5.0 from 51 votes
Dark Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake
This Dark Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake is pure decadence! It's not too sweet and but very rich, so a small slice goes far! The fresh raspberry pockets swirled throughout are delightfully refreshing!
Prep Time
25 mins
Cook Time
1 hr 25 mins
Additional Time
7 hrs
Total Time
8 hrs 45 mins
Servings: 10 servings
Course:
Dessert
Cuisine:
American
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- (1) full-size package Oreo cookies, crushed into fine crumbs (36 sandwich cookies in total)
- 1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, melted
For the Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake:
- 2 cups (340g) semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
- 2 teaspoons espresso powder
- 1 and 1/2 pounds (680g) full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 cup (198g) granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup (71 grams) light brown sugar, packed
- 2 and 1/2 Tablespoons Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 4 large eggs plus 2 egg yolks, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup (170g) heavy cream, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup (120 grams) fresh raspberries
For the Chocolate Ganache:
- 1 and 1/3 cups (226g) semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
- 1 and 1/4 cups (283 grams) heavy cream
- 1/4 cup (57g) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into cubes
For Garnish (optional):
- 1 cup (120 grams) fresh raspberries
- 1 cup chocolate sauce (use your favorite store-bought variety)
- 1/2 teaspoon cocoa powder
Instructions
For the Crust:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Wrap the outside of the pan in layers of heavy duty aluminum foil. You’ll be placing this pan in a water bath, so be sure the pan has been wrapped from every angle.
- In a large bowl combine the crushed cookie crumbs and melted butter, mix well to combine.
- Press the mixture into the bottom - and slightly up the sides - of the prepared pan.
- Bake the crust in preheated oven for 10 minutes. Remove the crust from the oven and set aside on a cooling rack until needed. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees (F).
Cup of Yum
For the Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake:
- Fill a medium pot one-third full with water and bring it to a low simmer over medium heat. Place a heatproof bowl that will fit on top of the pan snugly, but will not touch the simmering water, on top of the pan.
- Reduce the heat to low and add the chopped chocolate and espresso powder into the bowl over the pot. Heat until the chocolate is completely melted, stirring occasionally with a silicon spatula. Remove the pot from the heat, leaving the bowl of chocolate over the hot water. Set aside until needed.
- In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the cream cheese until completely smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, about 2 minutes. Add in both sugars and cocoa powder and beat smooth. Add in the eggs and egg yolks, one at a time, beating until just combined.
- Slowly add in the heavy cream and vanilla mix until just combined, about 20 seconds.
- Finally, fold in the melted chocolate. The batter will get very thick at this point!
- Remove the bowl from the food processor and, using a rubber spatula, stir the filling several times, to ensure the batter is evenly blended.
- Pour half of filling over the partially baked crust. Add raspberries in a single layer. Then pour remaining batter on top, making sure all raspberries are covered by the batter.
- Place the springform pan in a roasting pan or large baking pan. Place the roasting pan in the preheated oven and pour enough hot water into the pan to come 1-inch up the sides of the springform pan.
- Bake the cheesecake in the water bath for 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until the center of the cake is set but still slightly jiggly. The cake will set completely as it cools.
- Remove the cake from the water bath and place the pan on a wire rack. Carefully loosen the foil, then immediately run the tip of a knife around the sides of the pan, to prevent the top from cracking.
- Cool completely (in the pan), then transfer cheesecake to the refrigerator to chill for at least 6 hours before removing from the pan and slicing.
For the Chocolate Ganache:
- Add chopped chocolate to a medium bowl and set aside.
- In a small saucepan over medium-heat, bring the cream to a rolling boil then immediately remove from heat. Pour the cream on top of the chocolate pieces and set aside for 1 minute. With a whisk, begin to incorporate the melted chocolate into the cream, whisking until smooth and glossy.
- Add in the butter and use a spatula to stir until the butter is completely melted. The mixture will be dark and glossy. Set aside, at room temperature, until needed.
- Pour ganache over cooled cheesecake. Set aside until ganache is set, about 1 hour.
To Garnish & Serve:
- To serve, slice the cheesecake with a thin-bladed sharp knife, wiping the knife clean between each cut.
- Top each slice of cheesecake with a drizzle of chocolate sauce, a few raspberries, and a light dusting of cocoa powder. If you're presenting the cheesecake whole, you can drizzle the chocolate sauce over the entire cheesecake, then top with raspberries, and cocoa.
- Store, loosely covered, in the refrigerator, for up to 5 days.
Notes
- If you don't have a food processor, a high-powdered blender will work, or use an electric stand mixer or hand mixer.
- I recommend using chocolate between 55% and 70% cocoa.
- Don't skip the chilling phase! If you slice into this cheesecake without chilling it, it will be more like a lava cake.
- This cheesecake will keep in the fridge for 5 days, but keeps best without any topping on it (other than the ganache).