Introducing the best baked chocolate cheesecake ever!
I cheated on my usual baked chocolate cheesecake recipe. There, I said it! I know, I know! I’m a bad, hideous, terrible person! For years I’ve been using one ridiculously amazing cheesecake recipe and it is my go-to for everything. It’s a white chocolate cheesecake that has been pimped out with blueberries, lavender, raspberries, cardamom, coffee and even saffron. But this baked chocolate cheesecake? Damn is it good.
Just look at it’s velvety, silky smooth texture! Is it weird that a cheesecake gets me this excited? Probably, but I don’t care because this recipe is a revelation.
If you’re one of those people who don’t like baked cheesecake, it’s probably because you haven’t had a PROPER baked cheesecake. Overbaked cheesecake is the WORST and there are a few things you can do to avoid getting that horrid, crumbly, chalky texture…
- Bake it in a bain marie (water bath) until it juuuuust quivers. It should have a jelly wobble to it. Then it’s ready! Don’t bake it for a second longer.
- Avoid it cracking by turning off the oven and allowing your cheesecake to wallow in its warm bath until completely cool. Take it out too soon and the temperature difference will cause it to split down the middle. If that does happen, just cover it up with raspberries and pretend it never happened – no one will ever know!
- Never serve a cheesecake cold. NEVER EVER. That’s generally why it will be chalky and stick to the roof of your mouth. Allow it stand at room temperature for 1 hour and it will be all soft and mousse-like.
Ingredients
- 200g coconut biscuits
- 100g salted butter, melted
- 50g cocoa powder
- 675g full fat cream cheese, softened
- 375g sour cream or plain yoghurt
- 220g Natura Sugars Soft Brown Sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 450g 70% dark chocolate (I use the brand AFRIKOA), melted
- 50g butter, melted
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder, sifted
- Fresh raspberries and edible flowers, to decorate
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celcius or 160 degrees if you're using a fan-forced oven.
- Grease and line a 22cm round springform cake tin and wrap the outside in foil.
- Prepare a large roasting tray large enough for the cake tin to fit inside, fill halfway with water and place in the oven while it preheats.
- To make the crust, place the biscuits, butter and cocoa powder in a food processor and process until fine. Press into the base of the lined tin.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes then remove and allow to cool completely.
- To make the cheesecake, place the cream cheese, yoghurt and soft brown sugar in the bowl of a food processor and blend until smooth.
- Add the eggs one at a time, blending in between each addition.
- Add the melted chocolate, butter and cocoa powder and blend well.
- Pour into the prepared baking tin and smooth the top.
- Place the cheesecake into the bain marie (the water should be hot by now) and bake for 35-40 minutes or until the cheesecake wobbles slightly.
- Turn the oven off and allow it to cool inside for 30 minutes.
- Then remove from the oven and allow to cool at room temperature until the water is completely cool.
- Remove from the bain marie, wrap in cling wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours (or preferably overnight).
- Remove the cheesecake from the fridge an hour before you want to serve it.
- Decorate with fresh raspberries and edible flowers to serve.
Hi there! This looks absolutely amazing! What brand of coconut biscuits do you use?
Hi Lindie, I used Bakers Tennis Biscuits, but you’re welcome to use whatever kind you like. If I had a box of Romany creams, I’d use that! Kx
I was going to ask the same question! haha! Thank you for specifying and the recommendation, Kate! 🙂
Looks really awesome and heard you on Goodhope fm. Any chance that you have this as video format? Thanks
Hi Brinsley, I don’t have a video for this cheesecake, but do have one for the caramel chocolate tarts you heard on the radio. Check it out here: http://thekatetin.com/cheats-chocolate-caramel-shortbread-tarts/
Okay have not tried this recipe as yet but wanted to find out that instead of baking it in a bain marie and just bake it just like we bake our tarts would it work and also is it really necessary to put in the fridge for atleast 3 hours can i serve it without chilling it am asking because its an amazing recipe and want to try it for my exam but the exam is 3 hours long that is why
Hi Oscar! If you bake it without the bain marie, I suggest you bake it at a lower temperature – 100 degrees celcius. The bain marie is to maintain a constant temperature and it stops it from getting a chalky texture. Then, you need to at least let it cool down to room temperature for the cheesecake to set. Chilling it will improve the texture so I would pop it in the freezer as a shortcut. Why don’t you make smaller mini cheesecakes to speed up your baking and chilling time? Hope that helps!