Anniversary Cheesecake

For our 4th anniversary I thought I'd make a dessert Trav would appreciate even more than I would. Seems like whenever I make a dessert he always enjoys it, but we have different tastes. So I came across this recipe in this book called the Cake Mix Bible. Turns out I failed. I enjoyed it at least as much as he did...if not more. And it's one of those desserts that was even better the next day. And the next. And the next...

I Need an Excuse to Make This Again Homemade Cheesecake

Ingredients:

• 1 box chocolate cake mix (I used a Betty Crocker Chocolate Fudge Mix)
• 1/2 cup canola oil (the recipe calls for vegetable oil, but I never buy that kind of oil)
• (3) 8 oz packages of cream cheese, softened
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 4 eggs, lightly beaten
• 3/4 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
• 1 teaspoon all purpose flour

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 10 inch springform pan.

Combine cake mix and oil in large bowl and mix well. Press onto bottom of prepared pan. Bake at 350 for 22 to 25 minutes, or until set. Remove from oven. Increase oven temp to 450°F.

Place cream cheese in large mixing bowl. Beat on low speed, adding sugar gradually. Add sour cream and vanilla extract, mixing until blended. Add eggs, mixing only until incorporated. Toss 1/2 cup chocolate chips with flour. Fold into cream cheese mixture. Pour filling into crust. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup chocolate chips. Bake at 450°F for 5 to 7 minutes. (To keep the cheesecake form cracking, place a pan of water on the bottom rack during baking.) Reduce temp to 250°F and bake for 60-65 minutes or until set. Loosen cake from side of pan with knife or metal spatula. Cool completely in pan on cooling rack. Refrigerate until ready to serve. (I covered mine with plastic wrap and popped it into the freezer for a couple of hours, then the fridge.)