A super deep, dark chocolate cheesecake that contains almost an entire pound of chocolate! This decadent dessert goes well with coffee or fresh fruit!
My family adores cheesecake. It’s a super rich treat that we only enjoy a few times a year, and it definitely gets eaten quickly. I get requests for cheesecake almost every time we visit family or have them over.
I went to visit my family over the 4th of July holiday and I asked my husband what I should make. My brother and sister-in-law were hosting us at their house for the day and I wanted to bring something that everyone would enjoy. Naturally, he thought of cheesecake. Since my parents have been on a dark chocolate kick, we decided that a dark chocolate cheesecake would be the way to go.
I brought most of my ingredients already prepped – I brought a bag of the cookie crumbs, my own cocoa powder, chocolate, and springform pan. All we had to buy was cream cheese and heavy cream. I made the crust and filling late at night and garnished it with the topping in the morning and it was ready in time for the holiday cookout.
The cheesecake was very well received. It was rich, dense and very chocolate-y. I thought it would pair well with a layer of fruit jam (like raspberry), while a few family members said it was fine just the way it was. Either way, we ate almost half the cheesecake that night, and we brought the rest home for my parents.
This was a wonderful dessert that brought my entire family together. I hope it will do the same for yours.
Dark chocolate cheesecake
Ingredients
Crust
- 24 chocolate wafer cookies about 9 ounces worth; I used a combination of chocolate wafer cookies and Girl Scouts thin mint cookies
- 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1/2 stick (4 Tablespoons) unsalted butter melted
Filling
- 4 8 ounce packages cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1 and 1/4 cups plus 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 9.7 ounces bittersweet chocolate melted
- 4 eggs
Topping
- 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
- 6 ounces bitter sweet chocolate chopped
- 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Generously grease a standard 9 or 10 inch diameter round springform pan and set aside.
Make the crust
- Crush the cookies and/or wafers in a food processor, high speed blender or by hand. Add in the sugar and mix well. Add melted butter and mix until everything resembles wet sand and is a bit crumbly. Press the crumbs onto the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Bake in your preheated oven for about 15 minutes or until the crust is set. Allow the crust to cool while you prepare the filling.
Make the filling
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl if using a handheld mixer, beat the cream cheese, sugar, and cocoa powder together on medium high speed until smooth. Add in the melted chocolate and mix well. Add the eggs, one by one, and mix until everything just comes together. Do not over mix or else your cheesecake may crack. Pour the batter over your baked crust and smooth the top. Bake in your preheated oven for about 1 hour or until the center is no longer jiggly. Allow the cheesecake to cool slightly before transferring to a refrigerator to cool completely. It's best if chilled over night.
Make the topping
- Heat the cream up in the microwave. Place your chopped chocolate and sugar in a medium sized bowl. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and allow to sit for about 1 minute. Then whisk vigorously with a spatula until the mixture is completely smooth and lump-free. Pour over your chilled cheesecake and smooth the top. Refrigerate again until the ganache has set.
- Garnish with additional chocolate curls, whipped cream or fruit. Slice and serve.