I’ve always loved cheesecake. I used to only make it once a year at Christmas because my mom loves my strawberry cheesecake. After making it for a few years, I decided to try other flavors. Chocolate was the obvious next choice!
To make this Chocolate Cheesecake, I started with making a chocolate crust by crushing Oreos and mixing the crumbs with melted butter. Press them into the bottom of a springform pan and bake for about 8 minutes to set the crust.
I added melted chocolate and cocoa powder to the cheesecake batter for full chocolate richness. Then add the batter to the the chocolate crust. Bake in a water bath so a crust will not form around he perimeter of the cheesecake. At this point your house will start to fill with a delicious chocolate aroma. Resist the urge to sneak into the oven a steal a small taste!
After it bakes and cools, add a chocolate ganache to the top for a smooth look. Place chopped chocolate bars, chocolate wafers or chocolate candy melts into a microwave safe bowl. Pour heavy cream on top and microwave for about one minute. After the minute, the chocolate will not look melted, but it will be. Begin to stir the mixture until the chocolate and the cream are incorporated. The Ganache should be smooth and velvety. Pour on top of the cheesecake and smooth with a knife. Refrigerate overnight.
This cheesecake has three layers of chocolate. It’s perfect for all the chocoholics!
Creamy Chocolate Cheesecake with Ganache and Oreo Crust
Ingredients
Crust
- 24 Oreos (filling removed)
- 1/4 cup melted butter
Filling
- 3 8 oz cream cheese
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 tbsp vanilla
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 3 tbsp cocoa powder
- 6 oz bittersweet chocolate, melted
Ganache
- 6 oz bittersweet chocolate
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 tbsp sugar
Instructions
Crust
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Crush Oreos in a food processor. Add butter. Press cookie mixture in the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan covered with foil around and on the bottom of the pan. Bake for 8 minutes.
Filling
- To a stand mixer, add cream cheese and sugar. Blend until smooth. Add cocoa powder. Add eggs while mixing on a low speed. Add vanilla, heavy cream, sour cream, and melted chocolate. Mix. Pour into pan. Place foil covered pan inside of a larger pan. Fill outer pan half way with water and place pans in the oven. Bake for 1 hour-1 hour and 15 minutes. Take out of the oven, remove cheesecake from pan with water and cool on a wire rack.
Ganache
- Add chocolate, heavy cream and sugar to a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for about 45 seconds. The chocolate will not look melted, but it will be. Stir until smooth. Pour over the top of the cheesecake and smooth with a knife or off set spatula. Refrigerate over night. The next day remove over ring and serve.
