Chocolate Cheesecake
intro
Dense, creamy, deeply chocolatey baked New York-style cheesecake with a crisp chocolate cookie crust, an indulgent make-ahead dessert for gatherings.
Ingredients
Steps
Make the cookie crust
Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Wrap the outside of a 9-inch (23cm) springform pan with 2 layers of heavy-duty aluminum foil to prevent water leaks during the water bath. Crush 180 grams of chocolate sandwich cookies into fine crumbs using a food processor, then mix thoroughly with 70 grams of melted unsalted butter. Press the crumb mixture firmly and evenly across the pan bottom and 1 inch up the pan sides. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove and set aside to cool while preparing the filling.
Prep chocolate and cream cheese
Melt 170 grams of chopped semi-sweet chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water (double boiler method), stirring occasionally until completely smooth, then set aside to cool to 32°C (90°F, lukewarm to touch). In a large mixing bowl, beat the 680 grams of room-temperature cream cheese on medium-low speed for 3 minutes until completely smooth with no lumps, scraping down the bowl sides and bottom every 60 seconds to ensure even mixing.
Combine filling components
Add 150 grams granulated sugar, 18 grams sifted cocoa powder, and 1 gram fine salt to the beaten cream cheese, mixing on low speed for 1 minute until fully incorporated. Pour in the cooled melted chocolate and 5 ml vanilla extract, mixing on low for another 45 seconds. Add the 3 room-temperature eggs one at a time, mixing on low for 20 seconds after each addition, stopping as soon as the last streak of egg disappears to avoid trapping excess air. Finally, fold in 120 ml room-temperature heavy cream by hand with a spatula until just combined.
Set up water bath
Pour the finished chocolate cheesecake filling over the cooled cookie crust, smoothing the top into an even layer with an offset spatula. Place the foil-wrapped springform pan inside a larger deep roasting pan. Carefully pour just-boiled hot water into the roasting pan until the water reaches halfway up the sides of the cheesecake pan, taking care not to splash water into the filling.
Bake and slow cool
Carefully transfer the roasting pan with the cheesecake to the preheated 180°C (350°F) oven. Bake for 55 minutes, until the cheesecake edges are fully set and the center 2 inches has a slight Jell-O-like jiggle. Turn off the oven, crack the door open 1 inch (propped with a wooden spoon), and let the cheesecake cool slowly inside the oven for 1 full hour to prevent surface cracking.
Chill before serving
Remove the cheesecake from the water bath, peel off the foil layers, and cover the top loosely with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours (preferably overnight) until completely chilled and firm. When ready to serve, run a warm knife around the pan edge before releasing the springform clasp, and slice with a warm, clean knife for neat, smooth cuts.
Tips
2.Avoid mixing the filling on medium or high speed once eggs are added, as this traps excess air that expands during baking, leading to a cracked surface and sunken center as the cheesecake cools.
3.For perfectly clean, smooth slices, wipe your knife blade with a hot, damp paper towel between every cut to prevent smearing filling and crumbs across each slice surface.
OMG this cheesecake is SO good! I made it for my family dinner last Sunday and everyone went back for seconds. The chocolate flavor is rich but not cloying, and the texture is perfectly creamy, no weird grainy bits at all. Worth every minute of prep and chill time!
Solid chocolate cheesecake recipe, though I will say the cook time ran about 15 minutes long for me at 325F, so keep an eye on it the last half hour. I added a little extra dark chocolate ganache on top and it was chef’s kiss. Brought it to a work potluck and not a single slice was left.
My kids loved it! I was worried the rich chocolate would be too much for my picky 7 year old but he begged for a second slice. Only note is I used a store-bought graham cracker crust to save time and it still turned out great, perfect for busy weeknight prep when you want a fancy weekend treat.
Game changer for date night! My partner is a total chocolate snob and he said this is better than the cheesecake we got at that fancy downtown restaurant for our anniversary. I topped it with fresh raspberries to cut the richness a little, highly recommend that combo.
Decent recipe, but as someone who’s pretty new to baking I found the water bath part a little stressful (first time doing one!). Mine had a tiny crack on top but you couldn’t even tell once I added whipped cream. Tasted great even with the cosmetic flaw.
Wait, do I have to use a springform pan? I only have a regular 9 inch cake pan, will that work if I line it really well with parchment? Really want to make this for my book club this weekend but don’t have time to run to the store for a new pan!
Made this for my son’s high school bake sale and it sold out in 10 minutes flat! Parents were coming up to me asking for the recipe, I felt like a celebrity. Only change I made was adding a handful of mini chocolate chips to the batter for extra texture.
Help! I pulled my cheesecake out after the recommended cook time and the center is still super jiggly, like way more than the recipe says it should be. Did I do something wrong? I followed all the measurements exactly, I’m so stressed I’m making this for Thanksgiving dinner!
This is hands down the best baked chocolate cheesecake I’ve ever made at home. I’ve tried like 4 other recipes that came out too dense or too bland, but this one is perfectly rich, smooth, and has that deep dark chocolate flavor I’ve been chasing. Total home run.
Quick question—can I make this ahead of time and freeze it? I do meal prep for the whole month on Sundays and would love to have a few slices stashed for when sweet cravings hit.
Y’all. I don’t even like cheesecake that much and I ate half of this in one sitting. The chocolate ganache swirl I added on top took it over the top. My roommate is mad I didn’t save him more, oops.
Super excited to make this! Quick note—if I use semi-sweet chocolate instead of dark chocolate, do I need to adjust the sugar amount at all? I only have semi-sweet on hand right now.
Wait a second, the recipe says 4 hours chilling time—has anyone tried chilling it for less? I’m in a total time crunch, I need it for a potluck in 3 hours. Would sticking it in the freezer for a bit speed that up without ruining the texture?
Made this for my daughter’s 10th birthday party and it was a massive hit! All the kids were screaming for more, and multiple parents asked for the link. I will say I thought the medium difficulty tag was overstated—this was way easier than I thought it would be, even with the water bath.
This cheesecake is chef’s kiss, but has anyone tried adding a little espresso powder to the batter? I love the chocolate-espresso combo and feel like that would make the chocolate flavor even deeper, but I don’t want to mess up the texture.
Ugh, my cheesecake cracked really bad on top! I followed the water bath instructions exactly, what did I do wrong? It tastes amazing but it looks so ugly, I’m embarrassed to bring it to my family dinner tomorrow.
Brought this to my neighborhood block party last weekend and people were lined up for slices. I’m already making it again for our Halloween party next month, I think I’m gonna add some orange food coloring to a little bit of the batter to make a spooky swirl on top.
This recipe is almost perfect! The only thing I changed was using an Oreo crust instead of graham cracker because I’m obsessed with chocolate on chocolate, and it was *chef’s kiss*. The cook time was spot on for my oven, no cracks, super creamy center. Total new go-to chocolate cheesecake recipe.