It doesn’t get much better than a decadent cheesecake. Make it even more rich and delicious by making this chocolate cheesecake recipe. Chocolate cookie crust, cheesecake, ganache and whipped cream topping!
How I created this Chocolate Cheesecake
I’m all about Decadent desserts. Cheesecake and Chocolate anything are pretty much always decadent. So I worried that Chocolate cheesecake would be a little too over the top.
It took a lot of tweaking to get it just right. I originally created my chocolate cheesecake for a birthday cake for a friend and it’s slowly evolved over the years to this perfection!
Using melted chocolate in addition to the cocoa gives the cheesecake a richer flavor that I recommend. Adding the ganache and the whipped cream just make it that much better.
Just take me to the Chocolate Cheesecake Recipe already!
If you’d rather skip my tips and tricks for chocolate cheesecake, along with links to other cheesecake recipes and get straight to the best cheesecake recipe – simply scroll to the bottom of the page where you can find the printable recipe card.
Creating Cheesecake Recipes
Recently I’ve been getting some weird cheesecake recipe comments. I’ve been told my cheesecake’s aren’t authentic for a few different reasons!
The first was that I don’t use sour cream in the recipe, the next was that I don’t use flour in my recipe and the weirdest was that I don’t use a sponge cake as the crust!?!?!
Remember the best part of cooking and baking from scratch is that you can personalize it! If you have a recipe you love that uses flour, sour cream or a sponge cake crust then go for it!!!
Should you add flour to your cheesecake?
First off adding flour to your cheesecake gives it a more cake like texture – I prefer a smooth dense cheesecake.
Should you add sour cream to your cheesecake?
Adding sour cream to your cheesecake is a way to help fight it being dry – I prefer to simply not overbake my cheesecake to keep it smooth and creamy.
Does cheesecake have a cake crust?
And a sponge cake crust? I found out that Juniors cheesecake in NYC and Brooklyn do their cheesecake this way and so when I was in NY I went to give it a try.
Personally I found the cheesecake amazing, but the sponge cake crust soggy and it didn’t hold the cheesecake shape at all so the slice was delicate. AND I missed the crunch you get from a cookie/cracker crust.
Tips to Make the Best Cheesecake Recipe
– Here is a video I made using my classic Cheesecake recipe, but the tips and tricks in the video work for ALL cheesecake recipes!!!
– Room temperate ingredients are key for a smooth texture.
– Beat the cream cheese and sugar as much as you want, make it smooth, but once you add the eggs, do NOT overbeat, just mix on low until they are barely incorporated, beating after you add the eggs is what often leads to cracking.
– Make sure your oven is the correct temperature (I love my oven thermometer)
– I used to hate water baths – the foil always leaks and I don’t like mushy crusts – but waterbaths keep cheesecakes more evenly baked and nice and flat – so now I recommend a silicone water bath pan!!!
– TRY not to open the oven door, like ever, if you can help it.
– That said if you run out of water in the pan on the bottom of the oven or in the water bath and you need to add more boil it first so it’s hot, then open the oven and pour it into the pan carefully and close the door – as quick as you can.
– Cook your cheesecake until it’s still a bit jiggly in the center, like a loose jello jiggler, but not liquid, in the center 2-3 inches. It will keep cooking afterwards a bit, and IMO better to be slightly under cooked than overcooked.
– Turn off the oven and crack open the oven door to let it cool slowly, this will help it finish cooking but not cool TOO fast and crack
– Do NOT eat it right away, cheesecake sets and gets BETTER with time in the fridge, at LEAST 8 hours, I prefer a full day or two for better flavor.
How to adjust this Cheesecake for the instant pot
I use an 8 inch springform pan for my 8 quart pressure cooker, but I recommend a 7 inch for the 6 quart. So depending on your pan size you might need to change the recipe a little
Go to the “servings size” in the recipe card and adjust it until the cream cheese measurement is 1.5 lbs for a thinner 8 inch cheesecake or for the 7 inch pan.
For instant pot cheesecake tips and tricks and cooking times go to my instant pot cheesecake post! Or you can turn it into Instant pot cheesecake bites. (I have peanut butter bites, oreo bites and salted caramel bites already shared)
To make this cheesecake perfect you’ll need
- Food processor (to make the crust easier)
- 9″ springform pan
- 9″ parchment cake circles
- Oven thermometer (to make sure your baking at the right temp)
- Silicone water bath pan
- 12×3″ cake pan (for the water bath)
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
Chocolate Cheesecake Recipe
If you love these cheesecakes as much as I do, I’d love a 5 star review. Be sure to share on social media and tag me if you make it @ashleemariecakes! If you want to stay updated on new recipes sign up for my newsletter and join my Facebook Group!
If you love Chocolate Cheesecake you’ll love these other cheesecake recipes!
Instant Pot Cheesecake | Fried Cheesecake Chimichangas | Lemon Meringue Cheesecake
Maple Bacon Cheesecake | Deep Fried Cheesecake Bites | Pistachio Cheesecake
Connect with Ashlee Marie Online!
The full “tips and tricks” video is in the recipe card. The shorter Chocolate cheesecake video should be auto-playing for you!
You can find all my cooking show style recipe videos on YouTube, or my short recipe videos on Facebook Watch, or my Facebook Page, or right here on our website with their corresponding recipes.
Chocolate Cheesecake
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 1/4 C ground chocolate graham crackers
- 6 Tbsp unsalted butter melted
- 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
Filling
- 1 C granulated sugar
- 12 oz chocolate
- 2 lbs full fat cream cheese
- 3 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 2 Lrg eggs
- 1 egg yolk
Ganache
- 10 oz chocolate
- 1/2 C heavy whipping cream
Chocolate Whipping Cream
- 1 C heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 C powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/4 C cocoa
Instructions
Crust
- Mix the ingredients together well.
- Then press into a 9 inch spring form pan.
- Bake the crust at 350 for 10 mins.
- Let the crust cool before pouring in the filling.
Filling
- Preheat the oven to 300.
- Melt Chocolate in a double broiler (or the microwave, just don’t let it over cook).
- Mix the cream cheese on medium for 3 mins.
- Add the sugar and mix on low until smooth.
- Add the cocoa, melted chocolate and vanilla, and mix on low, scraping the sides.
- Add eggs one at a time, until just combined (30 seconds each).
- Bake 50 -60 mins,
- It should still be wobbly in the center.
- Turn off the oven and crack the door, letting it cool for half an hour.
- Then put it in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Ganache
- bring the ream to a simmer and pour over the chocolate
- let sit for 5 mins to warm through
- stir until smooth, then pour over the cheesecake
- refrigerate
Chocolate Whipped Cream
- in a medium bowl beat the whipping cream, powdered sugar, cocoa and vanilla until stiff peaks form
- pipe using a closed star tip all around the edge of the cake, add chocolate jimmies for extra decorations
Ashlee @ I'm Topsy Turvy
Thanks you guys! It did turn out really pretty, and it did taste great! So try it and let me know how it goes!
Donna- I've used water baths, but I don't love them. I like just having a 9×13 pan of water on the next rack down, but water baths never work for me. And the pan below seems to work just as well for me! Thanks for the tip though!
Brenda Etter
How is this?? I just printed this chocolate cheesecake yesterday to make tomorrow!! My bath pan arrived last week. I’m so excited!! My new Bosch mixer, bath pan and new recipe!!
Ashlee Marie
YAY! I hope you adore it as much as we do! It’s seriously so good!
Susie Jay
I haven’t tried the recipe yet so can’t give it a rating, but it sounds wonderful. You don’t list a preference for chocolate–semi-sweet, etc. What is your recommendation?
Ashlee Marie
The brands I use are callebaut, guittard, merckens, peter’s or ghirardelli chocolate wafers or bars or Trader Joe’s chocolate bars. These are the brands I always have around so I just grab whatever is open, often mixing a few brands together. I stick with semi sweet, bittersweet and of course dark. I NEVER chocolate chips as they are made to hold their shape and not melt at high baking heats. So they don’t melt well without burning.
Barbara C. Hardison
I love love love your chocolate cheese cake. Have you thought about converting it to an Instant pot or Foodie pot? I don’t understand how to convert recipes.
Ashlee Marie
You can fit this cheesecake, just as it is, in an 8 inch pan instead of the 9 inch pan and fit it into an 8 quart instant pot. If you have a smaller instant pot you’ll want to scale the cheesecake recipe down in the recipe, I suggest down to 12 servings for easy division of ingredients, and use a 7 inch springform pan. I have instructions for an instant pot cheesecake here
Kristen
Why was the batter so thick? I e made cheesecakes edore and has to pour filling… this looked more like frostings it’s in the oven now so we’ll see.. is 2 lbs cream cheese with only 2 eggs plus yolk correct? Thanks!
Ashlee Marie
did you compare it to the video? did your batter look like mine? Ive never had a problem with this batter being too thick. but I’d love to hear how it turned out
Martina
My batter was also runny to where you could pour it into the pan
Ashlee Marie
You should be able to pour it into the pan but it shouldn’t have a watery consistency
Joyce
🌞🤗
Gentlegranny
I have made several of your snack recipes for my great grand babies when they come to visit each summer. I LOVE cheesecake and chocolate. I will make this recipe for dessert for my daughters next week. Can’t wait to taste it, sounds like it’s right up my alley!!
Thank you for so many delicious recipes that can’t be found anyplace else. Always look forward to your new posts.
Thanks again.
Ashlee Marie
you are so sweet! I am so touched that you are a fan! I hope you and your grandchildren love this cheesecake as much as we do
Karina
The best recipe thanks for sharing!
Ashlee Marie
Thank you! I am so glad you liked it
Rashmi
Love this cake, can we substitute eggs here. I am off eggs for some time.
Ashlee Marie
I do not recommend replacing the eggs but I have heard you can use applesauce as an alternative, I am not sure how this would work in cheesecake. There are several online recipe for eggless cheesecake which is what I recommend.
Karina
Thanks for sharing is a great recipe and easy to make it!
Karina
You have five stars⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Ashlee Marie
Thank you so much! I really appreciate it!
Ashlee Marie
Thank you! I’m glad it was easy to follow!
J RD
Cheesecake was very dense and heave. I only use top ingredients and couverture chocolate so it wasn’t the ingredients. When I tried it a second time with about 1/3 of the chocolate, less cocoa and added some heavy cream, it was much smoother.
Ashlee Marie
Yes I like my cheesecake dense but I am glad you were able to find a variation that worked for you!
Sooren Luna
Hello my name is Sooren and I write you from Mexico City, I would love to make your recipe however I still do not understand what “C” means in the recipe and if the grades are celcius or farenheit, I would appreciate it if you will answer me since your recipes love me. Thank you very much and greetings
Ashlee Marie
C means cups and I use Fahrenheit but you can change it to Metric measurements if you hit the button at the top of my recipe:)
Keila
Ashlee,
How do you get your ganache to drip so perfectly down the sides? Do you have a tutorial somewhere?! You literally did it perfectly! I’ve made this recipe twice now and it’s delicious! Definitely a keeper!
Ashlee Marie
Haha thank you so much! I do not have a tutorial my best advice would be to practice but I will think about making a tutorial for it, thank you for the idea!
Malou
still not as good as Junior’s. I prefer the sponge base for all my cheesecakes. There is a vast difference between yours and theirs and theirs is much better. Not as unctuous as Junior’s. My friends liked it.
Ashlee Marie
I’m sorry it couldn’t live up to Junior’s Cheesecake but I’m glad your friends liked it:)