Luscious, rich, and smooth Chocolate Cheesecake is made with an Oreo cookie crust, smooth chocolate cheesecake filling, and deliciously topped with homemade chocolate whipped cream. Every bite of this decadent chocolate cheesecake is well worth the indulgence!
Chocolate Cheesecake
Enjoying a big piece of homemade chocolate cheesecake is a simple pleasure in life I will never be ashamed of! There’s something so comforting about truly losing yourself in the rich, chocolatey flavors of this luscious cheesecake.
From the Oreo cookie crust all the way up to the homemade chocolate whipped cream, there’s no part of this chocolate cheesecake that doesn’t deserve praise. The texture and flavor of the cheesecake itself is truly heavenly, and when it’s topped with the thick chocolate ganache, it becomes truly unforgettable.
Next time you need something rich, chocolatey, and undeniably delicious to comfort you, this is the dessert to make. Likewise, if you’re trying to impress a dinner party, this cheesecake is always a crowd pleaser! Truly, I don’t think I’ve ever met a single person who didn’t fall head over heels for this picturesque dessert.
Chocolate Cheesecake Recipe Ingredients
For the Oreo crust, you’ll need:
- Oreo Cookies – Just the classic, plain Oreo cookies work best.
- Butter – I use unsalted to keep the crust entirely sweet.
Ingredients for the chocolate cheesecake filling:
- Cream Cheese – Full fat cream cheese renders the best results. Also, make sure it’s room temperature before using.
- Sugar – For best results, use plain white granulated sugar.
- Eggs – Just like the cream cheese, allow the eggs to warm up to room temperature before using.
- Heavy Whipping Cream – This is what provides the cheesecake with the perfectly rich, silky texture.
- Vanilla Extract – Just a couple dashes of vanilla will enhance the chocolate flavors.
- Cornstarch – Cornstarch is a vital ingredient in the texture of the cheesecake.
- Chocolate – Use semi-sweet baking chocolate. It’s the perfect balance of richness, bitterness, and a wonderful amount of chocolate flavor.
What you’ll need to make chocolate ganache:
- Chocolate – You can use milk baking chocolate or semi-sweet. It just depends on your preference.
- Heavy Whipping Cream – Similarly to the cheesecake filling, this ingredient can not be substituted with anything else, as it provides the perfect amount of richness and silkiness to the ganache.
Ingredients for the chocolate whipped cream:
- Heavy Whipping Cream – This is the key ingredient to any whipped cream! Make sure it’s cold.
- Powdered Sugar – It’s essential for both the sweet flavor and fluffy texture of the cream.
- Cocoa Powder – Use unsweetened cocoa powder to avoid having overly sweet whipped cream.
- Vanilla Extract
How to Make Chocolate Cheesecake
First, prepare the springform pan with aluminum foil. Then, create the Oreo crust and line the bottom of the pan with it.
To make the cheesecake filling, start by melting the baking chocolate.
While that cools slightly, beat the cream cheese until it’s fluffy. While beating, pour in the sugar and add the eggs.
Add the whipping cream and vanilla extract. On a low speed, mix in the cornstarch and melted chocolate.
Transfer the chocolate cheesecake filling to a prepared springform pan.
Place a large roasting pan in the preheated oven before placing the springform inside of the roasting pan. Then, carefully pour hot water into the roasting pan.
Bake the cheesecake for 80-85 minutes. After baking, turn off the oven and open the oven door halfway. Allow it to rest in the cooling oven for approximately 15 minutes.
After removing the foil wrap, let the cheesecake rest for 10 minutes on the counter. Then, run a knife between the cheesecake and the springform pan.
Cool the cheesecake at room temperature for an hour before covering with plastic wrap and moving to the refrigerator, where it will cool for 6 hours.
For Chocolate Ganache: Bring the heavy cream to a simmer. Then, pour 1/4 cup of the hot cream over the chopped milk chocolate.
Stir the mixture together until it’s smooth.
Pour the ganache evenly over the cheesecake.
Chocolate Whipped Cream
Remember – allow the chocolate ganache to fully cool before topping with whipped cream.
Prepare the metal bowl and whisk by chilling them in the freezer for 10-15 minutes.
Add all of the ingredients to the cold bowl. Whisk until stiff peaks appear.
Transfer the whipped cream to a piping bag with a tip of your choice.
Decorate the chocolate cheesecake with the whipped cream.
Top the cheesecake with shaved chocolate, if desired! I love how elegant the shaved chocolate and whipped cream make the cheesecake look.
Whipped Cream Tips
- Make sure the equipment like the mixing bowl and whisk attachment to the mixer are cold.
- Additionally, make sure the heavy whipping cream is also cold!
- Start by whisking the ingredients on low speed, then gradually increasing the speed every couple seconds.
- Don’t over beat it, either! Just beat the ingredients until stiff peaks form.
- Whipped cream is ready pretty fast so don’t walk away.
How to Store Chocolate Cheesecake
In the refrigerator, homemade cheesecake will stay good for up to 5 days. To maximize the freshness of the cheesecake, be sure to keep it air-tight! Otherwise, the cheesecake will dry out.
To freeze the cheesecake, do so without the whipped cream and ganache toppings. The whipped cream will not hold up well in the freezer. However, cheesecakes are well known for freezing wonderfully! It’ll stay fresh in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Freezing instructions:
Freeze cheesecake whole of cut it into slices first. You can also leave it on the bottom metal part of the springform or carefully transfer it onto a round cake cardboard cutout. Before freezing, wrap the cheesecake well in plastic wrap along with what it’s sitting on and then, in a layer of aluminum foil.
When you’re ready to enjoy the chocolate cheesecake, simply let it thaw at room temperature for a few hours or over a day or so in the refrigerator.
Treat Yourself to More of the Best Cheesecake Recipes!
Lemon Cheesecake – Each layer packs a lemon flavored punch and it goes so nice with the smooth and luscious cheesecake filling.
Strawberry Cheesecake – a silky smooth cheesecake has a layer of easy homemade strawberry spread on the bottom and then a swirl of it through the top
Coconut Cheesecake – This amazing, smooth and silky cheesecake is packed with coconut flavors in each and every layer.
New York Cheesecake – this classic cheesecake has a smooth, silky, thick, and creamy texture with a sweet cookie crumble crust
Chocolate Cheesecake
Ingredients
Oreo Cookie Crust:
- 26-28 Oreo cookies
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter melted
Chocolate Cheesecake Filling:
- 32 oz cream cheese softened
- 1 cup white granulated sugar
- 3 eggs room temperature
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 8 oz semi-sweet baking chocolate
Chocolate Ganache:
- 4 oz milk baking chocolate bar or semi-sweet if preferred
- 3-4 tbsp heavy whipping cream hot
Chocolate Whipped Cream:
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream cold
- 3 tbsp powdered sugar
- 3 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Before making the cheesecake, prepare the pan by wrapping outside of the pan in aluminum foil. Many springform pans, especially ones that have been used quite a bit, have a chance of leaking some water inside. Wrapping outside of the springform in foil will help keep water out.
- Although, there is a chance that a small amount of water will leak in, this will NOT ruin the cheesecake.
Oreo Cookie Crust:
- Pulse Oreo cookies for crust in a blender until it's just crumbs. Mix Oreo cookie crumbs and melted butter in a mixing bowl until thoroughly incorporated.
- Spray inside of the springform pan with some cooking spray, making sure you get the sides too.
- Spread crumb mixture in the bottom of the springform pan, evenly, pressing it over the bottom and a little up the sides. Set it aside while preparing the cheesecake filling.
Cheesecake Filling:
- Chop the baking chocolate bar into small pieces and melt it either in a double boiler or in a bottom heavy sauce pot over medium-low heat. Make sure to stir slowly and constantly as the chocolate melts so it doesn't get singed. As soon as the chocolate is mostly melted, take it off heat and keep stirring until it's fully melted. Set aside to cool a little.
- In a bowl of an electric mixer, beat cream cheese for a couple of minutes on medium-high speed, until smooth and fluffy.
- Pour in sugar while beating and add eggs, one at a time. Beat it until smooth. Stop to scrape bottom and sides of the bowl.
- Add heavy whipping cream and vanilla extract. Beat, still on medium-high speed, until all mixed very well and stop and scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- Turn the mixer back on low speed and mix in cornstarch, then bring the speed to medium and slowly drizzle in the melted chocolate.
- Once chocolate is mostly mixed in, stop and scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and then mix in the chocolate until fully incorporated.
- Transfer batter into the springform and spread in evenly over the crust.
Baking Chocolate Cheesecake:
- Preheat oven to 325°.
- Place a large roasting pan into the oven and place cheesecake springform inside the roasting pan. Carefully pour hot water to the roasting pan, about half way up the side of the springform.
- Bake for 80-85 minutes. (The cheesecake will be mostly set but have a slight jiggle in a center.) Turn off the oven and open the oven door half way. Let cheesecake rest for 10-15 minutes and then take it out of the oven. Take the foil wrap off the pan.
- Let it rest for 10 minutes on the counter and then gently run a butter knife between sides of the cheesecakes and the springform to carefully separate it. (You don’t actually have to take the cheesecake out of the pan until ready to serve.)
Chocolate Ganache:
- When ready to decorate the cheesecake, start making ganache and whipped cream.
- Chop milk baking chocolate and place it in a small mixing bowl.
- Bring heavy cream to simmer, be careful not to let it actually boil or it will raise. (You can do that in a microwave over a few seconds or on the store in a small sauce pot.)
- Pour 1/4 cup of boiling cream over the chopped milk chocolate and stir with a whisk until melted and smooth.
- Pour ganache on top of the cheesecake, in the center, and let it spread and drip off a little off the sides. If you need to, use a flat spatula to help spread the ganache.
Chocolate Whipped Cream
- Do NOT add whipped cream to warm cheesecake of still warm ganache, make sure to cool the cheesecake and ganache completely before topping with whipped cream.
- Place the metal mixer bowl and the whisk attachment into the freezer for 10-15 minutes. (If using glass mixer bowl, place it in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes.)Don't take the heavy whipping cream out of the refrigerator until actually ready to pour it into the bowl.
- Add the cold heavy whipping cream into the cold mixing bowl and add powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and vanilla extract. Starting at low speed, start whipping everything and gradually raise to speed to high every couple of seconds. Beat until stiff peaks appear (don't walk away far).
- Transfer the whipped cream into a piping bag and keep in the refrigerator until ready to decorate the cheesecake.
- Decorate with whipped cream when the ganache is cooled.
- Optional: You can also shave a regular chocolate bar and sprinkle the shavings on top.
Nutrition
Kristen says
Omg! Best cheesecake EVER! My family thanks you for this recipe!