We are fortunate enough to live in a great friendly neighborhood! This means that we are often the recipients of some delicious baked goodies – courtesy of some gracious neighbors. (Thanks Sabika!)

One such day, I received a slice of a extremely lush chocolate cheesecake. It was rich, decedent, and in essence a chocolate lovers dream!

I’ll share the recipe with you below and some pictures I took along the way. I’ll also add some tips that I use, to ensure the cheesecake doesn’t sink or have cracks. Don’t panic if you do, because the final step is covering the cake with a rich chocolate ganache!

A few simple ingredients that make up this delicious goodness.

Ingredients

The Oreo cookie base comes together easily! I found adding parchment paper to the spring form pan very helpful.

Oreo cookie base

Cream cheese whipped up to a silky satin finish.

Cream cheese in the mixing bowl.

The tempered chocolate being added into the cream cheese mixture.

Glorious chocolate

Once baked, the cheesecake leaves the edges of the pan.

Just out of the oven

Semi sweet chocolate chips whipped up with heavy cream to form this amazing ganache

Chocolate Ganche Ready!

And it all comes together quite well!

Tips to get the perfect cheese cake

• Make sure the eggs and cream cheese are at room temperature.
• Never over mix the batter. The cream cheese and sugars can be mixed fairly well. But after incorporating the sugars, mix the eggs in until just incorporated.
• Always use a water bath to bake the cheesecake. Wrap the spring form pan in foil and place into a larger baking dish or tray and fill halfway up with boiling water.
• Once the cheesecake is baked, leave the cheesecake in the oven with the door closed and forget about it. Go watch This Is Us!
  After about an hour or even longer, open the oven door, slightly ajar and leave it like that for another 30 minutes or so. Much of the sinking occurs because of sudden changes in temperature, and this ensures a gradual temperature change.
• Always use good quality chocolate!

Death by Chocolate cheesecake

• Servings: 10-12
• Time: 2 hours
• Difficulty: moderate
• Print

A rich, decadent cheesecake that is a must for chocolate lovers.

Credit: Delish and my friendly neighbor

Ingredients

For the Crust

• 24 whole Oreo cookies
• 6 Tbsp melted butter
• Pinch Kosher salt

For the Cheesecake

• 4 (8oz) Packages of cream cheese (at room temperature)
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup pack light brown sugar
• 4 large eggs (room temperature)
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 9 oz semisweet chocolate squares (melted over a double broiler)
• 1/4 tsp salt

 

For the Chocolate Ganache

• 1 1/2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• Chocolate shavings for garnish

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F and position the rack in the middle of the oven.
2. In a food processor, finely crush the Oreos.
3. Transfer the Oreos to a bowl, and add in the melted butter and salt. Mix to combine.
4. Wrap the outer edge of your 9 inch spring form pan in foil (twice). Then line the bottom with parchment paper, and spray the insides with cooking spray.
5. Press the Oreo mixture tightly in the bottom pan, going 1/3 of the way up the sides.
6. In your stand mixer, beat the cream cheese well. Then add in the granulated sugar, brown sugar, cocoa powder and salt and mix until smooth.
7. Add in eggs one at a time, and mix only until just combined. Do not over mix.
8. Fold in melted chocolate.
9. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
10. Place the spring form pan into a larger baking tray and slide it into the oven. Then add boiling water to the baking tray such that it is 1/3 up the sides of the pan.
11. Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 mins. The center should be slightly jiggly when done.
12. Turn the oven off and leave the pan in the oven for another hour with the door closed. Next take it out and leave it at room temperature.
13. Refrigerate overnight to chill completely.
14. Make the chocolate ganache, by placing chocolate chips in a heat proof bowl.
15. Heat the heavy whipping cream in a saucepan over medium heat. As soon as bubbles appear on the surface, pour this over the chocolate chips and whisk constantly until it is smooth.
16. Pour ganache over the cheesecake and smooth out. Dress up with chocolate shavings, and refrigerate until ganache is set.