Chocolate Cheesecake
Ingredients:
Crust
- 24 Oreo cookies
- ¼ cup (½ stick / 57 g) unsalted butter, melted
Filling
- 2 cups (336 g) semisweet chocolate chips
- ¾ cup (178.5 g) heavy cream, room temperature and divided
- 3 packages (24 ounces) cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 ½ cups (300 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (29.5 g) Dutch process cocoa powder
- 5 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Chocolate Ganache
- 1 ½ cups (252 g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ¾ cups (178.5 g) heavy cream
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C). Grease a 9-inch springform pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
2. For the crust, crush the Oreo cookies finely in a food processor or by placing them in a sealed bag and pounding with a rolling pin. Mix crushed Oreos with melted butter until evenly combined.
3. Press the mixture firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 10 minutes, then set aside to cool.
4. In a microwave-safe bowl, heat 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips with ½ cup heavy cream in 30-second intervals, stirring between each, until melted and smooth. Set aside.
5. In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese with sugar and cocoa powder until smooth and creamy.
6. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract.
7. Pour the melted chocolate mixture into the cream cheese mixture and blend until fully combined.
8. In a separate bowl, whip the remaining ¼ cup heavy cream until soft peaks form. Gently fold whipped cream into the chocolate cream cheese batter.
9. Pour the filling over the cooled crust in the springform pan. Smooth the top with a spatula.
10. Bake for 60-70 minutes or until the center is almost set but still slightly jiggly.
11. Turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake inside with the door ajar for 1 hour to cool gradually.
12. Remove cheesecake from oven and chill in refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight.
13. For the ganache, heat ¾ cup heavy cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until it just begins to simmer.
14. Pour hot cream over 1 ½ cups chocolate chips in a bowl. Let sit 2 minutes, then stir until smooth and glossy.
15. Pour ganache over the chilled cheesecake, spreading evenly. Refrigerate for an additional 30 minutes before serving.
Prep Time: 25 minutes | Cooking Time: 70 minutes | Total Time: 5 hours 15 minutes | Kcal: 520 kcal | Servings: 12 servings
Tips:
Use room temperature ingredients for a smooth, lump-free cheesecake batter.
Allow the cheesecake to cool gradually in the oven to prevent cracking on the surface.