German Chocolate Cheesecake

Crust: In a medium-size bowl, combine the chocolate wafer crumbs, sugar,
and butter. Blend well with fingers, fork, or pastry blender. Press or pat
the mixture onto the bottom and sides of a well-buttered springform pan.
Chill in the freezer or refrigerator for about 30 minutes.

Filling: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, cornstarch, sour cream,
and almond extract until smooth. In a small saucepan, scald the heavy
cream, then remove from the heat and allow to cool for about 5 minutes. Add
the chocolate bits and stir until the chocolate is completely melted. With
a wire whisk, beat the mixture until it is cooled and light in texture. In
a large bowl, with a whisk beat the egg yolks and 1/2 cup of the sugar
until very thick and smooth. Add the chocolate mixture to the egg mixture
and beat until everything has been smoothly combined. Then add the cream
cheese mixture to the chocolate mixture and beat again until very smooth.
In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar and the
remaining 1/4 cup sugar until the egg whites hold their peaks. Fold the egg
whites into the cheese mixture and pour the entire mixture into the chilled
shell. Place the springform pan inside of a larger pan containing 1 inch of
water and bake in a preheated 300 degree oven for 1-1/2 hours. Transfer to
a wire rack and allow to cool completely .

Topping: Prepare chocolate curls by melting the chocolate, spreading it
thinly on a sheet of wax paper, and refrigerating for 30 minutes. Then with
a flat knife scrape the chilled chocolate into curls and cut them into
2-inch- long sticks. Carefully remove the sides of the springform pan.,
Decorate by spreading the whipped cream evenly over the top of the cake and
then adding the chocolate curls. Transfer the cake to a serving dish and
serve.