Chocolate Cappuccino Cheesecake

From allrecipes.com I tried their Chocolate Cappuccino Cheesecake. All the reviews were positive (and there were 152 of them), and it seemed the only reported problem was the chocolate seizing upon being melted. We can handle that.

Let me give you the recipe, then we can discuss how it went.

Chocolate Cappuccino Cheesecake
Serves 12

1 cup chocolate cookie crumbs
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 tablespoons white sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup white sugar
3 eggs
8 (1 ounce) squares semisweet chocolate
2 tablespoons whipping cream
1 cup sour cream
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons instant coffee granules dissolved in 1/4 cup hot water
1/4 cup coffee flavored liqueur
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons coffee-flavored liqueur
1 (1 ounce) square semisweet chocolate

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter one 9 or 10 inch springform pan.
2. Combine the chocolate wafer crumbs, softened butter, 2 tablespoons white sugar, and the cinnamon. Mix well and press mixture into the buttered springform pan, set aside.
3. In a medium sized bowl beat the softened cream cheese until smooth. Gradually add 1 cup white sugar mixing until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time. Beat at low speed until very smooth.
4. Melt the 8 ounces semisweet chocolate with 2 tablespoons whipping cream in a pan or bowl set over boiling water, stir until smooth.
5. Add chocolate mixture to cream cheese mixture and blend well. Stir in sour cream, salt, coffee, 1/4 cup coffee liqueur, and vanilla; beat until smooth. Pour mixture into prepared pan.
6. Bake in the center of oven at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 45 minutes. Center will be soft but will firm up when chilled. Do not over bake. Leave cake in oven with the heat turned off and the door ajar for 45 minutes. Remove cake from oven and chill for 12 hours. Just before serving top cake with mounds of flavored whipped cream and garnish with chocolate leaves. Yields 16 servings.
7. To Make Flavored Whipped Cream: Beat whipping cream until soft peaks form, then beat in confectioner's sugar and 2 tablespoons coffee liqueur.
8. To Make Chocolate Leaves: Melt 1 ounce semisweet chocolate in a pan or bowl set over boiling water, stir until smooth. Brush real non-toxic plant leaves (such as orange leaves) on one side with melted chocolate. Freeze until firm and then peel off leaves. Freeze chocolate leaves until needed.

I failed.
Miserably.
Everything went wrong except the flavor.

• I ground the chocolate wafers too finely for the crust
• The chocolate seized (nothing new there)
• The filling filled a 9" spring form pan to the rim (should have been a major indicator that this was doomed)
• While baking, the filling rose over an inch above the rim of the pan
• Then started falling off

So then I took it out after 45 minutes (and after a lengthy chat with a chef friend about wtf just happened) and, doing as he instructed, set it down and walked away. I was to check on it the next morning because, sure, it could have deflated by then, right?

Not really.

I removed the ring to which the filling clinged most tenaciously.

I attempted to cut a slice, but wound up with chunks (some on my plate, most on the floor).

And it tasted great.

At that time, I added cheesecake to the "things I'm not going to be in charge of making" list. There are plenty of fine people able to make cheesecake that I refuse to burden myself with the stress of repeating this.

But, really, I think it was just me. Apparently everyone else can make this just fine. Okay by me!

Oy.