At our gatherings you just say cheesecake, and everyone comes running! Cheesecake is perfect for any occasion! If you are like my family, chocolate cheesecake is an even better option, and can be enjoyed at any time and any place. This chocolate cheesecake recipe is one I recently made for my family and was surprised that they all loved it so much. Some of them said that this was literally the best cheesecake they have ever tasted and they’ve had a lot of cheesecake.
The best part about making this cheesecake is that it simple to make, yet very elegant. It also satisfies your sweet tooth, but because it uses dark chocolate, the sweetness is not overpowering. This recipe also uses a mixture of melted dark chocolate and cocoa powder, which allows you to have the best of both worlds encompassing both sweet and rich, but not overpoweringly so.
Typically, when you go to a restaurant, one slice of cheesecake is going to be quite expensive for you buy and enjoy there. If you shop at the right stores, you can make a whole nine-inch cheesecake for about the price of one slice of cheesecake when you go out to eat. I’ll let you in on a little secret too…this cheesecake is soooo much better!
How To Make Luxurious Cheesecake At A Low Cost
Let me tell you how I was able to make this cheesecake inexpensively. The primary ingredients for cheesecake are cream cheese, heavy whipping cream, and sour cream. This recipe also includes dark chocolate chips. At an average grocery store these items can cost a fair amount. Still less than if you buy a slice at a restaurant, but more than you might prefer to spend. I have found that if I shop at Aldi for my ingredients, I can make a nine-inch cheesecake for about half the price, compared to ingredients at other stores. The prices in your Aldi stores will depend on your location, some might be higher than others, but they are still lower than other grocery stores.
To make this cheesecake, you will need the following ingredients. Now that you know a few of the tricks to finding ingredients at a low price, it’s time to go shopping!
Your Shopping List:
1 pound chocolate Oreos
½ stick butter
Three, 8-ounce boxes cream cheese
Sugar
Cocoa powder
Sour cream
Vanilla
21 ounces dark chocolate chips
Eggs
1 pint whipping cream
Chocolate bar (optional)
Don’t Be Afraid To Make Your Own
You might say, but I’m not a great baker, I don’t know if I can do this. I have faith that you can! If you walk through these step-by-step instructions below with me, I have no doubt that you too can make a delicious homemade cheesecake. Before you know it, you will just say cheesecake, and everyone will come running!
Instructions
Let’s dive into this chocolatey goodness! I am going to outline some instructions ]]]]for you to help you get the very best cheesecake from this recipe.
Crust
Preheat oven to 325°F. Now, let’s start with the crust. To make the crust you will need a 1 pound package of chocolate Oreos, or the store brand cookie. If you have a food processor, I recommend using that to finely crush the Oreos. If you do not have access to a food processor, you can get the same outcome by placing the cookies into a thick Ziploc bag. Make sure the bag is sealed tightly, and then using a rolling pin, roll it over the bag with the cookies until the cookies are crushed very fine. Place 4 Tbsp of butter into a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds at a time, until butter is completely melted. Add butter to crushed Oreos and mix until combined.
Next, use a nine-inch spring form pan and spray it thoroughly with cooking spray. Make sure that you spray that bottom as well as the sides. Also, double check to be sure the lock and pan have been secured in place so that nothing leaks through the bottom.
Pour crushed Oreos and butter mixture into the bottom of the pan. Use a sheet of wax paper or parchment paper and press the cookie crumbs to the bottom and side of the pan. Place the pan in the oven and bake the crust for 10 minutes. Once 10 minutes have passed, remove the pan from the oven and set aside to allow it to cool.
Filling
Now it is time to move on to the cheesecake filling. Start by preheating the oven to 300°F. If you are using a stand mixer, you will want to use your whisk for this part. In a large mixing bowl add a total of 24 ounces cream cheese. This is three 8-ounce packages of cream cheese. Once you have the cream cheese, mix it for a few moments until it is fluffy. Add 1 cup sugar and 6 Tbsp cocoa powder, whisk on high until combined. Add 1 cup sour cream and 1 tsp vanilla then mix well.
While the filling is mixing, place 1 1/3 cup dark chocolate into a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds at a time until mixture is melted. Be sure to remove from microwave in between and stir. This process should take between 1 minute and 1 minute 30 seconds. Let the melted chocolate cool slightly before adding it to cream cheese mixture.
Once the melted chocolate has cooled a little, slowly pour in the melted chocolate while whisking cream cheese mixture. Whisk until it is well combined.
The last part of the filling portion is to crack 4 eggs and add them to the cream cheese mixture one at a time. For this part, turn the mixer to low and gently add eggs. Allow each egg to be mixed completely before adding the next egg. You may also need to scrape the sides of the bowl to be sure the entire mixture is combined.
Baking
To bake the chocolate cheesecake, your oven should be preheated to 300°F. Pour cream cheese mixture from the mixing bowl, onto the cooled crust. Smooth the top after you are finished pouring.
Use two sheets of aluminum foil and fold together to make one large square. Set your filled spring form pan on top of the foil and fold it up the pan. If the foil goes above the cheesecake, fold it down, so that it is equal to the top of the pan. Do not cover the top of your cheesecake. Place your pan wrapped in foil into a larger pan. Pour warm water into the outer pan so that it goes about halfway up your spring form pan. The water should go into your outer pan, not the foil.
The foil is acting as an extra protection to your spring form pan, so that water does not get into the cheesecake crust. Placing your cheesecake inside another pan filled with water is called a water bath. This will help your cheesecake cook more evenly and prevent it from getting burnt on the outside. It will also help prevent it from cracking.
Place the pans in the oven and bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes. When the time has passed, the center of the cheesecake will still be slightly jiggly. Turn the oven off but leave the cheesecake in the oven with the door closed, for an additional 30 minutes. By doing this, your cheesecake will continue to cook, but will also begin to cool down.
After 30 minutes have passed, remove the cheesecake from the oven and allow it to sit at room temperature for another 30 minutes. Once your cheesecake has sat at room temperature for 30 minutes, place it directly into the fridge. Allow it to sit for at least 5 hours or overnight. This will allow your cheesecake to finish setting up and become firm.
Glaze
While your cheesecake is cooling, you can move on to preparing the glaze. The ganache glaze can be added to your cheesecake while it is in the fridge cooling off. To make your ganache glaze use 2/3 cups dark chocolate and place in a bowl. Add 6 Tbsp heavy whipping cream to a microwave safe bowl. Microwave the heavy whipping cream until it just starts to boil, but do not let it boil. Pour the whipping cream over chocolate chips and allow to sit for 3 minutes. After three minutes, mix the whipping cream and dark chocolate. The warm whipping cream will have melted the chocolate chips, and they should now be able to combine easily.
Pour the warm chocolate ganache glaze over top of the cheesecake. Smooth with a rubber spatula so that the entire top of the cheesecake is evenly covered. Place cheesecake back in the fridge.
Swirls
To make the ganache for the swirls is a similar process as the glaze, only the proportions are different. To make the chocolate ganache for the glaze, pour 1 ½ cups dark chocolate into a medium sized bowl. In a microwave safe bowl, add ¾ cup heavy whipping cream. Microwave whipping cream until it just begins to boil, but do not allow it to boil. Pour warm whipping cream over chocolate chips and let sit for 3 minutes. After three minutes have passed, stir together whipping cream and chocolate chips until they are combined. Allow to sit for 10-15 minutes until mixture cools and starts to thicken.
You can place it in the fridge to cool if desired. However, when you pull it out again, it may need to be whipped with a rubber spatula to make the chocolate moldable again. If the chocolate is too solid after being stored in the fridge, you can also try microwaving it for 15-30 seconds.
After the ganache has cooled, place the thick but moldable chocolate into a piping bag. If you do not have a piping bag you can also use a storage bag and cut the corner out of it. Using a piping bag, create the swirls on the cheesecake.
If desired garnish with chocolate bar, or chocolate shavings. Other chocolate may be used for a garnish if preferred. Let your creativity flow!
Storage
After the cheesecake has been prepared and topped with the ganache glaze and swirls, it should be stored in the fridge for at least 5 hours or overnight before serving. Allow the cheesecake to remain in the fridge until you plan to serve it. The cheesecake will be solid but not hard when stored in the fridge.
Any leftover cheesecake can be stored in the fridge for three to seven days after created. Cheesecake can also be frozen in slices if you want to save it for a later date. Your cheesecake should not sit at room temperature any longer than two hours before it is stored in the refrigerator again. To learn more about the best ways to keep cheesecake fresh, visit 9 Insights For Does Cheesecake Need To Be Refrigerated, to find out everything you need to know.
Looking for dinner ideas? Try this delicious Chick-fil-A Grilled Chicken Club Sandwich Copycat Recipe! It it mouth watering and delicious! Also be sure to check out this delicious recipe for the Ultimate Strawberry Crunch Cheesecake Cones! It is perfect for a summer afternoon snack!
Just Say Cheesecake! The Ultimate Chocolate Cheesecake
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 lb package chocolate Oreos crushed
- 4 Tbsp butter melted
Cheesecake Filling
- 24 oz cream cheese softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup sour cream
- 6 Tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 4 eggs
- 1 ⅓ cup dark chocolate chips melted
Ganache Glaze
- 6 Tbsp whipping cream
- ⅔ cup dark chocolate chips melted
Ganache Swirls
- ¾ cup whipping cream
- 1 ½ cup dark chocolate chips melted
Instructions
Crust
- Preheat oven to 325°F
- Using a food processor, pulse Oreos until finely crushed. Melt butter and pulse again until combine.
- Grease spring form pan and place cookie crumbs into the pan. Press to the sides and bottom.
- Bake for 10 minutes. Then remove and allow to cool.
Cheesecake Filling
- Preheat the oven to 300°F
- Whisk cream cheese until it begins to get fluffy. Add in sugar, sour cream, cocoa powder and vanilla. Whisk until combine. Add in eggs one at a time, allowing each one to be mixed in as you go. Add melted chocolate and whisk until everything is mixed together.
- Pour filling into the crust. Wrap the bottom of your pan in foil, but allow the top to be uncovered. Place in a larger pan and add water so that one half of your spring form pan is covered in water. Place cheesecake in the water bath into the oven. Bake for 1 hour 10 minutes.
- After time has passed. Turn the oven off and leave cheesecake in the oven with the door closed for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes has passed, remove from the oven and allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes more. Place in fridge for at least 5 hours to set, or overnight. Leave in the fridge until you are ready to serve.
Ganache Glaze
- While cheesecake is cooling in the fridge, prepare your ganache glaze. Place whipping cream into a microwave safe bowl. Microwave until it just begins to boil. Add in chocolate chips and allow to sit for 3 minutes.
- After 3 minutes have passed, stir to combine melted chocolate chips and whipping cream. Once they are entirely mixed, pour mixture over the top of the cheesecake. Place cheesecake back into the fridge.
Ganache Swirls
- This process is the same as the glaze. Heat whipping cream in a microwave safe bowl until cream just begins to boil. Combine with chocolate chips and allow to rest for 3 minutes.
- After time has passed, stir to combine. Once completely combined, allow to sit at room temperature until ganache is cool. Once cool, it should be thick and a bit stiff, but still pliable. Place into a piping bag. Pipe swirls on top of cheesecake and then place back in the refrigerator.
- Keep cheesecake in the fridge until you are ready to serve. Serve and enjoy!
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