No Bake Chocolate Malt Cheesecake and an Anniversary!

Eeeepppp!  Annie's City Kitchen is 1 year old!! 

I sort of can't believe it.  It certainly hasn't felt that long and I still feel like I'm learning more about baking and blogging every.single.day.  I'm SO thankful for my readers and everytime I blog I try to imagine what recipes would excite me as a reader.   I hope to keep challenging myself in the next year and providing recipes that people love to bake and eat.  

I knew when I hit my one year anniversary I wanted to make something colorful, fun, special, and (duh) chocolate.  

This recipe is an adaption of a Sprinkles Bakes recipe that originally used a graham crust and strawberry milk for flavor.  I made it for my sister's birthday last year and just new that a chocolate adaptation was in order at some point.  It was such a simple ingredient swap and SO worth it. 

This cheesecake is light and fluffy and topped with chocolate whipped cream.  It even tastes great frozen!  It does need a little time to set up (in the fridge or in the freezer) so plan according.  OR just make, store it in your freezer, and eat a slice a day for a whole week.  JUST AN IDEA that I totally didn't try myself.  

Here's the recipe!  

No Bake Chocolate Malt Cheesecake

serves 8-12

Ingredients:

Crust: 

2 cups chocolate graham cracker crumbs (I used Teddy Grahams)

1/2 cup multi-colored sprinkles

1/2 teaspoon salt

8 tablespoons of unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

Chocolate Malt Filling:

2 1/4 cups heavy cream

1lb (2 8oz packages) cream cheese, softened

1 cup chocolate Ovaltine mix or other chocolate malt drink mix

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Whipped Cream:
1 cup heavy shipping cream
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

Directions: 
1.  Lightly spray a 9 inch springform pan with cooking spray and set aside.  
2.  Prepare the crust.  Put crushed graham crackers, sprinkles, and salt in a bowl and stir to combine.  Drizzle in melted butter and mix until graham crackers resemble wet sand everything is well combined.  Place crumbs in springform pan and gently and evenly press into the bottom of the pan and about 1 inch up the side.  Set aside. 
3.  Prepare the filling.  In an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachement, beat cream until soft peaks form.  Add softened cream cheese and beat again to combine.  Add chocolate malt mix and sugar to cream cheese/whipped cream and mix to combine.  Pour mixture onto prepared crust and set aside.  
4.  Prepare the whipped topping.  In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk cream until soft peaks form.  With the mixer still on, slowly add the sugar until fully combined.  Gently fold in cocoa to combine.  
5.  Put whipped cream into piping bag fitted with desired tip (I used the Wilton 1M tip) and pipe stars around the edge of the cake and in the center.  Adorn with multi-colored sprinkles, if desired.  
6.  Cover cheesecake with plastic wrap and place in freezer for 4-6 hours or overnight.  Gently unmold the pan (you can use a warm towel wrapped around the outside of the pan to help losen it a bit) and allow to thaw in the refrigerator slightly before serving.  It's easiest to slice while still partially frozen.  

Enjoy!

Recipe slightly adapted from Sprinkle Bakes