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.

The present new formula was enlivened by two of my FAVORITE treats: chocolate raspberry cake and chocolate cheesecake! Have you attempted both of them at this point? They’re both absolute rockstar plans that merit a spot in your heating revolution.

Well… because when combined, they create the most sinfully decadent yet fruity and refreshing chocolate cheesecake you’ll ever experience! Even my husband, who samples a good amount of my baking creations, was absolutely floored by this one! It’s definitely unlike any chocolate cheesecake you’ve ever had before. In the best way possible.

Since the greater part of the fixings are family unit staples! Furthermore, the rest are really modest and simple to discover! Also, this is an extraordinary event dessert formula. So it very well may be amusing to assemble the entirety of your fixings and go through the evening in the kitchen preparing.

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:

1. 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.
2. In a large bowl combine the crushed cookie crumbs and melted butter, mix well to combine.
3. Press the mixture into the bottom – and slightly up the sides – of the prepared pan.
4. 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).

For the Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Slowly add in the heavy cream and vanilla mix until just combined, about 20 seconds.
5. Finally, fold in the melted chocolate. The batter will get very thick at this point! 
6. Remove the bowl from the food processor and, using a rubber spatula, stir the filling several times, to ensure the batter is evenly blended.
7. 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. 
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. 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.
11. 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:

1. Add chopped chocolate to a medium bowl and set aside.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Pour ganache over cooled cheesecake. Set aside until ganache is set, about 1 hour.

To Garnish & Serve:

1. To serve, slice the cheesecake with a thin-bladed sharp knife, wiping the knife clean between each cut.
2. 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. 
3. 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).