I’m SO excited to re-share this recipe with you from again in 2012. Sure, over 10 years in the past (photograph proof integrated)! The tale in the back of this recipe tells you the entirety it’s important to know, so let’s throw it again:

“This previous week has been totally loopy! I flew to New York to fulfill and prepare dinner with Bobby Flay at his eating place! Whattt?! I do know! My dessert used to be decided on via Fage Overall Greek Yogurt to be served at their match, and I will’t specific how blessed I believe. I met some fabulous meals editors, and naturally, Bobby. He used to be extremely candy and complimented me on how scrumptious this darkish chocolate cheesecake used to be.

THE CHEESECAKE?! Are we able to simply discuss it? It’s a dense, clean, chocolate-wasted cheesecake that I wish to reside in for the remainder of my lifestyles. I’m SERIOUS. Oh and to not point out that it has a creamy, wealthy chocolate hazelnut butter (Nutella) ganache, toasted hazelnuts, and sea salt.

Please get ready your self to drool.

Bobbing up with this recipe used to be relatively a procedure. I knew that I sought after to make use of Greek yogurt, but additionally that I sought after to make a dessert which may be introduced in a cafe or made for a special day equivalent to a vacation celebration. It needed to be decadent, wealthy, and the entirety you’ll want to ever need on your mouth.

Now right here’s the humorous phase: I’m now not a cheesecake woman. I most often opt for pie all the way through the vacations, however I sought after to problem myself to craft one thing stunning and distinctive. And in my view, there’s in point of fact not anything higher than darkish chocolate and sea salt. OBVIOUSLY.

There aren’t sufficient satisfied adjectives to explain this cheesecake. There are merely no phrases.

However I feel that if Bobby says it’s just right, smartly then… you comprehend it’s GOOD.”

What’s cheesecake?

Let’s get to the recipe! No, we’re now not including mozzarella or a bag of shredded cheese to a cake (however you almost certainly knew that already). Cheesecake is comprised of a mixture of impartial, comfortable cheese like cream cheese, and even cottage cheese or ricotta, plus eggs, and sugar. The crust can range from the use of crushed-up cookies to a complete pastry dough crust. Other towns declare to have other kinds of cheesecake, too! For instance, a New York-style cheesecake most often contains heavy cream or bitter cream to make it denser and creamier, while a Roman-style cheesecake is most often made with ricotta or mascarpone as a substitute of cream cheese.

Chances are you’ll (or won’t) have spotted that in relation to cakes, I’m all about cookies, bars, and an occasional in point of fact just right cake or pie. To me, cheesecake is a kind of cakes that may both be unbelievable or a bit bit missing. Agree with me once I say THIS stunning chocolate cheesecake will convert someone who doesn’t in most cases love cheesecake.

No bake vs. baked cheesecake

That’s proper, other cheesecake recipes will also be baked, whilst some are not any bake recipes!

• No bake cheesecake is most often made with substances like gelatin, pudding, or whipped cream that get their softer texture from refrigerating best. The result’s a mild, fluffy texture like mousse — very similar to my Deep Dish French Silk Pie.
• Baked cheesecake, like this chocolate cheesecake, is (you guessed it) baked! The feel is denser, and creamier, and holds up smartly to toppings like my Nutella ganache.

Gear you’ll want

There are a couple of very important gear you’ll wish to make a great chocolate cheesecake:

Get all of my kitchen necessities right here!

The entirety you’ll wish to make the most efficient chocolate cheesecake

Baking cheesecake is really a science, so the substances subject! As I discussed above there are lots of various tactics to make cheesecake from scratch, however I really perfected this darkish chocolate cheesecake the use of particular substances. Right here’s what you’ll want:

• For the crust: we’re creating a hazelnut cookie crust with chocolate sandwich cookies (I simply use Oreos), uncooked hazelnuts, and a few melted salted butter.
• For the filling: my chocolate cheesecake filling is made with full-fat cream cheese, simple whole-milk Greek yogurt, granulated sugar, melted darkish chocolate (from a 72% darkish chocolate bar), unsweetened cocoa powder, salt, and whole eggs. I like to recommend the use of chopped darkish chocolate as a substitute of chocolate chips for the most efficient taste and melting talent.
• For topping: there are lots of the way to best your cheesecake, however this salted Nutella ganache is out-of-this-world scrumptious. It’s made with chocolate hazelnut butter (aka Nutella), heavy cream, and extra chopped darkish chocolate. I love to then sprinkle chopped toasted hazelnuts and Maldon sea salt on best as a result of WOW.

A word on substitutions

As a result of baking cheesecake is amazingly actual, I HIGHLY counsel sticking with the substances indexed and now not swapping anything else. I haven’t examined out any dairy-free or vegan swaps on this recipe and I can’t ensure that the textures and flavors will pop out the similar.

You’ll be able to, on the other hand, switch the Nutella for chocolate almond butter, in the event you’d like.

make the most efficient chocolate cheesecake

1. Get ready the crust. Get started via pulsing the Oreo cookies and hazelnuts in a meals processor till they’re finely flooring. Pour within the melted butter and pulse once more till the mix resembles rainy sand, then frivolously press the mix into the ground and aspects of a greased springform pan. Bake the Oreo crust, then position it on a cord rack to chill.
2. Soften the chocolate. Soften your chopped chocolate in a double boiler or a microwave-safe bowl, stirring from time to time, till clean. Let the chocolate cool to room temperature.
3. Make the filling. Combine the cream cheese, Greek yogurt, and sugar within the bowl of a stand mixer on medium-low velocity till clean. Don’t overmix! Combine within the cocoa powder and salt, then upload within the eggs one by one and blend till simply included. Pour within the melted chocolate and blend on low velocity till smartly included.
4. Get ready your pan. Double-wrap the bottoms and aspects of the springform pan smartly with aluminum foil and position it into a big roasting pan. Pour the filling over the cooled crust and clean the highest.
5. Make a water tub. Boil a big pot of water (or boil water in a kettle). Position the roasting pan together with your cheesecake at the center rack of your oven, and moderately pour the boiling water into the roasting pan phase in order that it’s 1 inch deep.
6. Bake it up. Bake the cheesecake till the middle is solely set and looks dry (it would nonetheless be a bit jiggly). Flip the oven off and crack open the oven door whilst maintaining the cheesecake inside of, and let it take a seat for 30-60 mins. Take away the entirety from the oven and position the cheesecake on a cord rack to chill. Run a knife across the crust to loosen it, then relax the cheesecake within the refrigerator for no less than 4 hours.
7. Make the ganache. Warmth the heavy cream over medium-low in a saucepan, stir within the Nutella, then upload extra chopped darkish chocolate and stir till melted. Pour the chocolate ganache over the middle of the chilled cheesecake and unfold it to the perimeters. Most sensible with hazelnuts and flaky salt, let it set, then serve!

Wait, what’s a water tub?

A water tub refers to cooking or baking your meals in a pan or container that’s sitting in any other container of boiling water. The water from the pan creates moisture within the oven to stop your meals (on this case, cheesecake) from drying out and cracking. The water necessarily absorbs the direct warmth of the oven, taking into consideration the cheesecake to bake extra frivolously.

That is why you’ll position your springform pan with the cheesecake into a larger roasting pan, then fill it with boiling water and bake it!

Pointers for making very best chocolate cheesecake

Making home made cheesecake is a hard work of affection and calls for some just right consideration to element. Temperature is KEY right here! Don’t fear, I’ve were given all the easiest pointers, “do’s,” and “don’ts” for you in order that it is going to prove completely each time:

• Use room temp substances. It’s a very powerful to make use of room-temperature cream cheese and eggs within the filling and to let your melted chocolate come to room temperature prior to blending it in. Blending cold and warm substances any place within the recipe provides you with a cheesecake that’s now not clean and creamy.
• Don’t overmix. When blending your filling, gradual and stable is easiest! Overmixing will lead to a in point of fact dense cheesecake, and combining too rapid will beat an excessive amount of air into the filling.
• Don’t over-fill the pan. Keep in mind to make use of a 9-inch springform pan, as anything else smaller will reason you to overfill it and may consequence within the filling leaking into your oven.
• Don’t overbake. Make sure to take your cheesecake out of the oven even though it appears to be like reasonably underbaked. The cheesecake will proceed to set because it cools, and we don’t desire a dry cheesecake!
• Use the oven door manner. As soon as your cheesecake is completed baking, use the oven door manner via turning off the oven, cracking the door, and letting the cheesecake take a seat for 30-60 mins. This may assist the cheesecake cool slowly as a substitute of getting it move from a highly regarded oven to room temperature unexpectedly (which might create cracks).
• Cool once more prior to chilling. After casting off the cheesecake from the oven and the water tub, position it on a cord rack to chill to room temp prior to chilling it within the fridge. Once more, we wish to cool the cheesecake slowly, in steps, to stop cracking.

Use this trick for cutting your chocolate cheesecake

As a result of cheesecake is a little more fragile than a conventional cake, I like to recommend operating your knife beneath scorching water prior to cutting into the cheesecake. This may let you lower very best items with out pulling one of the filling out together with your knife.

retailer home made chocolate cheesecake

• To retailer: retailer the cheesecake lined within the fridge for as much as 2-3 days. After that, the crust will begin to melt an excessive amount of.
• To freeze: be happy to freeze all the cheesecake or particular person slices. Position the cheesecake within the freezer till company, then wrap the cheesecake or slices smartly in plastic wrap and position in an hermetic container or silicone bag for as much as 3 months. When in a position to experience, defrost within the fridge in a single day and experience.

Extra decadent cakes you’ll love

Get all of my dessert recipes right here!

I am hoping you LOVE this darkish chocolate cheesecake recipe. If you are making it you should definitely depart a remark and a ranking so I understand how you really liked it!

Darkish Chocolate Cheesecake with Salted Nutella Ganache

Prep Time 5 hours hours

Cook dinner Time 1 hour hour 30 mins mins

Overall Time 6 hours hours 30 mins mins

ServesServes 16 servings

Decadent darkish chocolate cheesecake with an out of this world salted Nutella ganache. This pretty, wealthy chocolate cheesecake has a hazelnut & chocolate cookie crust for without equal chocolate fanatics’ dessert that is very best for birthdays or the vacations!

Components

• For the crust:
• 24 chocolate sandwich cookies (Oreos are just right)
• 1 cup uncooked hazelnuts
• ¼ cup salted butter, melted
• For the filling:
• 10 oz 72% darkish chocolate, chopped
• 24 oz full-fat cream cheese, softened at room temperature
• ¾ cup simple whole-milk Greek yogurt (siggi’s or fage)
• 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
• ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (use darkish cocoa for extra depth)
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 4 eggs, at room temperature
• Chocolate Hazelnut Ganache:
• ½ cup chocolate hazelnut butter (Nutella)
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 2 oz 72% darkish chocolate, chopped
• ¼ cup toasted hazelnuts, chopped
• 1 teaspoon flakey sea salt (I love Maldon), plus extra if desired

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease the interior of a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray and put aside.

• Position chocolate sandwich cookies and hazelnuts in a meals processor and pulse till finely flooring; upload melted butter and procedure once more till smartly mixed and cookie crumbs resemble rainy sand. Scrape into ready pan and use the again of a measuring cup to firmly press and compact into the ground and up the facet of the pan, ensuring the crust is even. Bake in oven for 10 to twelve mins. Position on cord rack to chill. Stay temperature in oven.

• Get ready cheesecake filling via hanging 10 oz of chopped chocolate in a double boiler, stirring from time to time, till clean and creamy. On the other hand you’ll be able to upload the chocolate to a medium microwave secure bowl and microwave in 30 2d increments, stirring in between, till chocolate is melted. Take away from warmth and let cool to room temperature, no less than 10 to fifteen mins. We don’t want the chocolate scorching when going into our cheesecake filling!

• Within the bowl of an electrical mixer, upload cream cheese, Greek yogurt and sugar and blend on medium-low velocity till simply mixed and clean, about 1 minute. The trick here’s not to overmix or beat an excessive amount of air into the batter, so gradual and stable is easiest.

• Subsequent, upload within the cocoa powder and salt and blend once more on medium-low velocity till clean and smartly mixed, scraping down the bowl as vital and combining another time till simply mixed. Upload within the eggs, one by one, blending on medium-low velocity till simply included. Scrape down the bowl once more, as vital. Finally, upload the melted chocolate and blend on low velocity till smartly included and dispensed.

• Double wrap the bottoms and aspects of the pan with the crust with foil. Position the wrapped cheesecake pan into a big roasting pan (or any pan sufficiently big to suit the springform pan in). Pour chocolate cheesecake filling over the cooled crust within the springform pan and clean the highest with a spatula.

• To make a water tub: Boil a big pot of water or boil water in a kettle for ease. As soon as water is boiling, upload the roasting pan with the cheesecake to the center rack of your oven. Gently and slowly pour boiling water (or VERY scorching water) into the roasting pan with the cheesecake (the kettle will assist you to pour in), ensuring it is about 1 inch deep in order that it does not evaporate when you find yourself baking your cheesecake. Gently push rack again within the oven and shut the door.

• Bake till the cheesecake heart is solely set and simply seems dry, about 1 hour to at least one hour and quarter-hour. (Don’t worry if the cheesecake cracks whilst baking; this might be lined with ganache!) The cheesecake would possibly nonetheless simply reasonably jiggle within the center. Flip off the oven and crack open the oven door however don’t take away the cheesecake from the oven. Permit cheesecake to sit down within the oven for half-hour to an hour to steer clear of drastic temperature adjustments which will crack the cheesecake.

• After half-hour to at least one hour, take away the roasting pan from the oven and moderately switch springform pan to a cord rack. Don’t take away cheesecake from the springform pan. Merely run a knife across the crust to loosen it, then relax the cheesecake for at least 4 hours in refrigerator, despite the fact that in a single day is easiest! As soon as in a position to best, take away cheesecake from the pan.

• To make the chocolate hazelnut ganache: In a medium saucepan, warmth heavy cream over medium-low warmth till heat. Upload chocolate hazelnut butter and stir till clean, then upload in 2 oz of chopped darkish chocolate and stir till totally melted. Take away from warmth. Pour over the middle of the chocolate cheesecake and unfold to outer edges. Most sensible with chopped toasted hazelnuts and sprinkle with sea salt. Permit ganache to set for 10 mins, then serve right away or position again within the refrigerator for serving later.

• Cheesecake is easiest inside 2-3 days of constructing, because the crust will melt as the times move on. Lower into 12-16 slices and experience!

Recipe Notes

See the overall publish for all of my pointers, methods, storing & freezing directions!