Chocolate Cheesecake
MAKES
one 9 inch / 23 cm cheeseake
TAKES
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 90 minutes
Total: 1 hour 50 minutes
✻ ABOUT THIS RECIPE
The only thing you can do to make cheesecake more decadent, is to add plenty of chocolate into the mix. A chocolate graham cracker crust, a deeply chocolatey batter, and topped with (you guessed it) more chocolate. Remember that chocolate firms up as it cools, so it’s important to add it to the batter fairly soon after melting so that it incorporates smoothly.
INGREDIENTS
Graham Cracker Crust
210 g / 1 ¾ cups chocolate graham cracker cookie crumbs
25 g / 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
5 g / 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
85 g / 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
pinch fine sea salt
Cheesecake
681 g / 1 ½ pounds cream cheese, at room temperature
198 g / 1 cup granulated sugar
23 / 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
11 g / 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 g / ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
226 g / 4 large eggs, at room temperature
115 g / ½ cup sour cream, at room temperature
60 g / ¼ cup heavy cream, at room temperature
7 g / 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
340 g / 12 ounces fine chopped bittersweet or semisweet chocolate
chocolate curls (see Note) or mini chocolate chips
More Cheesecake This Way:
METHOD
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C with an oven rack in the center. Wrap the base and sides of a 9 inch / 23 cm springform pan well with aluminum foil, and transfer to a large baking pan such as a casserole dish, or large cake pan (this will serve as the water bath during the final stage of baking.)
2. Make the crust: in a medium bowl, stir the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, cocoa powder, butter, and salt to combine. Press the mixture evenly into the base of a 9 inch / 23 cm springform pan.
3. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake the crust until lightly golden, 10-12 minutes. Let the crust cool to room temperature.
4. Reduce the oven temperature to 325° / 160°C. Bring a large kettle of water to boil to use for a water bath.
5. Make the cheesecake: in a food processor, process the cream cheese for 1 minute. Scrape the bowl well. In a small bowl, whisk the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, and salt to combine. Add this mixture to the mixer, and process until evenly incorporated. Scrape the base and sides of the bowl well.
6. Add the eggs one at a time, processing each until it’s fully incorporated, and scraping the bowl well before adding the next.
7. Add the sour cream and pulse to combine. Scrape the bowl well, then add the cream and vanilla and pulse to combine. Scrape the bowl well, and pulse one more time to ensure it’s smooth.
8. Melt the chocolate over a double boiler or carefully in the microwave in 15 second bursts. Stir until it’s fully melted. With the food processor running, add the melted chocolate in a slow, steady stream. Scrape the food processor bowl well to ensure it’s evenly incorporated.
9. Pour the custard into the cooled crust. Sprinkle chocolate curls or mini chocolate chips generously over the surface of the batter. Gently transfer the dish containing the springform pan to the oven and fill the dish with boiling water, ideally so it comes about halfway up the sides of the springform pan.
10. Bake the cake for 20 minutes, gently rotate the pan, and bake for 20 minutes more.
11. Reduce the oven temperature to 275°F / 135°C and bake for 10 to 15 minutes more, until the cake jiggles slightly in the center when you gently shake the pan.
12. Turn the oven off and open the oven door to vent out the heat. Leave the cheesecake inside for 10 minutes, then let cool at room temperature for 1 hour. Unwrap the foil from around the pan.
13. Chill the cake for at least 8 hours before serving. To unmold, using a small offset spatula, run it around the outside of the cheesecake to loosen, then gently remove the outer ring. Using a large spatula, gently loosen the base of the cheesecake and transfer to a platter.
14. Keep the cheesecake chilled until ready to serve. To serve, spoon the cherry topping on top of the whole cheesecake.
NOTE:
You can purchase chocolate curls, or make them yourself! One of the easiest ways to make chocolate curls is using a vegetable peeler on the edge of a chocolate bar. Use a tempered chocolate bar (you can use any variety of chocolate). I usually hold it in my hands for a minute or two before unwrapping it to soften it slightly, but it should still be firm and set. The longer and uninterrupted the peeling stroke is, the longer and curlier the chocolate will be. Chocolate curls can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature, or in the refrigerator if your kitchen/workspace is warm.
✻ HAVE YOU BAKED IT?
Tag @emcdowell on Instagram or use #happybaking. I’d love to see your bakes!
