My chocolate cheesecake ain’t messing around, boos. I made it for my best friend Lee’s 30th birthday party because she was the biggest chocoholic I knew, and baby, she tore it up! This chocolate cheesecake is CHOCOLATE all the way through, from the cookie crust to the creamy filling to the ganache toppings. You might wanna keep a glass of milk close by for this one!
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How to Make Chocolate Cheesecake
These step-by-step photos show how to make creamy chocolate cheesecake, but be sure to check the recipe card below for the full ingredient list and detailed instructions. Skip to the → Best Chocolate Cheesecake Recipe
1. Finely grind the chocolate wafer cookies in a food processor
Add the butter and blend until incorporated.
2. Press the crust mixture into the bottom without going up the sides
Place the cookie crust in the fridge while you prepare the filling.
3. Add the cream and coffee powder to a medium saucepan
Stir over medium heat until the coffee powder completely dissolves.
4. Reduce the heat, add the chocolate, and whisk until fully melted
Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
5. Start the cheesecake filling
Beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth, then add the cornstarch, followed by the sour cream and vanilla. Beat well.
6. Add the eggs one at a time
Mix after each addition until fully combined.
7. Add one cup of the cream cheese mixture to the chocolate mixture
Whisk until smooth.
8. Return the chocolate mixture to the remaining cream cheese mixture
Whisk until smooth.
9. Bake your creamy chocolate cheesecake
Pour the batter over the crust, then place the springform pan into a large baking pan. Add enough hot water to come halfway up the sides and bake until softly set. Allow to cool completely before chilling.
10. Make and add the chocolate and white chocolate glazes
Bring the cream to a boil in a small saucepan, then remove from heat and add the chocolate, whisking until melted and smooth. Pour over the cheesecake. Melt the white chocolate with cream until smooth and drizzle over the set chocolate ganache. Refrigerate until both glazes are set.
PRO TIP: Run a thin, warm knife or an offset spatula between the cheesecake and the pan before you pop that latch open, boos. If it’s stuck to the bottom, slide a long metal spatula under the crust and work your way around to loosen it. You can also assemble your springform pan with the base upside down so there is no lip. It makes sliding the cheesecake onto a plate way easier!
Full Chocolate Cheesecake Recipe
Chocolate Cheesecake Recipe
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Equipment
Ingredients
For Crust
- 1 box 9-ounce chocolate wafer cookies
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter (3/4 stick) melted
For the Filling
- 1 1/2 cup whipping cream
- 1 tsp instant coffee powder
- 12 oz semi-sweet chocolate finely chopped
- 2 8-ounce packages cream cheese room temperature
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
For Chocolate Glaze
- 1/2 cup whipping cream
- 4 oz dark or semi-sweet chocolate finely chopped
For White Chocolate Glaze
- 1/2 cup whipping cream
- 4 oz white chocolate finely chopped
Instructions
To make the crust
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Wrap outside of 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides with double thickness of foil.
- Spray bottom of your pan with an oil spray liberally.
- Finely grind the cookies in your food processor. Next add in the butter and blend until incorporated.
- Gently press the cookie mixture into the bottom of the pan not going up the sides and pop in the fridge while you work on the filling.
To make the filling
- Add the cream and coffee powder to a medium saucepan. Stir over medium heat until coffee powder completely dissolves.
- Reduce heat to low and add in the chocolate. Whisk until it completely melts and everything is smooth. Cool for 10 minutes.
- In the bowl of your mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar until super smooth then add in the cornstarch followed by the sour cream and vanilla and beat super well.
- Add eggs 1 at a time, mixing after each is added.
- Whisk 1 cup of the cream cheese mixture into chocolate mixture. Return chocolate mixture to remaining cream cheese mixture in the mixer bowl and whisk until smooth. Pour the batter over the crust.
- Place springform pan in a large baking pan. Add enough hot water to baking pan to cone halfway up sides of springform pan.
- Bake cheesecake until softly set and slightly puffed around edges, about 1 hour.
- Turn off oven. Let cake stand in oven 45 minutes. Transfer springform pan to rack and cool. Then cover and chill overnight.
Make Chocolate Glaze
- Bring cream to boil in heavy small saucepan. Remove from heat. Add 4 ounces chocolate and whisk until melted and smooth.
- Pour glaze over top of cake. Using a spatula, smooth glaze evenly over the top. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
Make White Chocolate Glaze
- Bring cream to a boil in a heavy small saucepan. Remove from heat. Add 4 ounces chocolate and whisk until melted and smooth.
- Drizzle over set chocolate ganache glaze in a pretty pattern. Refrigerate until both glazes are set, at least 2 hours. Using a knife, cut around the sides of the pan to loosen the cake. Remove pan sides. Cut into wedges and serve.
Notes
How to Store
- Fridge: Just cover it in a loose tent of aluminum foil and place it in the coldest part of your fridge. It should stay all good for up to 7 days.
- Freezer: Wrap it in plastic wrap, then foil, and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before slicing and sharing.
Nutrition
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Recipe Tips
- Use room temp ingredients. Cold cream cheese won’t give you a smooth baked cheesecake, so make sure your eggs, sour cream, and whipping cream sit out about 30 to 60 minutes before you start.
- Whip that cream cheese real good. I don’t want to see a lump in sight! The smoother it is, the creamier your cheesecake will be.
- Wrap your springform pan in two layers of heavy foil. Always remember to go all the way up the sides. And pour the hot water carefully around the pan so it comes up the sides without splashing into it. Not even a single drop of water can get into the batter!
- Keep the oven door closed while it bakes. Cheesecake doesn’t like sudden temperature changes, boos.
Recipe Help
If your pan wasn’t greased well, the cheesecake can stick as it cools and shrinks. That pulling causes edge cracks and even missing chunks. So spray that pan good before you start!
Look for set edges with a center that still has a slight jiggle but bounces back when you tap it. It might look a little underdone after an hour but it will firm up as it cools.
The chocolate got too hot too fast. Chocolate is sensitive y’all, so slowly make your ganache over a double boiler to keep it smooth.
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Got tons of compliments on this cheesecake!!
Can you use the same recipe to make mini cheesecakes?
You sure can!
I made this for Christmas at my niece’s request, then forgot to bring it! Popped it in the freezer and took it out yesterday (6 weeks later) for another party….it was perfect!
Wow!! That’s great, I am so happy to hear that!
This was delightful! Rich and creamy, a big hit. The directions were easy to follow. Thanks so much!
Absolutely incredible! This was the first full sized cheesecake I’ve ever made. (I was extremely intimidated by the water bath!) I cannot express enough just how fantastic this recipe is!
What can you use instead of instant coffee?
You can also just omit.
Can this be frozen
Absolutely!
I made this (along with your incredible carrot cake recipe) for Thanksgiving. It was absolutely incredible. Very dense and tons of flavor. The chocolate ganache layer on top was a game changer too! I didn’t trust my decorating skills to put the white lines on top of such a beautiful cheesecake, so I put white and dark chocolate shavings around the top edges instead. It turned out gorgeous and delicious! Thank you for yet another great recipe!
I made this and it was fantastic, I received rave reviews. The only criticism I have is the white chocolate glaze. I tried the recipe using white nestle morsels and I also tried using Ghiradelli white melting wafers, neither worked. It was a yellowish broken ganache. I melted white chocolate in a double boiler and put into a pastry bag and piped it onto the cheesecake, and it was PERFECT! I wish I could attach a photo, I would say #NailedIt
Show-stopping, rich, and delicious! Absolutely a keeper… will be making this again and again! The only part that didn’t work quite right for me was the white chocolate drizzle… 1/2 cup whipping cream + 4 oz white chocolate yielded a liquid so thin that I was unable to drizzle a design on top as pictured. Will adjust proportions next time to yield a thicker consistency better for drizzling. Other than that it was perfection! Thanks for an outstanding recipe!
This was so delicious! Huge wow factor