Marbled Sweet Potato Cheesecake

An autumnal-inspired sweet potato cheesecake with festive swirls of chocolate in a nutty graham cracker crust.

Recipe Ingredients:

Crust:
2 cups finely crushed graham crackers
3/4 cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans
1/2 cup butter, melted

Filling:
4 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups mashed, cooked sweet potatoes
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
4 large eggs
1 ounce semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled

Cooking Directions:

1. For Crust: Combine crushed crackers and chopped nuts. Stir in melted butter. Press mixture onto bottom and about 2-inches up the sides of a 10-inch springform pan; set aside.
2. For Filling: Beat cream cheese and sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until combined. Add sweet potatoes, cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg, ginger, salt, and cloves. Beat well. Add eggs all at once. Beat on low speed just until combined.
3. Remove 1/2 cup filling; stir in melted chocolate. Gently pour plain filling into springform pan. Drop small spoonfuls of chocolate mixture onto filling. Use a spatula to gently swirl batters
4. Place pan in a shallow baking pan on oven rack.
5. Bake in a preheated oven at 375°F (190°C) for about 40 minutes or until center of cheesecake appears nearly set when shaken.
6. Cool in pan on wire rack for 15 minutes. Use a small metal spatula to loosen from side of pan. Cool 30 minutes more. Remove side of pan. Cool completely. Chill in refrigerator for at least 6 hours.

Makes 12 servings.

Recipe provided courtesy of North Carolina Sweetpotato Commission.