Thick, rich and dangerously decadent. If you’re looking for the perfect chocolate cheesecake, look no further! This dessert is a show stopper!
We love cheesecake!! For all my fruit lovers check out my key lime cheesecake, blueberry cheesecake crumb cake, or no-bake strawberry topped cheesecake! Or you can be like me and love both chocolate and fruit desserts!
Who Loves cheesecake?
I feel like many people fall into two categories: chocolate dessert lovers or fruit dessert lovers!! With a chocolate crust, filling and shaved chocolate on top, this cheesecake is for all my chocolate lovers.
Cookies are my jam, but cheesecake is my obsession! I’ve been wanting to take my Perfect New York Cheesecake recipe and transform it into a chocolate version for almost a year now. I finally got around to it a few weeks ago and I couldn’t be happier with the results!
This chocolate cheesecake is decadent, rich and ultra-thick. It truly is a chocolate lover’s dream!
If you’ve never made cheesecake before, don’t be intimidated. It’s not as scary as you think. I’ve included lots of tips and tricks in the recipe below to help guide you through the process and ultimately bake the perfect chocolate cheesecake. Be patient, re-read the steps (follow the directions), and take a deep breath. It’ll look flawless and taste amazing, I promise!!
How to Make Chocolate Cheesecake
The most difficult part about this recipe is waiting. Waiting for ingredients to be at room temperature, waiting for it to rest in the oven, and waiting for it to chill in the refrigerator. Trust me, the wait is well worth it!
Prep the Pan:
- Cover the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan with extra-large aluminum foil so that the no water can leak in during the water bath. Wrap it with two-layers for extra security. Crimp the top of the foil around the top edge of the springform pan.
- Or you can skip the foil wrap if you have a slightly larger cake pan than your springform pan. You can place the springform pan in a slightly larger cake pan (10″) that has 2″ sides.
The Cheesecake Crust:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees, placing the top rack in the lower third of the oven.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix together the finely ground Oreo crumbs with the sugar and salt. Pour the melted butter over top and mix until the crumbs become coated.
- Pour into the prepared springform pan and gently smooth out (I like to use a metal measuring cup for this). You should have a nice layer on the bottom and the sides should go about halfway up your pan. Place into the oven and bake for 8 minutes. Remove and turn the oven down to 325 degrees.
The Cheesecake Filling:
- Beat the cream cheese, sugar, sour cream, and heavy cream in the bowl of a stand mixer for approximately 4 minutes or until smooth and creamy.
- With mixing speed on low, gradually add the melted chocolate, cocoa powder, and salt.
- Turn the mixing speed back up to high and beat for an additional minute.
- Switch the mixing speed back to low and add the eggs one at a time, mixing until incorporated.
- In a small bowl dissolve the espresso powder in the vanilla extract. With mixing speed on low, add the vanilla/espresso mixture, then beat on high for 1 minute.
Water Bath:
- Place the prepared springform pan (either foil covered or springform inside the larger cake pan) into a large high-sided roasting pan.
- Pour the filling into the springform pan, smoothing out the top with a spatula.
- Pour boiling water around the springform pan, taking care not to get any on the filling. You’ll want the water to go halfway up the side of the pan (this was just to the lip of my 2″ tall cake pan).
- Place in the oven and bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour and 30 minutes. If you like extra firm cheesecake, continue baking for an additional 15 minutes for a total of 1 hour 45 minutes.
Let it Cool:
- After the cheesecake has baked, turn off the oven, slightly crack the door open and allow it to cool for 30 minutes. This is the key to getting a perfect top without it falling or cracks forming.
- Remove the cheesecake from the bath and dry the bottom of the pan.
- Place in the refrigerator on a wire cooling rack to chill for at least 4 hours before serving.
- Wrap the top of the cheesecake with foil after 30 minutes in the refrigerator (giving the cheesecake 30 minutes will help prevent condensation from forming on the underside of the foil).
- During the chilling process, the cheesecake should come away from the edges of the pan, making it easy and mess-free to remove it before serving. If it seems to be a little stuck you can warm a knife with hot water and gently and slowly move it around the pan to loosen the cheesecake.
- Top with freshly whipped cream, chocolate shavings or curls, fresh raspberries and mint, if desired.
Chocolate Cheesecake FAQs
What if I don’t have a springform pan? You can use a regular cake pan. Just line it with parchment paper so that the cheesecake won’t stick to the bottom!
What does the water bath do? The point of a water bath is to make sure that the cheesecake gets cooked through without browning the top of it. The water surrounding the cheesecake can get to 212 degrees and cook the cheesecake instead of using the normal oven functions to bake it.
Why does the cream cheese, sour cream, whipping cream and eggs need to be at room temperature? This allows the ingredients to blend together better which results in a smoother cheesecake.
How to Change Up + Store Chocolate Cheesecake
Toppings: You can top it with just about anything to make it suit your personal tastes. Think mint, orange, caramel etc. Or you can go the simple route and pipe some freshly whipped cream on top, and some chocolate curls, a raspberry and a sprig of mint. No matter how you garnish it, it’s sure to be a hit!
Storing: First off, cheesecakes must be refrigerated! You can leave a cheesecake out for 2-4 hours, but it is not recommended to store them on your countertop. A freshly baked cheesecake can last in your refrigerator for up to a week. Just make sure to cover it loosely with aluminum foil.
If you have leftovers, you can always freeze them! Wrap them tightly in aluminum foil and then place in a freezer-safe container/bag. Cheesecake is good for about 3 months in the freezer.
When you are ready to eat, place frozen cheesecake in your refrigerator to thaw out (usually 7-8 hours).
This 9-inch cheesecake is perfect for holiday celebrations, family gatherings, or office parties! The only problem is you won’t have any leftovers!!
More Chocolatey Desserts from Life Made Simple:
- Double Chocolate French Silk pie
- Perfect chocolate crinkle cookies
- Everyday chocolate cake
- Double chocolate coconut oil cookies
- Ultimate chocolate cupcakes
- Healthier Homemade Nutella
Perfect Chocolate Cheesecake Recipe
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 2 cup crushed oreos - cream removed
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- pinch salt
- 5 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter - melted
For the Filling
- 2 lb plain cream cheese - ((4) 8 oz blocks), room temperature
- 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup sour cream - room temperature
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream - room temperature
- 12 oz bittersweet chocolate - melted and cooled
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 tsp kosher sea salt
- 4 eggs - room temperature
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp espresso powder - optional
For the Toppings
- whipped cream
- chocolate shavings or curls
- fresh raspberries
- sprigs of mint
Instructions
- Cover the bottom and sides of a 9-inch by 3-inch springform pan with extra large aluminum foil so that the no water can leak in (it's worth a trip to the store to buy the 18" wide foil). Wrap it with two layer for extra security. Crimp the top of the foil around the top edge of the springform pan. You can also place the springform pan in a slightly larger cake pan (10") that has 2" sides (I ran out of big foil but had a nice cake pan that it just barely fit into. I didn't have to worry at all about the foil keeping water out).
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees, placing the top rack in lower third of oven. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the finely ground Oreo crumbs with the sugar and salt. Pour the melted butter over top and mix until the crumbs become coated.
- Pour into the prepared springform pan and gently smooth out (I like to use a metal measuring cup for this). Carefully work the crumbs up the sides so that they are 1½" tall and approximately ¼" thick. You should have a nice layer on the bottom and the sides should go about halfway up your pan. Place into the oven and bake for 8 minutes. Remove and turn oven down to 325 degrees.
- Beat the cream cheese, sugar, sour cream, and heavy cream in the bowl of a stand mixer for approximately 4 minutes or until smooth and creamy. With mixing speed on low, gradually add the melted chocolate, cocoa powder, and salt. Turn mixing speed back up to high and beat for an additional minute. With mixing speed on low, add the eggs one at a time, mixing until incorporated. In a small bowl dissolve the espresso powder in the vanilla extract. With mixing speed on low, add the vanilla/espresso mixture, then beat on high for 1 minute.
- Place the prepared springform pan into a large high-sided roasting pan. Pour the filling into the springform pan, smoothing out the top with a spatula. Pour boiling water around the springform pan, taking care not to get any on the filling. You'll want the water to go halfway up the side of the pan (this was just to the lip of my 2" tall cake pan). Place in the oven and bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour and 30 minutes. If you like extra firm cheesecake, continue baking for an additional 15 minutes for a total of 1 hour 45 minutes.
- After the cheesecake has baked, turn off the oven, slightly crack the door open and allow to cool for 30 minutes. This is the key to getting a perfect top without it falling or cracks forming.
- Remove the cheesecake from the bath and dry the bottom of the pan. Place in the refrigerator on a wire cooking rack to chill for at least 4 hours before serving. Wrap the top of the cheesecake with foil after 30 minutes in the refrigerator (giving the cheesecake 30 minutes will help prevent condensation from forming on the underside of the foil).
- During the chilling process the cheesecake should come away from the edges of the pan, making it easy and mess-free to remove it before serving. Top with freshly whipped cream, chocolate shavings or curls, fresh raspberries and mint, if desired.
this is time consuming but worth every step. So good!
I followed the instructions to the letter. I am a pretty experienced baker and I actually went out and purchased a 9″ spring form as my other was 12″ and I wanted to make sure the cheesecake was nice and deep. It looks good. It’s in baking now and I’m sure it will taste delicious. The reason for the 3 stars is I believe it doesn’t need 4 blocks of cream cheese or 4 eggs to fill the pan. I have enough mix left over (the filling was right to the top of my 9′ inch spring form pan) that looks like about a block and 1egg would make by itself. This is such a waste. Not sure what to do with all the left overfilling.
I went back and read through all the comments and it does seem like a few people had similar issues but most commented that it turned out perfectly. I’m not sure what is making the difference. Maybe the crust layer isn’t compacted down enough, taking up more space…? To be safe you can always use a 10″ pan or make little ramekin sized ones out of the extra.
Hi! I made this for my pregnant sister and she loved it so I was wanting to surprise her for her baby shower but wanted to make mini cheesecakes. Can you advise on how long to cook them for using a cupcake tin?
Hi Sydney,
Please note that I haven’t done this before with this recipe, but giving you instructions from my mini cheesecakes recipe. Set the oven to 325 F.
This recipe should make about 24 cupcake pan sized mini cheesecakes. The cooking time is much less.
Scoop 1 ½ tablespoons of the crust mixture into the bottom of each liner. Press to create a firm, even crust. Bake for 6-8 minutes, then remove and allow to cool.
Divide the batter between the 24 muffin liners. They will be full, just make sure they have at least ⅛ inch of liner showing. Tap the pan on the counter 3 times. Place into the oven and bake for 24-26 minutes. They will still look moist in the center but will set as they cool. Crack the door to the oven and allow the cheesecakes to rest for 10 minutes before transferring the pan to a wire rack to cool completely. Chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour before serving. Optionally, top with whip cream and fruit if desired. Please let us know how it goes and how many mini cheesecakes it makes.
When heating the initial cookie crust you mention placing the rack on the lower third in the oven.
When baking the whole of the cheesecake is it at the same position or up a little on the center rack?
I plan on making this today, just waiting on the requisite ingredients to come to room temperature and to hopefully get a response on the rack position, if it matters.
I just want it all to come out right because I’m kind of fiending for this, heh. Thank you!
It should be fine leaving the rack on the lower third position but if you want to be extra careful, cooking on the center rack would just help it cook more gently. The lower rack position is best for browning bottoms, like the crust.
I have made this many times. It is wonderful
Being able to make your own perfect cheesecake is a super power.
This came out perfect…came out nice and tall, rich and creamy.
Will be used g this recipe from now on.
Love it when a recipe makes it into the permanent list!