Chocolate Cheesecake

I’ve been craving chocolate cheesecake lately. Unfortunately, none of my favourite cafes make it. In fact, chocolate cheesecake doesn’t appear to be very popular around here. I can’t, for the life of me, understand why. Since I can’t order it, I decided to make my own. I tried out the following recipe from King Arthur Flour and it worked out really well, so I’m gonna save it here for future reference.

Chocolate Cheesecake Recipe

It’s an ugly photo because I forgot to take some nice ones. Goes to show that it was so enjoyable, I gobbled it all before I thought to take a photo. I only have one half-eaten photo that I sent to my SIL. It was my first slice, eaten after it cooled out of the oven. I couldn’t wait for it to chill in the fridge so it was quite a mess. I won’t bother sharing it here because it really doesn’t do the cake justice.

The crack in the cheesecake is most likely due to the oven temperature being too hot. I used a fan-forced oven at 180 degrees Celsius which was probably a tad on the high side. I will try lowering the temperature next time.

Ingredients:

Crust

• 24 (269g) vanilla-filled chocolate sandwich cookies (e.g., Oreos)
• 1/4 cup (28g) confectioners’ sugar
• 4 tablespoons (57g) melted butter

Filling

• 1/2 cup (113g) milk
• 2 cups (340g) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips
• 1 teaspoon espresso powder, optional; for enhanced flavor (I didn’t have any so I didn’t use this – still pretty good IMHO)
• 680g cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 cup (198g) granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons (14g) all-purpose flour

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C. Lightly grease a 9″ springform pan.
2. To make the crust: Crush, grind, or otherwise pulverize the cookies together with the sugar; a food processor works well here. If desired, set aside about a tablespoon of the crumbs to garnish the finished cake.
3. Add the melted butter, processing briefly or stirring until the mixture is evenly crumbly. Press the moist crumbs into the bottom and partway up the sides of the prepared pan. Place the pan on a baking sheet, to catch any potential drips of butter.
4. Bake the crust for 15 minutes. Remove it from the oven, and set it aside as you make the filling.
5. Reduce the oven heat to 175°C.
6. To make the filling: Combine the milk and chocolate chips in a small saucepan or microwave-safe bowl or large cup. Heat, stirring frequently, until the chips melt and the mixture is smooth. Remove from the heat, stir in the espresso powder, and set the mixture aside.
7. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese and sugar at low speed, until thoroughly combined. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl, and beat briefly, just until smooth.
8. Add the eggs one at a time, beating to combine after each one.
9. Stir in the vanilla, then the flour.
10. Add the chocolate/milk mixture, beating slowly until thoroughly combined. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl; beat briefly, just until smooth.
11. Pour the batter atop the crust in the pan. Place the pan on a baking sheet; this will make it easier to get the cake in and out of the oven safely.
12. Bake the cake (remember, the oven temperature should be 350°F) for 45 to 50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the cake 1″ from the outside edge comes out clean. A digital thermometer, inserted at the same point, should read 175°F. The center may not look set; that’s OK.
13. Turn off the oven, crack the door open several inches, and allow the cake to cool in the oven for 1 hour. Remove the cake from the oven, and set it on a rack to finish cooling. When it’s completely cool, cover the cake, and refrigerate it until ready to serve.
14. Garnish the cake with the reserved crumbs, if desired. Serve it in small slices, with whipped cream and berries.