Hey everyone! I’ve been stuck inside for a while now with our car in the shop and the polar vortex hammering us with a foot of snow and sub-zero temperatures. That means I have plenty of time to experiment with recipes when I’m not bundled up in blankets enjoying a nice cup of hot cocoa.
I’ve also been wanting to experiment with making a cheesecake for a while. I opted for a relatively easy recipe to try and tweak, and ended up with this delicious concoction. As far as cheesecakes go, it’s delicious, with an almost mousse-like thick chocolate filling with just a hint of cream cheese tang, and the Oreo (or generic sandwich cookie) crust is perfect to hold it together.
You don’t need to top this cheesecake with ganache like I did, but I definitely recommend it. A thin layer of bittersweet chocolate across the top helps with some of the overall sweetness, without getting in the way or overpowering the rest of the cake. A simple ganache you can make for it can be found here.
It’s not even terribly difficult to make, but it does go a lot smoother if you have a few of the good kitchen power tools, like a food processor and a stand mixer. Here’s how to make it for yourself!
Double Chocolate Oreo Cheesecake
Equipment
- Springform Cake Pan
- Stand Mixer
- Food Processor
- Rubber Spatulas
- Double Boiler Optional
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 25 Sandwich Cookies I used dark chocolate Oreos
- 5 Tbsp Melted Butter
For the Cheesecake Filling
- 24 Oz. Cream Cheese Warmed to room temperature
- 4 Large Eggs Warmed to room temperature
- 8 Oz. Chocolate Chips
- 1 Cup Sugar
- ¼ Cup Heavy Cream
- ¼ Cup Cocoa Powder
For the Ganache Topping
- 1 Cup Chocolate Chips
- ½ Cup Heavy Cream
Instructions
Make the Crust
- Preheat your oven to 325℉.
- Put the sandwich cookies in your food processor and pulse until they're broken up into smaller pieces. Gradually add the melted butter every few pulses and keep going until you have something crumbly like coarse sand.
- Transfer this mixture to your springform pan. Using a rubber spatula or something with a flat bottom, push it down and spread it out into an even layer over the sides and bottom of the pan, to form your crust layer.
- Bake this crust for about ten minutes. Set it aside to cool and prepare your filling.
Make the Cheesecake Filling
- In your stand mixer, beat the cream cheese until it smooths out. Add the sugar and cocoa powder and keep beating on low speed until it's well combined.
- Add the eggs one at a time and continue beating until combined.
- Over a double boiler or in a microwave, melt the chocolate. Fold this into the rest of the mixture with your spatula by hand to avoid over-mixing.
Assemble and Bake
- Once your crust has cooled, pour the filling into it and even it out if necessary.
- Bake the cheesecake for 45-50 minutes. The top should look slightly dry around the outer edge but still a little wobbly in the middle.
- Turn off the heat and open the oven door slightly to allow heat to escape but retain it somewhat, and allow the cheesecake to cool for at least 20 minutes.
- Once that cooling step is done, remove the cheesecake from the oven and continue to cool to room temperature on a cooling rack.
- Finally, put it in the fridge for at least 4-5 hours to fully chill.
Add the Ganache (Optional)
- If you want to top your cheesecake with a thin layer of ganache like I did, it's very easy. Just melt the chocolate and mix in the heavy cream, and pour it slowly over the top of the cheesecake once it has chilled. Return it to the fridge to cool and set the ganache, then enjoy!