October 15, 2015

Kahlua Chocolate Cheesecake

Name: Kahlua Chocolate Cheesecake
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 1 h 1 min
Total time: 1 h 31 min
Ingredients: For the Oreo Crust:; 24 Oreo cookies; 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted; For the Kahlua Chocolate Cheesecake Filling:; (3) 8 oz packages of cream cheese, VERY soft; 1 cup sour cream; 3 large eggs + 2 egg yolks; 1 and 1/2 cups granulated sugar; 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon; 3 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder; 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract; 1/4 cup Kahlua; 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, melted and slightly cooled; For the Chocolate Ganache:; 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped; 1/2 cup heavy cream; For the Whipped Cream:; 1 cup heavy cream; 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar; 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

This Oreo Crusted Kahlua Chocolate Cheesecake is topped with Chocolate Ganache and chocolate curls! You’re going to love this crowd-pleasing Kahlua Cheesecake!

Kahlua Cheesecake

After discovering a surplus of cream cheese hiding in the back of our fridge, baking a cheesecake was a no-brainer. There are tons of cheesecake recipes already in the archives, but surprisingly, no chocolate cheesecake! I know… whaaat? I love chocolate and cheesecake, so obviously this needed to change asap.

This gorgeous kahlua cream cheesecake is made up of 4 parts:

the chocolate Oreo crust
the creamy chocolate cheesecake filling
the decadent chocolate ganache
and the whipped cream.

Since making a cheesecake with multiple steps can feel overwhelming at first glance, we’re going to walk through each phase of the baking process hand in hand. A lot of people are intimidated by making cheesecake at home, but once you nail down a solid recipe and technique, you can make endless adaptations to cure even your wildest cravings. Many moons ago, after some long nights and many tears (← dramatic) I cracked the code and perfected my “better than the bakery” base cheesecake recipe. Follow my lead and you’ll be baking cheesecakes like a pro in no time!

Also. Melted semi-sweet chocolate + dash of cocoa powder + a glug of kahlua = chocolate h-e-a-v-e-n.

Kahlua Cheesecake Recipe

Making an Oreo crust is seriously simple. Ingredient wise you’ll need Oreo cookies and melted butter – that’s it! You will need to pulse the Oreo cookies into fine crumbs, or – if you want to make things even easier (!!!) – you can buy already crushed Oreo crumbs at the store. I typically find them in the baking aisle, somewhere near the pie fillings/ ready-to-bake crusts. To assemble the crust you’ll combine the Oreo crumbs and melted butter and stir until it’s well combined. You want all of the crumbs to be moist from the butter. At this point you’re going to dump the crumb mixture into a lightly greased 9″ springform pan and press it down firmly, working from the center and slightly up the edges.

BTW: This recipe calls for a water bath. If you’re unfamiliar with the water bath process, read on!

A water bath is simply the term bakers use when they place a baking pan (in this case, our cheesecake pan) into a larger pan that’s been filled partially with hot water. Taking this extra step helps insulate the pan from direct heat on all sides while it bakes. The water bath method helps your cheesecake bake gently, ensuring the finished product doesn’t burn, curdle, or crack. It also helps the cheesecake maintain its silky smooth texture. When it comes to choosing a pan for your water bath, choose one that is as tall as the cheesecake pan and large enough to leave a few inches between the cheesecake pan and the outer rim – you want enough room for the water to circulate easily. When you’re ready to make your water bath, here’s what you do: Adjust an oven rack to the middle position. Preheat oven to called for temperature. When the oven is preheated, carefully (using an oven mitt) pull out the middle rack and place your large pan on it, fill the pan halfway with hot water, then place the filled cheesecake pan in the center of the water bath. Slowly slide the rack back to its full inserted position, close the door, and bake the cheesecake according to instructions. If you’re using a springform pan it’s essential to wrap the pan in heavy-duty tin foil to avoid water seeping in. I wrap my pan from every angle pressing the foil in and around to prevent a soggy crust.

P.S. You’re going to leave the cheesecake pan in the water bath, even after you turn off the oven. You’ll take the cheesecake out of the water bath once it has been removed from the oven.

OK. Time to talk about the filling. You’re going to need cream cheese, sour cream, eggs, egg yolks, sugar, cocoa powder, semi-sweet chocolate, and kahlua. Few things! The cream cheese MUST be verrrrry soft before you begin assembling this recipe. I typically leave my blocks of cream cheese out on the counter for at least two hours before I plan on baking. As for the chocolate, it will need to be melted and slightly cooled, about 15 minutes or so should do the job.

About the booze: Adding a little liqueur to the cheesecake batter is an easy way to elevate a simple flavor profile into something really special. If you don’t have kahlua on hand, I think a similar coffee liqueur would work fine. If you don’t consume alcohol, you can just omit it from the recipe without any substitutions. Options for you!

Chocolate ganache is easy as can be! Bring cream to boil, pour it over some chocolate chips, and stir smooth. Look at that shine ↓

The whipped cream is a simple and straightforward method that calls for heavy cream, confectioners’ sugar, and a dash of vanilla. You’re also going to need either a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment or a handheld electric mixer. You’ll beat heavy cream and sugar until stiff, then add in the vanilla and beat a few more seconds.

Devilishly decadent, this cheesecake is a must make for chocolate lovers!

More Kahlua Recipes: