My kids recently discovered what cheesecake is and when I told them we can make it but with chocolate, they fell off their chairs.
There are dozens of other flavours you can do but it’s hard to beat the classics plain and chocolate.
Again, I’m using my combination of cream cheese and mascarpone for its velvety texture and absence of “tanginess”, that’s a personal preference feel free to use 100% cream cheese.
Note the technique I am using is not the common one you will find in other recipes online but in my experience, it gives the best results and provides the best blend.
You need
Chocolate cracker crust
- ~160g chocolate wafers ( you can buy those or use the oreo cookies without the cream)
- 3tbps sugar
- 60g melted butter ( cooled)
Cheesecake
- 300g cream cheese ( softened)
- 450g Mascarpone
- 150g dark chocolate
- 150g sugar
- pinch salt
- 85g heavy cream ( 35%)
- 8g vanilla extract
- 4 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 3tbsp cacao powder
Chocolate ganache
- 88g dark chocolate chopped or couverture ( best)
- 118g heavy cream ( 35%)
Instructions
Oreo cracker crust
- First, crumble your chocolate wafers ( using a food processor work well) as you want them finely crushed. Add the sugar and give it a few more pulses. Combine with butter and mix using your hand.
- Grease a springform pan with oil or butter and toss the mix in. Using either your hand or glass, flatten it to the bottom of the pan. Bake for 8 minutes at 350F then take it off and let it cool off.
Cheesecake
- Pre-heat oven at 325F
- Put the eggs+yolk in a mixing bowl and beat them, reserve. Melt ( ~115F) the chocolate over a double boiler and set aside so it begins cooling. Scald the cream ( this is before it boils, if you tilt the pot you will see bubbles at the bottom of it) and combine it with the chocolate. Once combined, slowly pour the chocolate mix into the eggs while stirring. Reserve
- In a stand mixer bowl with the paddle attachment, combine the sugar, cream cheese/mascarpone and salt until all smooth. Add the chocolate mixture and mix until all blended in, midway stop the stand mixer and use a spatula to scrape the side ( this ensures you won’t get unmixed spots). Add the cacao powder and manually stir it in, just a couple of stir with a spatula work. If you turn the stand mixer on without doing this you will end up with cacao powder everywhere. When it’s homogenous, pour the mixture into the cooled chocolate crust, spread with a spatula so it’s even. Now here is the tricky part, we need to bake this in a water bath. To prevent water from getting into the cake, wrap an aluminum sheet around the bottom.
- Put into an oven-safe recipient and pour hot water in the recipient, not IN the cheesecake, put water until about 1″ is covered in water. Cook for 65-70 minutes, the middle should be set but bouncing around a little ( think jello).
- Open the oven door but don’t touch the cheesecake, just let it start cooling slowly, about 15 minutes or so. Remove it from the water pan and leave it on a cooling rack until it’s cooled to the touch; about another 30 minutes.
- Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for a good night of sleep.
- The following day, remove the plastic wrap and carefully unmold the springform pan. Cover with the ganache and indulge yourself!
But you didn’t tell us how to do the ganache !!
To make the ganache, heat the cream to a near boil and pour over the chocolate. Wait 30 seconds and stir with a spatula until all combined. Let it cool for 10 minutes and cover your cake