Double Chocolate Cheesecake with Chocolate Ganache
This is simply the very best chocolate cheesecake I have ever made. It is so easy, but it is so good. I even take leftover pieces, wrap them in waxed paper, put them in a freezer bag, and freeze them until I need a quick dessert. I wish I had a piece now
This is simply the very best chocolate cheesecake I have ever made. It is so easy, but it is so good. I even take leftover pieces, wrap them in waxed paper, put them in a freezer bag, and freeze them until I need a quick dessert. I wish I had a piece now
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 4 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups (18 cookies) cream filled chocolate sandwich cookies (i found fudge filled at target)
- 1 package (12 oz) semisweet chocolate morsels
- 3 packages (8 oz) cream cheese softened
- 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
- ganache topping
- 8 oz bittersweet chocolate
- Carbohydrate 63.2943187580736 g
- Cholesterol 198.950142871981 mg
- Fat 43.8693896782931 g
- Fiber 3.52601320430511 g
- Protein 12.1603114117649 g
- Saturated Fat 23.1264588454945 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (187g)
- Sodium 323.513177170401 mg
- Sugar 59.7683055537685 g
- Trans Fat 4.02498042275408 g
- Calories 660 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat oven to 300
- Take about 18 cookies (1 1/2) cups and crush them. Press the crumbs onto the bottom of a 9" springform pan -- set aside.
- Microwave the chocolate morsels in a microwave-safe bowl on high for 90 seconds, or until melted, stirring at 30-second intervals. (may not take the whole 90 seconds)
- Beat the cream cheese at medium speed for 2 minutes, or until smooth. Add the sweetened condensed milk and vanilla, beating at low speed just until combined. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating at a low speed just until combined after each addition. Add the melted chocolate, beating just until combined. Pour the cheesecake batter into the prepared crust.
- Bake at 300 for 1 hour and 5 minutes, just until the center is set. Turn the oven off and leave the cheesecake in the oven for 30 minutes, with the door closed. Remove the cheesecake from the oven. Run a knive along the edge of the cake and the pan to loosen. Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack until it is room temperature.
- Remove the sides of the pan, and pour the warm ganach over the top of the cheesecake, letting it run down the sides. Chill overnight before serving.
- Place the finely chopped bittersweet chocolate into a glass heatproof bowl. Put the cream into a saucepan over medium heat. Bring the cream to a boil (boiling is when the cream will actually rise up the sides of the pan and threaten to boil over).
- Immediately pour the boiling cream over the chopped chocolate. Tap the bowl on the counter to settle the chocolate into the cream and let it sit for 1 minute. Using a rubber spatula, slowly stir in a clockwise motion, starting in the center of the bowl, and working out to the sides. Be careful not to add too much air to the ganache. Stir until all the chocolate is melted, about 2 minutes. IT MAY LOOK DONE AFTER 1 MINUTE OF STIRRING, BUT KEEP GOING TO BE SURE IT IS EMULSIFIED. It will be really glossy when it's done.
- Let the ganache sit at room temperature until it cools to 70 degrees. (in a 65 degree room, this will take about 4 hours).
- I try to time it out so that the ganache is still warm and ready to use, AND the cheese cake is cooled and ready to be refrigerated (with the ganache on top). Pour the ganache over the cheesecake and refrigerate.
That modest list of pantry staples hides a chemical balancing act between dense dairy fats and melting chocolate that easily seizes if overheated. Sweetened condensed milk contains less moisture than standard liquid sweeteners, meaning this batter requires careful observation during baking to prevent internal cracking before the residual heat finishes the center.
Reading the Surface Without a Probe
Assess doneness by watching the perimeter versus the center two inches of the springform pan. The edges should look matte and puffed slightly, while a gentle tap on the pan rim must reveal a distinct gelatinous jiggle in the middle zone. Turning off the oven at 300 degrees Fahrenheit and trapping the residual heat for precisely 30 minutes allows the proteins to set gradually without forming surface fissures. Stirring the hot cream and bittersweet chocolate emulsion requires a slow, concentric motion from the center outward to build a uniform gloss without incorporating unwanted air bubbles.
- Wrap leftover slices tightly in waxed paper and freeze them inside heavy-duty storage bags for up to two months.
- Thaw frozen portions overnight in the refrigerator before serving at cool room temperature.
