The Best Chocolate Cheesecake Recipe

Steps

1. 1Chocolate Crust:
2. 2Pre-heat the oven to 350F (conventional, no fan), and prepare a 9" springform pan by brushing a light coating of butter on the bottom and side, and lining with parchment paper. Cover the outside bottom and edges of the pan on the outside with 2 large sheets of aluminum foil tightly
3. 3For the crust, grind the Oreo cookies in a food processor until they make a fine crumb. Add the melted butter and grind again. Transfer to the pan and press down firmly to form a tight crust. I use a measuring cup for this step, and press quite firmly as that helps make sure the crust isn't soft or crumbly
4. 4Bake the crust for ~8 minutes. Remove from the oven, and turn down the temperature to 325F
5. 5Chocolate Cheesecake:
6. 6Add the chocolate and instant coffee to a heat-proof bowl. Bring the cream to a boil and pour it over the chocolate. Cover and rest for 5 minutes, then stir until you have a smooth ganache. Set it aside to cool down
7. 7Add the cream cheese, sugar and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer fit with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed for ~3 minutes until the mixture is creamy and fluffy. Make sure to scrape the edges and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula a few times through this process, as that will help ensure there aren't any lumps left behind
8. 8Break the eggs in a separate bowl and lightly whisk to break the yolks. Pour into the batter along with the vanilla, and mix on low speed just until the eggs are combined into the batter. Avoid overmixing at this stage
9. 9Sift in the cocoa powder and mix slowly until just combined, scraping the bowl again
10. 10Add the ganache and whip until just combined. Scrape again
11. 11Transfer the batter to the pan with the crust. Gently tap the pan several times on your counter to get rid of any air bubbles
12. 12Place a large baking sheet in the pre-heated oven, and fill it with 1-2" of boiling water. Place the cheesecake pan inside this pan. The aluminum foil will prevent the water from leaking into the pan. Close the oven door
13. 13Bake for 60-70 minutes at 325F (I do 65 minutes). The cheesecake is done when the edges are firm but the center is jiggly (see video)
14. 14Remove the cheesecake pan from the oven carefully, and let cool at room temperature for ~2 hours. After that, transfer to the fridge to cool completely overnight (at least 12 hours)
15. 15Chocolate Ganache:
16. 16The next day, prepare chocolate ganache for the top of the cheesecake by bringing the cream to a boil and pouring over the chocolate. Rest for 5 minutes, then mix until you have a silky ganache
17. 17Chocolate Whipped Cream:
18. 18Prepare the chocolate whipped cream by adding all the ingredients into a bowl and whisking with an electric beater (or stand mixer with balloon whisk attachment) until the cream reaches stiff peaks. Avoid overmixing as it will cause the cream to split. Transfer the cream to a piping bag fit with a star tip of choice
19. 19Decoration / Assembly:
20. 20Gently remove the cheesecake from the pan and carefully transfer it to a serving stand. Pour over the ganache once it has slightly thickened but is still runny. Spread it carefully and let some drip off the edges
21. 21Pipe rosettes around the edge with the chocolate whipped cream
22. 22Serve and enjoy!
23. 23Video Tutorial: