Baked Chocolate Cheesecake

A beautiful baked Chocolate Cheesecake, perfect for Christmas. This simple cheesecake has an Oreo crust, a creamy chocolate filling and is topped with chocolate ganache, whipped cream and cherries.

Hello cheesecake!

And hello Christmas 💜 Today we’re taking a bite out of my easy Baked Chocolate Cheesecake. Complete with an Oreo crust and swirls of whipped cream, it’s a truly decadent treat.

If you’re on the hunt for a make-ahead dessert to wow this Christmas, this one’s for you.

Cheesecake is one of my favourite desserts to whip up when entertaining. It always goes down a treat with guests, and you can easily make it the night before and simply decorate it right before serving.

And while I love a more traditional Lemon Cheesecake, there is something extra special about this all chocolate version. Did I mention that there is REAL chocolate melted into that cream cheese filling? Yes please!

5 decadent layers

1. Oreo cookie crust
2. Real chocolate cream cheese filling
3. Dark chocolate ganache
4. Swirls of whipped cream
5. Fresh cherries

If you’ve never made a baked cheesecake before, this one is a great place to start. It’s simple to make and my recipe doesn’t require a water bath.

Baking your cheesecake on a low temperature and letting it cool in the oven, will help prevent it from cracking. And since you’ll be covering it with chocolate ganache, you don’t have to worry too much about any imperfections.

6 tips for making baked chocolate cheesecake

1. Make sure your cream cheese is at room temperature. Leave it out of the fridge a few hours before making your cheesecake to ensure it’s properly soft. This will make sure your cheesecake mixture doesn’t have any lumps.
2. Make sure you are using a FULL FAT block of cream cheese – not the spreadable kind or a light version. You want the thick, fat version to ensure the cheesecake is creamy, delicious and holds properly.
3. Don’t over mix your cheesecake filling. It’s important not to over mix your cheesecake filling, just mix briefly until combined. Over mixing may cause your cheesecake to sink or crack when baked.
4. Bake your cheesecake on a low heat. To help prevent the cheesecake from cracking and to ensure a nice even bake, cheesecakes are best baked on a lower oven temp for a little longer. Double check your oven temperature (I recommend getting an oven thermometer for accuracy).
5. Let your cheesecake cool in the oven. The most important thing you can do is make sure you leave the cheesecake in the oven to cool slightly once baked. This will help the cheesecake cool slowly and prevent it from cracking. I recommend letting the cheesecake cool for at LEAST one hour in the oven with the door slightly ajar. Then let it cool completely at room temperature.
6. Place cheesecake in the fridge before slicing. Leave your cheesecake in the fridge for a few hours before slicing. You can even make it the night before and then simply decorate with ganache, cream and cherries when you are ready to serve.

more amazing cheesecakes to try

• White Chocolate Cheesecake
• Biscoff Cheesecake
• Cookies and Cream Cheesecake
• Classic Lemon Cheesecake

Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. Hungry for more? Join me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter for more amazing recipe ideas.

Let’s Bake

Baked Chocolate Cheesecake

Yield Serves 10 1x

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 2 reviews

Prep: 360 minutesCook: 40 minutesTotal: 6 hours 40 minutes

A beautiful Baked Chocolate Cheesecake with an Oreo crust.

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Ingredients

Oreo crust

• 250 grams (approximately 25 cookies) Oreo cookies
• 60 grams (1/4 cup) butter

Chocolate cheesecake

• 500 grams (2 and 1/2 cups) full fat cream cheese*, room temperature 
• 100 grams (1/2 cup) caster sugar or granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 120 ml (1/2 cup) full fat sour cream, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon cornflour or corn starch
• 150 grams (1 cup) good quality dark chocolate (45-70% cocoa), roughly chopped

Chocolate ganache

• 100 grams (2/3 cup) dark chocolate (45-70% cocoa), roughly chopped
• 60 ml (1/4 cup) thickened cream or heavy cream

Whipped cream

• 300 ml (1 and 1/4 cup) thickened or heavy cream, suitable for whipping
• Fresh cherries, to decorate

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 170 C (340 F) standard / 150 C (300 F) fan-forced. Line the bottom of an 8-inch springform pan with baking or parchment paper.
2. Add Oreo cookies (cream and all) to a food processor and whiz until finely crushed. Place crumbs in a large mixing bowl. Melt butter in the microwave, then pour over cookie crumbs and mix well. It should resemble wet sand.
3. Place wet crumbs in your prepared pan and press down firmly using the back of a spoon to form one even layer. Pop in the fridge.
4. Add cream cheese to a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Add sugar and vanilla and beat again. Then add eggs, one at a time, beating on a low speed until incorporated.
5. In a separate bowl, add chocolate. Heat chocolate in the microwave, stirring every 20 seconds, until melted and smooth. 
6. Add melted chocolate, sour cream and cornflour to the cream cheese mixture and stir gently using a spatula just until combined – try not to over mix.
7. Pour cheesecake filling over cookie crust and smooth the top. Bake in the oven for approximately 35-40 minutes or until it no longer wobbles in the middle. Try not to over bake it as it will continue to cook as it cools. Leave the cheesecake in the oven with the door ajar (with the oven turned off) for at least one hour.
8. Remove cheesecake and leave to cool at room temperature before transferring to the fridge. The cheesecake is best left in the fridge for 3-4 hours (or overnight) until it becomes nice and firm before slicing.
9. To make the chocolate ganache, heat cream in the microwave until warm and pour it over chopped chocolate.  Stir with a fork until chocolate is melted and smooth.
10. Pour chocolate ganache over cheesecake and spread out into one even layer. Pop into the fridge for 10-15 minutes to set.
11. In a large mixing bowl, add cream. Beat using an electric mixer on medium speed until stiff peaks form. The cream will thicken and become whipped.
12. Using a piping bag fitted with a large star tip to pipe rounds of cream along the edges of your cheesecake. Decorate with fresh cherries. 

Notes

*Cream cheese: Make sure you use a full fat block of cream cheese, not a light or spreadable kind. 

Nutrition Information

Serving Size: 1 slice Calories: 516 Sugar: 27.4 g Sodium: 201.7 mg Fat: 40.8 g Carbohydrates: 32.6 g Protein: 7.6 g Cholesterol: 146.2 mg

Nutrition information is a guide only.

Author: Jessica HolmesCategory: CheesecakeCuisine: American

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