chocolate & peanut butter mousse cheesecake

Yesterday was my birthday and my sweet husband woke up at 5am in the morning and sacrificed his exercising time to make this wonderful and better-than-any-cheesecake-I've-tried birthday cake. He knew how much I enjoy home baked cakes and desserts. The cake and my husband's efforts were the two best birthday presents for me this year (among many other wonderful gifts and kind gestures from others). So here's the recipe for the awesome cake -- this will make anyone smile. :) 

Ingredients: 

[Chocolate crust]
Chocolate wafer/graham crackers - 1 1/2 cups
Butter - 1/4 cup (melted)

[Mousse Layers]
Creamy peanut butter - 3/4 cup
Cream cheese - 5 oz (soften)
Butter - 2 TBS (soften)
Confectioners' sugar - 1 and 1/4 cups
Heavy cream - 1 and 3/4 cups (whipped, divided)
Bittersweet Chocolate chips - 5 oz
Milk chocolate candy bar - 1 (3 and half oz size) - chopped
Sugar - 1/2 cup
2% Milk - 1/4 cup
Vanilla extract - 1 tsp

[Ganache - optional] *see TIPS
Bittersweet chocolate chips - 6 oz
Heavy cream - 2/3 cup
Vanilla extract - 1 tsp
Shaved chocolate - optional

Prep:

1. Grease 9-in spring-form pan. 
2. [Crust] Melt butter in a large microwavable bowl. Add in wafer/graham cracker crumbs. Press onto bottom of a 9 in. springform pan.
3. Measure all ingredients and set is aside (believe me, this will save you time and stress later!)

Cook:

1. In a Kitchenaid mixer bowl or in a bowl, beat the peanut butter, cream cheese and butter until smooth. 
2. Add confectioners' sugar and beat until smooth. 
3. With a spatula, fold in 1 and 1/4 cup whipped cream; spread over the crust. 
4. [Chocolate mousse layer] Place bittersweet and milk chocolate in a bowl. In small saucepan, bring sugar and milk just to a boil. Pour over chocolate and whisk until smooth. Stir in vanilla.
5. Cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally.
6. Gently fold in remaining whipped cream.
7. Spread over peanut butter layer; cover and freeze for 2 hours or until firm.
8.  [Ganache] Place chocolate in a bowl. In a small saucepan, bring cream just to a boil. Pour over chocolate and whisk until smooth. Stir in vanilla. Cool to reach spreading consistency, stirring occasionally. Spread over cheesecake. Refrigerate until set.

Serve: 

1. With knife, loosen cheesecake from pan; remove rim. 
2. Top with shaved chocolate if desired. 

I prefer little bit frozen - it's like ice cream cake, mousse cake and cheesecake in one!

TIPS

• This layer will make the cake richer. If you want to keep the light mousse cake, just skip the ganache. But if you love chocolate, it's another layer of awesomeness. :) 
• If you like ice cream cake, just eat right out of the freezer. It's sooooo good!