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This Ultimate Chocolate Cheesecake features a chocolate cookie crust, creamy chocolate cheesecake filling, chocolate ganache, and shaved chocolate! Made with basic ingredients you probably have in your kitchen right now. Simply put, this is the best chocolate cheesecake recipe you’ll ever try!
Chocolate Cheesecake Recipe
Best Chocolate Cheesecake
The day has arrived! I’m finally sharing the recipe for my favorite chocolate cheesecake! You know… the one I teased you with on Instastories last week!
And trust me, it was worth the wait, my friend. Because this thick and ultra creamy chocolate cheesecake is one of the best things I’ve ever baked! It’s so smooth and creamy it melts in your mouth. We made it for Christmas Eve last year and everyone wanted the recipe. And I’ve already received multiple requests to make it for our family Valentine’s Day party. I don’t mind one bit because this cheesecake is freezer friendly! Meaning I can make it up to two months in advance and then just pull if out of the freezer when needed. Does it get better than that?!
I’m confident that after one slice, you’ll be equally smitten with this decadent chocolate ganache cheesecake. So, without further ado, let’s dig in!
Tips and Tricks for Recipe Success:
- The filling for this chocolate cheesecake is so decadent because it’s made with 12 ounces of dark chocolate. You’ll melt the chocolate and slightly cool it before the batter. It only needs a few minutes to cool down.
- Because we want the BEST chocolate flavor, I do not suggest using chocolate chips. But if you can’t stand super dark chocolate, you may use semi-sweet. Almost any of Lindt’s EXCELLENCE Bars work great in this recipe.
- The batter can be made in a food processor, high powered blender, or add all of the ingredients to a bowl and beat with a hand mixer. I use my blender!
- To make the chocolate cookie crust you will need two ingredients: melted butter and chocolate wafer crumbs. You’ll combine the two ingredients in a small bowl, and then pat the mixture into the bottom of your prepared pan. You could also make an Oreo crust or a graham cracker crust!
- This recipe requires a springform pan. If you don’t already own one and need a good place to start, feel free to click here and check out the one I’ve been using for years.
- Because cold cream cheese won’t blend smoothly, it MUST be very soft before you begin assembling this recipe. I typically leave it out on the counter for at least two hours before I plan on baking.
- And you should also bring your eggs and cream to room temperature, because batters made with cold ingredients don’t come together smoothly.
- As for the chocolate, it will need to be melted and slightly cooled, 10 minutes or so should do the job.
- Finally, you’ll want to be sure you chill your cheesecake on a wire rack until it’s at room temperature, and then refrigerate for at least 6 hours in the fridge before slicing and serving. Otherwise it’ll be too soft and mushy. Yuck.
How to make a Water Bath:
A water bath is simply the term bakers use when they place a baking pan – in this case, our spring form 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 or large baking sheet 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.
IMPORTANT: If you’re using a springform pan, it’s essential to wrap the pan in MULTIPLE LAYERS of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Otherwise water will seep in and destroy your chocolate cheesecake. And that would be a SIN! So I suggest wrapping the pan from every angle and pressing the foil in, up, and around the pans edges.
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 with 1 and 1/2 inches of boiling 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 and close the door. Bake the cheesecake according to instructions.
If you’d like to avoid making a water bath at all costs, you can place the roasting pan on the rack beneath the cheesecake. This work about 70% of the time for me, but occasionally when I do this my cheesecake still gets some little cracks on top. But since you’ll be covering this cheesecake with chocolate ganache, a few cracks aren’t the end of the world.
Pro Tip: Be sure to cool the baked cheesecake in the springform pan until you’re ready to serve it! This includes the time the cheesecake chills in the refrigerator.
Can I Freeze Homemade Cheesecake?
Yes, this amazing cheesecake recipe is freezer friendly! Simply cool the cheesecake completely, then wrap the whole cheesecake, or slices of the cheesecake, in multiple layers of saran wrap, then place in a freezer bag. This cheesecake will keep, stored properly in the freezer, for two months.
How to Defrost Cheesecake:
To defrost this cheesecake, simply thaw the wrapped cheesecake in refrigerator overnight. Do not attempt to thaw cheesecake in the microwave or oven! Otherwise the cooled chocolate ganache topping will melt and make a huge mess.
This easy chocolate cheesecake recipe is so delicious it doesn’t need anything on top! But if you’re feeling extra decadent, a dollop of whipped cream on top is delicious! Or try spooning some fresh cherry or strawberry sauce over each slice. We did that for Christmas and it was a huge hit.
With its chocolate cookie base, creamy dark chocolate filling, and easy chocolate ganache topping, this cheesecake is truly a dream come true for chocolate lovers!
If you try this recipe for Chocolate Cheesecake with Chocolate Ganache, let me know what you think! Leave a comment below, and don’t forget to snap a pic and tag it #bakerbynature on instagram! Seeing your creations makes my day ♥
More Chocolate Cheesecake Recipes:
- Mini Chocolate Cheesecakes
- Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake
- Easy Chocolate Cheesecake Bars
- No-Bake Espresso Chocolate Cheesecake
- Kahlua Chocolate Cheesecake
- Chocolate Mascarpone Cheesecake
Ultimate Chocolate Cheesecake
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 1 and 1/2 cups (180g/6.3 ounces) Chocolate Wafer Crumbs
- 1/4 cup (57g/2 ounces) unsalted butter, melted
For the Ultimate Chocolate Cheesecake:
- 2 cups (340g/12 ounces) bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
- 1 and 1/2 pounds (680g/24 ounces) full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 cup (198g/7 ounces) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (53g/1 and 7/8 ounces) light brown sugar, packed
- 3 Tablespoons unsweetened natural cocoa powder
- 4 large eggs plus 2 egg yolks, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup (170g/6 ounces) heavy cream, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Chocolate Ganache:
- 1 and 1/3 cups (226g/8 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
- 1 and 1/4 cups (12 ounces) heavy cream
- 1/4 cup (57g/2 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into cubes
Instructions
For the Crust:
- Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C). Grease the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Wrap the outside of the pan in layers of heavy duty aluminum foil. You’ll be placing this pan in a water bath, so be sure the pan has been wrapped from every angle.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the chocolate wafer crumbs and melted butter. Pat the mixture firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake the crust for 10 minutes. Set the pan on a wire rack and cool the crust completely. Leave the oven on.
For the Ultimate Chocolate Cheesecake:
- Fill a medium pot one-third full with water and bring it to a low simmer over medium heat.
- Place a heatproof bowl that will fit on top of the pan snugly, but will not touch the simmering water, on top of the pan. Reduce the heat to low and add the chopped chocolate into the bowl over the pot. Heat until the chocolate is completely melted, stirring occasionally with a silicon spatula. Remove the pot from the heat, leaving the bowl of chocolate over the hot water. Set aside until needed.
- In the bowl of a food processor (or high-powered blender), pulse the cream cheese until completely smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, about 2 minutes. Add in both sugars and cocoa powder and beat smooth. Add in the eggs, egg yolks, and heavy cream and mix until just combined, about 20 seconds. Fold in the chocolate. Finally add in the vanilla and pulse for another 20 seconds.
- Remove the bowl from the food processor and, using a rubber spatula, stir the filling several times to ensure it’s evenly blended.
- Scrape the filling over the partially baked crust in the prepared pan.
- Place the springform pan in a roasting pan or large baking pan. Place the roasting pan in the preheated oven and pour enough hot water into the pan to come 1-inch up the sides of the springform pan.
- Bake the cheesecake in the water bath for 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until the center of the cake is set but still slightly jiggly. The cake will set completely as it cools.
- Remove the cake from the water bath and place the pan on a wire rack. Carefully loosen the foil, then immediately run the tip of a knife around the sides of the pan, to prevent the top from cracking. Cool completely (in the pan), then transfer cheesecake to the refrigerator to chill for at least 6 hours before removing from the pan and slicing.
For the Chocolate Ganache:
- Add chopped chocolate to a medium bowl; set aside.
- In a small saucepan over medium-heat, bring the cream to a low simmer. Pour half of the cream on top of the chocolate pieces and set aside for 1 minute. With a whisk, begin to incorporate the melted chocolate into the cream. Slowly add the remaining cream and continue carefully whisking until smooth and glossy.
- Add in the butter and use a spatula to stir until the butter is completely melted. The mixture will be dark and glossy. Set aside, at room temperature, until needed.
- Pour ganache over cooled cheesecake. Set aside until ganache is set, about 1 hour.
- To serve, slice the cheesecake with a thin-bladed sharp knife, wiping the knife clean between each cut.
- Store, loosely covered, in the refrigerator, for up to 5 days.
THIS!!! But I wish you made a video of the water bath! Its easier if you see it vs read it!
I agree!
These is a video for this recipe 🙂 You can find it one the homepage sidebar.
Where can I find this video?I looked at the homepage as well as searched for one, can’t seem to find it! I made the cake and only have the ganache left to do, lookin good so far 🙂
Hi Lauren. The video is at the top of this recipe! Right under the first paragraph.
I can’t believe I found this recipe again! I lost it after making it the first time for my husbands birthday in 2018 and I literally searched all of the chocolate cheesecakes on Pinterest until I found one that looked right. And it’s the one!!! I made the same mistake this time of getting some water in the foil somehow and I’m telling you, this recipe is fail proof (and absolutely delicious). Thank you!
OMG, I made this for my fiancé for Father’s Day (yesterday) and he loved it, he said it was the best cheesecake I’ve ever made. Word to the wise – this cheesecake is very rich is decadent, just be prepared. I improvised on a few things – I couldn’t find the chocolate wafer crumbs so I improvised and used crushed Oreo cookies and added homemade whipped cream. My plan is for us to eat half of the cheesecake and freeze the rest; I’m crossing my fingers we have the self-discipline to actually do this lol. This recipe is definitely going into the dessert rotation! Thanks for another great recipe!!!
If you look in the area of ice cream toppings that’s where I found them.
At times when I can’t find the chocolate wafer cookies, or when I need to save money , I make a graham cracker crust and add cocoa powder to it. It works great and taste just as good!
Undoubtedly this cake is a mouthwatering treat. Well, there is a party at my house next week and I will make this cake. I am sure my guests will enjoy. Thanks, Ashley for sharing such an amazing recipe with us.
Wow! This cheesecake is amazing! Thanks for sharing!
Hi is wafer crumbs a particular cookie/biscuit? Or is it any type of chocolate cookie/biscuit?
I have used Nabisco Chocolate Wafers…..works perfectly
Nabisco chocolate wafers were in the ice cream toppings area at Safeway/Albertsons grocery store.
For the water bath, I used a crock pot liner around the springpan, tied with an oven safe tie, then covered in foil before placing in water bath…no worries!
can you use a standmixer instead of a food processor and i only have a 10 inch pan
Me too! The crock pot liner around the foil wrapped springform is absolutely the best way to make this! Zero worries! I ran across it on another post! Genius!!
This cheesecake is the BEST! Made it for my birthday today!
This recipe is just PERFECT!! Ahh, thank you so much for sharing it with us!
This looks perfect!
Hi! Id like to try this in cupcake sizes but i dont know how to do the water bath for that. Do you know if it will work if i put the water tray in the rack below the cupcake tray?
Hi Kristine! I haven’t tried this so I cannot say for sure, but I think that could work. You’ll also want to decrease the bake time 🙂
When do I make the ganache? After the cheesecake cools for 6 hours? Or do you put on before ?
Yes, after the cheesecake cools 🙂
Do you cool the cheese cake for 6 hours and then put the ganache on it or do you put the ganache on it immediately after taking the foil off and running the knife around the edges?
Yes cool it first on a rack then top it and put it in fridge but leave in pan
Same question. I topped with ganache after cheesecake cooled on a rack to room temp. I left it at room temp for another hour. The ganache is definitely not set. Was I supposed to tip after cheesecake was COLD after six hours in the fridge? Hoping it sets in the fridge overnight.
Hi Brittany. As answered above in response to Melissa, you should put it on after it cools 🙂 But it will still set up for you in the fridge.
I am still confused about when to add the ganache. You cool on the rack and then you cool in the refrigerator. When do you add the ganache? After the cooling on the rack or in the refrigerator?
Yummy 🙂 Please try to share in Video format that will be great helpful for us.
There is a video at the top of the post 🙂
Cheesecake looks amazing but don’t we need to add sour cream in it? Normally all cheesecake has sour cream as one of the ingredients?
Hello Afroz!
This one does not need it. You must try it if you looove dark chocolate! It is absolutely deeelicious! Rich, creamy, melts in the mouth! Chocolate, Chocolate, Chocolate LOVE!!!!! Soooo yummy good!
No, not all Cheesecake has sour cream. Some my use Yogurt. But with all the different Chocolates they are using. I mite change the Recipe if you add sour cream.
They are also using heavy cream instead of sour cream.
No, not all cheesecakes use sour cream. Philadelphia brand does not have any in it and its fantastic
Looks so good!
I was wondering if you have a video of this recipe? I’d love to make it for Thanksgiving but I’m a beginner!
Question… we REALLY dislike bittersweet chocolate
can we substitute milk chocolate?
Hi Karen. I would suggest using semi-sweet chocolate. Milk chocolate would yield a VERY sweet cheesecake, but if you really want, you could give it a shot 🙂
@bakerbynature which chocolate wafers do you suggest?
I love Nabisco’s famous chocolate wafers 🙂
Hello Baker by Nature!
I absolutely LOOOOVE this cheesecake recipe!!!!! Thank you very much for sharing it with us!
I bought my Nabisco Chocolate Wafers online. Do you know if they can be frozen for longer storage? My batch were not past the expiration date, kept in a cool dark place, ( air condition room in the heavy packing envelope it came in away from the ☀️), and I thought it had an off flavor.
It is difficult to find these in stores here.
Thank you very much!
Or if any other suggestions…. I am very grateful! ❤️
I looked all over for chocolate wafers and couldn’t find them, but I did manage to find some chocolate graham crackers, so I used those and it turned out great.
I really don’t care for Famous Chocolate Wafers due to their having coconut as an ingredient. Maybe that was the off flavor you detected?
I recently purchased the Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafer Cookies in Publix here in Alabama. The expiration date was about to expire on the box. When I tasted one cookie it had a very distinct stale flavor to it. One would say a rancid taste. Fortunately, I was able to return it to the store and received a refund. I will not purchase any more if the expiration date isn’t at least months away.
I experienced the same. Mine weren’t out of date, but tasted terrible. I just made this cheesecake and substituted Oreo cookie crumbs instead.
I have used crushed up KitKats. Hopefully it’ll work!!
You can find chocolate wafer crumbs where you find Graham wafer crumb. There are also pkgs of plain chocolate cookies ( no filling etc) in the cookie aisle of most grocers.
Awesome thank you guys!
What do you make the swirly globs on top of the cheesecake with? Is that also the ganache?
I guess hat’s chocolate. you can use a normal peeler to make the swirls with the side of a chocolate bar 🙂
Thank you immensely for this delicious absolutely Lucious looking recipe!! Christmas Day table bound!!
Mmmmm….. YES!!!!! How did it go? I made it for New Years. It was ABSOLUTELY DEEELICIOUS!!!!!
Chocolate graham crackers
Have you used Chocolate Graham’s? How was it? Thank you
I used chocolate graham crackers crumbled up and mine turned out great!
What do we do in countries with no Heavy cream? :S How do I substitute it?
I made this cheesecake using 1/2 & 1/2 because I didn’t have heavy cream, and it turned out absolutely delicious. I did use the heavy cream for the ganache the next day so I can’t speak to that.
Double cream
This cheesecake came out so great the first time I’m making it again this holiday season to bring to a family dinner. So good
Insane cheesecake. Imagine a cake size piece of the best Belgian truffle or Sees Candy. Now spend as much time as you can stand savoring it, bite by bite. I’m so jealous!
My only caution is the ganache. There’s a lot and it makes a huge mess if you’re a novice (like me). Next time I’m going to add most of the ganache before taking cake out of pan. After refrigerating til firm, I would then use the remainder to drizzle off the edges with cake removed from ring.
Thanks for answering the very question I had! Looks beautiful, done that way!
Amazing recipe. Went down a treat!
Made this and it was gone in 3 days! I am not a fan of rich cheesecake but this is like eating a smooth chocolate mousse. Delicious! I will definitely make this again! I usually will not eat any chocolate higher than 60% cocoa but you can’t taste the bitterness in the cheesecake. I made it with 70% and was good but I think I will try a darker one next time.
It is soooo delicious!!!!!! I love bittersweet chocolate though. I used 70%. Next time I want to try 85% or 100%. I do not like things very sweet.
Mine was chocolaty and delicious but very dense not like a fluffy Mousse. I’m trying to figure out what I did wrong.
It should be dense 🙂
It’s not a mousse, it’s a cheesecake, so don’t think it’s supposed to be fluffy. 🙂
Thank you soooo much Ashley! This Triple Chocolate Cheesecake was FABULOUS!!!!! I made it for the New Years Family Gathering. I am a Chocoholic!!!! And we have several Dark Chocolate Lovers in the family that looooved it just as much as I did!!!!!
I did modify it a bit… I also love coffee, so I added 2 slightly heaping Tablespoons of finely ground good Espresso to the Cheesecake Batter. And I reduced the sugar a little since I can only eat a certain percentage of sugar. And I added a pinch or two of Kosher Salt into the Cheesecake Batter, since I added the Espresso.
Thank you very much again Ashley! I cannot wait to try more of your yummy recipes! ❤️
Hi, can I skip the water bath? I do not know on which temperature baked and also 1h seems a lot. The filling is wonderful.
Just put a small bowl of water in your oven off to one side. If your cheesecake starts to crack then the temp down a little bit
We have a small family run coffee shop and have baked this over the weekend to add to the menu. Cheesecake has never been my strong point, but it came out quite well, or as I say it, sellable! Not as silky as yours looks in the picture, but firmer and bit crumbly. Will experiment with a slightly lower temp or shorter oven time. Maybe my waterbath wasn’t high enough?
Thanks for an amazing recipe!
This is delicious and so creamy. I did make a few adjustments due to not having a few grocery items. I used peanut butter cookies to make the crust in my blender. I left out the sugar from the crust since the cookies were sweet. I used semisweet chips in place of the bittersweet chocolate and used only a 1/2 cup sugar. I didn’t have heavy cream so I used 1/2 & 1/2. Since I used peanut butter cookies to make the crust, I decided to make a chocolate peanut butter ganache for the topping. It was delicious. Can’t imagine the cheesecake being any better by using the heavy cream, but I bet it is.
Substitute for eggs please..
Hi! I I would love to bake this for my daughter’s bday. Here in Italy we don’t have wafer crumbs…..what do you think if I try with chocolate digestive biscuits? And as for the water bath…my oven gives me the option to add steam during any kind of baking, do you think that would work ? It basically adds humidity in the baking…thank you!
I have a steam oven as well – NO, you do not want to add steam. The hot water bath keeps the temperature of the entire cheesecake insulated and helps it to cook evenly, instead of from the pan edges in. There are recipes for cooking a cheesecake in a stem oven using the steam setting, but you have to completely wrap the entire cake securely to keep the water/steam from entering the cheesecake mixture.
Chocolate digestive biscuits will work great, just make sure to grind them finely.
Delicious recipe! I only have a 7 inch springform pan so I halved the recipe and baked for about 50 minutes and it turned out wonderfully. Thank you!
I have a 10 inch pan, do you know how I should adjust the recipe for a 10 inch? Would I double it?
You can just use the 10″ pan. The cheesecake will be slightly thinner, but still delicious. Maybe pull it out a few minutes earlier since it’ll bake faster in a wider pan.
Hi
Could you please email this recipe to me?
My printer has issues and I would love to surprise my son with his favorite.
Thanks
AnneLise
These look absolutely fabulous!! Great photos too 🙂 Stunning post I really admire your recipe
Is the ganache put on after the room temp cool down or the 6 hrs in the refrigerator?
This cheesecake looks great but i hate water baths. I always make a pumpkin cheesecake at the holidays and. Put a pan of boiling water under my cheesecake and no cracks. I cook it slow and leave it in the oven a few hours to cool. Can this cake be baked thesame as my pumpkin or differently
My husband requested chocolate cheesecake for his birthday this year and I begrudgingly agreed as I am not a real chocolate lover. He thought this was outstanding, but it was way too chocolatey for me. I greased the pan, but still had issues with the crust sticking. I think lining with parchment might have solved that issue. I baked it for about 75 minutes, but think it probably could have used an extra 10-15minutes still. The center was set, but a bit underdone. We both agreed the outside tasted more cheesecakey to us. Not sure if that’s because the center wasn’t quite done or due to some other error. Oh, and like another reviewer, I recommend halving the ganache recipe – I had a big bowl of leftover ganache and nothing to do with it!
I have been using cake strips for all my cakes for over a year now. They keep my cakes nice and flat so I don’t have to trim the dome or cracks away – no wastage. So, instead of a water bath, I just use cake strips. I did a tester without the cake strip, sure enough the cheesecake domed and cracked while baking. The one with the cake strip came out nice and flat. No water bath required, just cake strips pre-soaked in water and then wrapped around the pan.
For this cake, I didn’t have any cream, so I substituted with Greek yoghurt instead. I like the tangy flavour, not too sweet. I also added some chopped fresh cherries to cut through the sweetness. Works a treat.
I made this last night. And I’m not going ANYWHERE until I’ve tried a piece! Sorry bossman. You’re beat. See y’all tomorrow.
Making this recipe but instead of a cookie crust, I want to try a flourless chocolate cake base.
(you know, because this isn’t rich enough!)
I made this cheesecake but in the middle of cooking I realized that the pan I planned on using as a water bath pan, was actually too small to fit my springform pan in. I panicked and just put the cake in the oven by itself, and the cake still turned out fine and tasted delicious! My boyfriend thinks this cake is too chocolaty and he’s not really a fan of dark chocolate, but I loved it and will make it again. Next time I will have a proper water bath tho, so I hope it’ll taste even better next time 🙂
Okay so now I made this again with a water bath this time. Yeah the consistency is silkier now but tbh the difference is not too big compared to the last time. So I’d say that if you just don’t have the equipment to make a water bath then just put the cake in the oven by itself. At least my cake didn’t even crack and the taste was almost as good as with the water bath.
I used chocolate graham crackers. Love this cheesecake!
This cake looks immense! And I would love to try to make it, however, where I live, there are no chocolate wafers. What can I sub it with please?
This cheesecake was THE BEST chocolate cheesecake I have ever made. My non chocolate friend ate two pieces! I substituted raspberry liquor for the vanilla extract and swirled raspberry preserves over the chocolate ganache, along with a drizzle of white chocolate. I did not have a Lindt chocolate bar, so I had to substitute Lindt dark chocolate truffles. It was amazing ! My friends took a photo, but I have never done Instagram . Thank you for this great recipe. Getting ready to make another one!
I’ve made this tasty cake (I stole a taste!) and frozen it, but without the ganache. Would you thaw before adding the ganache? Or can I maybe place it frozen back in the springform, add the ganache and then cover with plastic wrap to thaw in the fridge overnight? I’m thinking that will save me time and will allow the ganache to set nice and firm
Thanks!
I would let it slightly thaw before adding the ganache! But in a pinch, you can add it right on top of the frozen cheesecake 🙂 Happy holidays!
If you are halfing the recipe I recommend baking it for 40 to 45 min tops because I baked mine for 50 min and it overbaked
I followed the recipe and for some reason my chocolate inside the cheesecake hardened back up after cooling the entire cheesecake. Any idea what I did wrong?
Hi Lauren. It should harden and become quite dense. But if it was too hard, it may have been slightly overbaked. Next time, pull it out 10 minute earlier 🙂
Hi Ashley!
Ok, so, I bake cookies and apple pies and I cook dinner but this cheesecake pushed my boundaries which I love. It’s in the fridge and it looks amazing, the top hasn’t split so thank you so much for the water bath that people keep whining about and for the tip to run a knife around the edge. I know I shouldn’t post a comment till I taste it but I already am super jazzed and can’t wait to dive into it with friends and fam tonight at our NYE party. Thanks a ton for the recipe and your tips and Happy New Year!
Mark
ASHLEY!!!! (Update) Huge success last night making this for our NYE party!!!!! Everyone LOVED it!! I am so doing this again and again. Thank you again for sharing this recipe.
I made this tonight!! So good!! I put a pan of water under my cheese cake on the second rack because I didn’t want to waste a whole bunch of tin foil…. that I would probably mess up and my cake would be soaked with water!! Lol it worked out great. I just had a few small cracks at the edge! Thanks for the recipe!
Another great idea for a water bath is to get a tinfoil roasting pan & place the springform pan with cooled crust in it, then pour cheesecake batter into the springform, molding the tinfoil roaster around it until it will fit into a large metal roasting pan. Pour boiling water into the larger roaster & place it in the preheated oven.
Thank you for the recipe
I only have 10” and 8” pans, which would work better for this recipe and how would the baking time/temp have to be adjusted?
This looks so good and I would love to try it but I have a question. You add brown suger but I’m not sure which suger you mean by that. Her in the Netherlands when we say ‘brown sugar’ we mean ‘basterdsuiker’ but is that also what you mean? Maybe you can look on Google for basterdsuiker to see for yourself? I would appreciate it very much!
And if it isn’t basterdsuiker, maybe you mean ‘rietsuiker’? Thank you very much in advance! Jolanda
Pretty sure she means basterdssuiker but in the end it probably doesn’t really matter.
I’m going to make this fabulous cake for Valentines Day and I then have to transport it to my boyfriends house. Should I make the cake the day before, make ganache on Valentines Day and then put ganache and chocolate shavings right before I take it over?
I’m nervous about it not tasting fresh and about it riding in a car! I’m
Great cheesecake. Last Nov 2019 I turned it into a marble cheesecake as I only had enough chocolate for 1/2 recipe & 1/2 ganache “which was plenty for top”. Yummy, yummy! Froze beautifully! Plan to make it again this week.
Can we make it without eggs and if we don’t add eggs do we still bake?
THANK YOU FOR THE RECIPE! I’ve never made a cheesecake before, and I was crazy enough to take this one on as my first. The instructions were easy to follow, and everything turned out PERFECTLY. It was such a hit with my family and my in-laws. The semi-sweet chocolate is the perfect sweetness. I used chocolate graham crackers for the crust, and I had extra crumbs so I threw them on top of the ganache. I just wish I knew how to not make the ganache stick so much to the sideS of the springform pan—just wanted a smoother side. But other than that, it was perfect. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
I think you are only supposed to put the ganache on the cake AFTER you already have taken it out of the springform pan.
Hello, I am planning on making this delicious cheesecake but with milk chocolate for the cheesecake and since milk chocolate is sweeter than dark chocolate I was thinking of using half cup white sugar and half cup brown sugar. For the chocolate ganache I would stick to dark chocolate, would you recommend that? Is the sugar amount ok?
This looks fabulous, and I want to make it soon. One question: when I blend the Oreos, do I leave in the white filling or do I scrape it off off the cookies before blending. Thanks so much!
Followed recipe to a t and it came out perfect! Super rich! I needed to bake for an extra 20 min but other than that….spot on!
Hi!! I’ve searched 5 different stores for a springform pan and can’t get one due to covid 2020 (curses) can I use a regular 9 inch cake pan?
This is a delicious cheesecake. Thanks for the recipe.
I did not use a waterbath to bake just placed it in the oven and there were no cracks.
I just tried making this. I Think some water found its way into my alumium foil
Is the cake still edible?
Im slightly panicking
Hello ! I live in a place where heavy cream isn’t available anywhere. Can i use whip cream instead ? Thankyou.
I made this cheesecake with my stepdaughter for her 10th birthday (Thursday)! She and I have made her cake for our house for the past three years and this year she wanted one a little more fancy so she picked this recipe. We had such a great time making it and I was able to teach her so many new things (making a cheesecake, what a waterbacth is and is used for, how to make ganache) So fun! Thank you for posting this we had the best four hours just her and I today.
Hi, how do I reduce the ingredients proportionally for a 6 inches round tray? Please advise. Thanks
I have made this cheesecake three times now. It is my go to to die for chocolate cheesecake. This time I actually read all of the recipe for the ganache. It said add butter at the end which I did. The ganache never sat up! While it tasted great it was not nearly as pretty as ganache without the butter. In future I will leave the butter out. As I said it is my go to to die for chocolate cheesecake and I have gotten nothing but rave reviews every time I’ve served it.
My husband has grieved for his favorite, never to be beaten chocolate dessert after the restaurant where it was made closed. I’m happy to say that after a bite of this he announced that it was better and his new ultimate. I made it with dark Dove chocolate. It was lots of unwrapping but well worth it. Thank you,
Aloha!
I made this cheesecake at the request of my partner, for his birthday. In a couple months there are three other birthdays happening (including mine!) and people are requesting a second round. I noticed that when I tried to combine all the ingredients at the end of the process just before baking, that the batter spilled out of my food processor. I am looking on Amazon right now for a larger one, but I was wondering what size blender bowl YOU use.
For what it’s worth, I was not looking forward to the first one, because I’ve never had a chocolate cheesecake that blended the flavors together well – always too much chocolate and too little cheesecake, or vice versa. This one blew me away! This recipe makes The BEST Chocolate Cheesecake EVER!! I’m now willing to make it for any holiday, birthday, or whatever excuse I can come up with. This is AMAZING! I just need it to fit into the bowl in which I’m blending it. And I’m wondering what suggeestions you might have.
Mahalo nui for the amazing recipe!
And fwiw, I used crushed Oreo Thins and finely chopped macadamia nuts for the crust. PERFECT! EVERYONE loved it!
And I froze half of it and defrosted it about a month later for a friend’s visit. It survived the freezer experience in perfect condition despite my needing to take everything out of the freezer to do some (major defrosting take-the-freezer-apart kind of) work on it.
You have changed my life. Mahalo nui loa!!!
hi,
The Recipie really looks awesome. I have a 7 inch pan. can you please tell me how to alter the quantities?
-Amitha
I made this for a family birthday party yesterday and although I was pleased with the taste, it didn’t resemble the photo whatsoever. And I followed the directions meticulously. Firstly it was about half the height of the recipe photo . Then the ganache did not at all creep so beautifully down the sides of the cake and then stop. It poured down the sides, all over my cake stand and counter. Once I mopped up all the wasted ganache it did indeed set but the presentation was not up to my standards for a birthday cake. I can’t imagine what went wrong? Anyone else have this problem. After all that work to make the thing I ended up disappointed and apologetic to the birthday boy.
Delicious!!! Very rich and chocolately..almost like a truffle cake. My boyfriend loved it so much for his birthday.
I reduced the overall sugar to about a little over 3/4 cup (white and brown combined) and it was perfect for me (not too sweet). I’d recommend doubling the crust and halving the chocolate ganache.
Hello there! This looks beautiful but I have a question. I have searched everywhere for a 9″ springform pan and cannot find one! Its crazy! I have a 7″ one though and I really wanted to surprise my parents with this. Do you have any recommendations on adjusting the ingredient amounts and cook/bake time please for a 7″ cheesecake? Thank you so much!
Go to Amazon and paste these words in the search bar.
Hiware 9 Inch Non-stick Cheesecake Pan Springform Pan with Removable Bottom/Leakproof Cake Pan with 50 Pcs Parchment Paper – Black
Wow looks amazing! I can’t wait to make this! P.S I’m not sure if anyone has mentioned this yet but some of your conversions from pounds to Oz are incorrect, 2 cups= 1 pound and 1 cup= 8oz 🙂
Is it okay if you use a little bit of bittersweet chocolate along with semi-sweet chocolate? They should work together right?
I think the bittersweet and semi-sweet mean the same thing. If I am wrong, someone please correct me. Thanks.
Hi! I am about to make this delicious cake and I wonder if it would work with a regular white sour cream cheesecake layer on top of the chocolate filling and then topped with chocolate ganache.
What do you think!
Thank you for the recipe!
Hi, this cheesecake looks AMAZING! Any idea how to transfer this recipe for an instant pot? I love the simplicity of making a cheesecake in it. But, the other problem- my springform pan is only 6”. Thank you for sharing such an incredible recipe!
Most if not all cheesecake recipes I have seen and used include lemon juice. This is my first chocolate cheesecake. Is lemon juice left out because of the chocolate? And the lemon juice will not make any difference? Or will the lemon juice and it’s acid mess up the flavor of the final results?
Hi Andy. I don’t recommend adding lemon juice to this recipe. It’s not needed and could throw off the flavor and texture.
I tried out cake with the above recipe.The cake was very soft and tasty.Thank you.
Made this today because hubby was wanting one and was going to ask a female friend of his to make him one! I take offense to this so I figured, I’ll show him! HaHahaha.
This cake out looking gorgeous! No cracks. Nice rise to the top of my springform pan, and the glossy smooth top. Now I’m wondering where I’m supposed to put the ganache…..my 9” pan is FULL….to the top. And it ain’t sinking as it cools. Worst case scenario, I’ll add the ganache as a wet topping when serving.
OMG!!! We ate this cake! I will NEVER use another recipe for chocolate cheesecake.
Thank you for sharing. This is so creamy, holds up nicely when plated and has the velvety soft mouth feel that everyone wants when ordering a cheesecake!
On what temperature the cake should be baked in water bath?
and if not following the water bath method, then what temperature the oven should be?
Hi I’m new to baking so apologize in advance for my lack of knowledge. What kind of chocolate can I use? I’d it regular chocolate bar or some other chocolate?
Thank you
If you want the best chocolate try Scharfenberger. It is the best. Kind of expensive, but you’re worth it, LOL
If I use Oreos for the base do I need to scrape off the filling?
Nope!
Hi,
This is an absolutely wonderful recipe.i scaled it down and made a small one. I have tried it thrice now and it turns out just perfect every single time.
The recipe is a keeper. Thank you.
Wish I could post a pic.
Do you think I can make a raspberry sauce and swirl some of it through the cheesecake before baking? And then top with remaining raspberry sauce?
Try it. What could be bad about raspberry and chocolate?
Hi there, thank you for the recipe, can I use sour cream instead of heavy cream??
I made this in the summer and it was a huge hit! Wondering if you think I could swirl a bit of raspberry sauce through the cake mixture before baking? And then top the baked cheesecake with raspberry sauce as well.
I made a keto’ish version of this cake for my son’s birthday and it was spectacular! Really, the best cheesecake I’ve ever had, or made. I used Monk fruit for the sweetener, maybe about 2/3 of what was called for with the regular sugar. I crushed pork rinds for the crust and mixed them with cocoa, melted butter and sweetener –and I think next time I’ll try some crushed nuts, as the pork rinds felt a bit soggy. Word to the wise. For the ganache I used a chocolate bar that had Maltitol in it (the label said stevia and I wasn’t clever enough to look at the ingredient list). I decided to smother the last piece in left over ganache and boy did I pay for it!! Spent the night in the bathroom haha!! However, the cake was soooo good, who cares, it was worth it!! Fantastic recipe!
Hi There < iposted my comments yesterday but its gone. Not sure whether you received it
I accidentally just put 3/4 cup of brown sugar?? Will it still be ok?
This is really good, but remember to eat it in small doses because it can be quite heavy. For a chocoholic, it’s perfect. For anyone else, it can get too chocolatey and it’s quite compact because of the fats. You have been warned, do not make the same mistake we did XD
I surrounded my pan in foil for the water bath and still got a little water inside my foil. Will that ruin my cheesecake?
Annette, I very frequently bake a cheese cake and I line the outside of the pan with aluminum foil, and sometimes water does get in. don’t worry. When I take my cake out of the oven and I can handle it I remove the foil and put it in a dish so that if there is some water it does drain.
I made this as the recipe called for and I have a few comments —
1. I used good chocolate like the author suggested and am glad I did because that chocolate flavor really stood out.
2. It’s very dense, but delicious nonetheless. If you’re looking for a more fluffy cheesecake it might be worth separating the eggs and folding in peeked egg whites (but I have not tested this).
3. Used my food processor, but it became very messy because it was filled almost to the brim. Next time I might use my mixer after blending the cream cheese.
I’ve made this three times now, my husband has asked for this at his birthday and Father’s Day. It’s truly amazing.
My sister begged me to make this so I finally did. And oh my gosh am I glad I did. Incredible chocolate goodness. I could. It find the correct chocolate wafers for the crust but the ones I did find worked just as well. This was a huge hit with my family and I loved making it.
Hi! Just a quick question. When you put on the ganache is the cheesecake in the pan still? I know you put it on after the cake has been chilled in the fridge. But just wondering if the cake is in or out of the pan? Thanks so much!
I’d like to try making 2 of these in 4 inch spring release pans, how would you adjust the bake time accordingly?
Do you think Hershey’s special dark chocolate will work for this recipe?
i found the ganache proportions to be a little off—mine was very runny so i had to add half again as much chocolate i find a 1:1 cream to chocolate ratio works best. the cake came out levely and creamy!
Hi, can I do this using a loose bottom round pan? If yes, do I still need to put it in water bath? Do I need to adjust baking time? Thank you in advance
Yes, the recipe calls for a spring form pan, which is a loose bottom. You wrap the pan in heavy duty foil so there’s no leakage.
Honestly the mixture before adding the eggs and chocolate would serve as an amazing icing.
This is second time I’ve made this and it’s perfect both times. The only problem is with the ganache and it’s in the measurements. 12 oz is 1 1/2 cups not 1 1/4….so what is it? I cannot remember what I did last time and am about to make it again. Thanks!
Just came across this recipe on FB and look forward to trying it. Do you think coconut cream work instead of heavy cream or half & half?
Can I use cream cheese light ??
I don’t recommend it. The cheesecake will be much drier and less rich/creamy.
Hi, how to make a smaller size of this? Maybe 6″ thank you ❤
I halved the ingredients except for the crust and baked for 1 hour
I just recently discovered your beautiful blog and I already saved many recipes to try and even though we are on a diet I couldn’t resist making this recipe because it hit me in my heart I did some adjustments and it turned out amazing! My whole family Loved it Actually each day it gets better than the day before! Thank you so much
Let’s say I was making two of these at the same time. How would you adjust the cooking time and temperature?
Made this with a fresh cherry sauce topping instead of the ganache. AMAZING! It was so creamy and rich without being too rich if that’s a thing, and it had a beautiful, smooth, crack free surface! I lined the base of the pan with parchment paper before snapping the ring on and folded the edges of that up with multiple layers of foil. Water didn’t get in at all! Thank you!
I am glad to have found this recipe about 5 years ago. It is a huge hit every time I make it. Very decadent & ssoooo delicious! I usually make a 7″ one and two 4″ ones, that way you can freeze the smaller ones for later. Or you have one all for yourself. Depends on how many people you party with. Just don’t overfill the pans like I just did because it overflows and cracks the cake.
Made this cake for Canadian thanksgiving. There was nine of us and we only ate one-quarter of the cake. It is incredibly rich and very decadent. You only want a very small piece and add some berries to cut the richness of the cake. The cake turned out beautifully. I followed the directions exactly. Although the cake was good, this was a one time bake for me.
The first time I made this, it was a huge hit. I have made it several times since, always by request from others who are big chocolate fans. A wonderful recipe that is easy to follow.
The BEST chocolate cheesecake I have ever had.
Changes I made:
1. I used a baking bag (crock pot liner, open on top) instead of wrapping he pan in foil for the hot water bath. Foolproof.
2. I added 1 Tbsp of Kahlua (coffee liquor) to the cake mixture for a deeper chocolate flavor. Lindt 70% for the cake and Ghiradelli 60% for the Ganache (1/2 batch as others noted- the perfect amount).
3. I baked for 50 minutes and then turned oven off and left the cheesecake in the oven with the door propped open 1″ for another 50 minutes to cool down slowly. No cracks and so creamy and dense.
This cake is something special! It is going in my permanent rotation.
I made this a few weeks ago! So amazing!! I’m wanting to make it tomorrow but I don’t have any brown sugar. Would it be the same if I left it out?
I am somewhat of a self proclaimed cheesecake “ connoisseur” and this is hands down the BEST chocolate version I have ever made! Best advice is to wrap the springform for the water bath but, also get an extra large crockpot liner and put that around the outside as well…you don’t want to lose this masterpiece with a water leak!
Thanks for an excellent recipe! This will now be my go to!!
This is a lot more like eating a slab of fudge than a cheesecake.
I’ve made this cake 3x! Perfect every time. It’s the smoothest cheesecake I’ve ever eaten.
This chocolate cheesecake is decadent and has become my absolute favorite cake of any kind. Thank you for this smooth rich creamy indulgence.
Delicious and fun to make
Impressive cake
First ever baked cheesecake I’ve made and it turned out so well
AT LAST! You’ve arrived! I’ve waited for a recipe like this and now it’s here! OK, springform pan, open up!
Hi, my food processor just broke but can I use the paddle attachment on my Kitchen Aide mixer to make this cake? Thank you, looking forward.
Can I use full fat ricotta cheese instead of cream cheese? Would any other ingredients need to change? Thanks
Hi, I’ve had this recipe and your new York cheesecake recipe saved for so long and I’m finally going to be making it for my husband’s birthday, but I was just wondering if it was possible to make a marbled cheese cake with these two recipes or best to stick to one flavor. Thank you!
I’ve only tried 2 recipes of Ashley’s but they are both in my opinion award winning.My mum made me this chocolate cheesecake on my 20th birthday and it was the best dessert I have ever tried to this day! Incredibly decadent and just wholesome! Another must are her bakery style chocolate chip peanut butter cookies! My word those were good!
Aww this made my day! Thank you so much!
Omg I made this yummy Chocolate Cheesecake for Mother’s Day and everybody loved it. Thank you so much for your recipes.
It’s incredibly, INCREDIBLY, rich and decadent and it’s actually too good at being those things.
Is there a way to help cut through all the richness? I have some sour cream and heavy cream and I can get fruit but I’m not sure what route to go.
Seriously this cake is a knockout which is why I’m trying to make it less of one lol
Ive made this once before and its amazing!! This recipe is perfection and hard to mess up. As I am making it a second time, Im now curious if you poured the ganache with the cheesecake still in a pan, or did you remove it before adding the final layer of ganache? Thanks for this recipe!!
OMG – this is to die for! I still have friends talking about this. Thanks so much for sharing. I don’t even like cheesecake, but this is something else… wow!
Yay! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Naomi!
The recipe calls for a blender. Can you use a kitchenaid mixer instead?
Yes! Or a food processor.
Could not find video for Ultimate Chocolate Cheesecake. Can you please send a link?
Thank you!
Love this recipe so much. I use Graham crackers with coco powder to make the crust.
This was SO delicious. I had a little extra batter that I poured into ramekins. Naturally after it came out of the oven I had to try some from the ramekin that it was so good I didn’t even feel it needed the ganache. I would give this 10 stars if I could!!!