolate graham cracker for the crust, milk chocolate intead of semi-sweet, and baked it in a water bath. I was perfect. I cut it first into slices ( so it would be easier to serve) then I melted some more caramel, and some chocolate and alternates swirling them over the cut peices, which worked out nicely becuase it oozed down into the slices and made it taste even yummier, and It looked prettier than if I had to cut it already decorated! thnak you so much for this reipe, definetly making this again!!  -  06 Nov 2006  (Review from Allrecipes USA and Canada)

This cheesecake was absolutely delicious!! The caramel layer was not hard, as some "turtle" type cheesecakes get, I followed the recipe exactly, making sure the ingredients were at room temperature. I baked in a 325 oven for exactly 50 mins. with a 9" cake pan full of hot, boiled water on the oven rack beneath the rack the cheesecake was on. The cheesecake had a 2-3" wobbly circle, in the centre at this point. I turned my oven off, cracked the door open and left it for a good 4-5 hours until it was completely cool. It set up beautifully, with NO cracks. I then transferred it to the fridge, and decorated it the next day with sweetened whipped cream that I had added some whip cream stabilizer to. I also sprinkled the piped cream with some chopped pecans, and added a cherry on top of each dollop of cream. To cut, I ran hot water on the knife, and wiped it off between each cut. It cut beautifully!! I served it with some Smucker's caramel sauce. Delish!! My sil absolutely loved it!! (i made it for her 40th b-day)  -  19 Jan 2004  (Review from Allrecipes USA and Canada)