Chocolate lovers, this one is for you! Every inch of this triple chocolate cheesecake is filled with chocolatey goodness, including an Oreo crust. The entire cheesecake is prepared and baked in just over 1 hour with no water bath needed!
Preheat the oven to 350℉ and spray a 9” springform pan with nonstick spray.
Add the Oreos to a food processor and pulse until you have fine crumbs – it should be sand-like in appearance. (or you can use a zip top bag & a rolling pin). Then add the butter and pulse for another 30-60 seconds or until moistened.
28 Oreo cookies, 3 tablespoons butter
Press the crumbs into the prepared pan using the bottom of a glass to get an even layer. The crust will come up the sides of the pan approximately 1.5”.
Bake for 10 minutes.
To make the chocolate cheesecake filling
While the crust is baking, in a microwave safe bowl, add the chocolate chips and heat in 30 second intervals, stirring between each, until smooth. Set aside to slightly cool. To a large mixing bowl, add the cream cheese and sugar and beat together with a hand mixer on medium until smooth.
1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, 24 ounces cream cheese, 1 cup granulated white sugar
Add in heavy cream and sour cream and beat until smooth.
1 cup heavy cream, ¼ cup sour cream
Pour in the melted & cooled chocolate and beat until combined.
Add in the eggs and vanilla and beat on low until just combined.
3 large eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pour the filling into the cooled crust and bake for approximately 55 minutes or until the center is almost set (slightly jiggly).
Cool on the counter for 1 hour, then cover and move to the fridge to continue cooling.
To make the ganache
While the cheesecake is cooling in the fridge, make the ganache by adding the chocolate chips and heavy cream to a microwave safe bowl and heating in 30 second increments, stirring between each, until smooth.
⅔ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, ½ cup heavy cream
Remove the cheesecake from the fridge and pour the ganache over the top, smoothing into an even layer. Return to the fridge to chill for at least 2 hours.
To make the chocolate whipped cream
While the cake is setting, put a metal mixing bowl (or the bowl of your stand mixer & whisk attachment) into the freezer to get them really cold, for about 15 minutes.
Remove the mixing bowl and whisk from the freezer. Add the heavy cream, cocoa powder, and powdered sugar to the chilled bowl and mix on medium-high until stiff peaks form. This can take up to 8-9 minutes.
2 cups heavy cream, ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, ½ cup powdered sugar
Move the whipped cream to a piping bag fitted with your favorite tip and (or just a large freezer bag with the tip snipped off) and pipe dollops onto the top of the cheesecake.
Slice into 10 slices and enjoy!
Notes
This cheesecake is very rich, you can stretch it to 16 slices instead of 10. Or, if you’re feeling very generous, you can slice into as few as 8 slices.
Start with room temperature cream cheese and eggs. It will ensure a smooth cheesecake batter.
Use full-fat cream cheese. I haven’t tested with low/reduced fat.
The eggs go in last. Don’t over mix, just mix until combined, or you will incorporate too much air into the batter (which can cause cracks).
Don’t open the oven door until the end of the bake time. When you peek in, it creates a draft, which can cause cracks.
To check for doneness, the edges should be slightly puffy and the center still a bit jiggly. It will finish cooking after you take it out.
Don’t cover it immediately. Let the cheesecake cool on the counter and then cover with foil or plastic wrap before moving it to the fridge. If you cover it too soon, it’ll cause condensation.
If it does crack, don’t worry, we’re covering it with chocolate ganache.
Store leftovers covered in the fridge for 3-4 days.