- 24 Oreo cookies
- ¼ cup unsalted butter melted
- 10 ounces bittersweet chocolate finely chopped
- 24 ounces full fat cream cheese block type, at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated white sugar
- ⅓ cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup heavy cream at room temperature
- 4 large eggs at room temperature
- 3 cups fresh cherries washed, pitted and cut in half (for frozen see notes)
- ¼ cup white granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon cold water
- 2 tablespoons kirsch for alternatives see notes
- 1 cup heavy cream cold
- 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
- extra cherries
- extra bittersweet chocolate for shavings
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Preheat the oven to 350F. Prepare a 9 inch baking pan by wrapping the outside in a double layer of foil. Spray the inside of the pan with non stick baking spray.
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Make the crust: Put the Oreo cookies (do not scrape out the filling) into a ziplock bag and bash with a rolling pin until fine crumbs. You could also use a food processor.
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Transfer the Oreo crumbs to a small mixing bowl and add the melted butter. Mix until thoroughly combined.
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Tip the Oreo mixture in to the prepared 9 inch baking pan. Use a measuring cup to press the Oreo mixture about an inch up the side of the pan and into an even layer across the bottom of the pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool while you make the filling.
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Make the filling: In a microwave safe bowl, add the finely chopped chocolate. Microwave in 30 second intervals until the chocolate has melted then set aside to cool.
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In a large mixing bowl, add the cream cheese and sugar. Beat on a medium speed until creamy - about 2 minutes. Add the cocoa powder, vanilla extract and heavy cream and beat on a low speed until just combined. Add the cooled, melted chocolate and beat on a low speed until the ingredients in the mixing bowl look uniform in color. Add the eggs - one at a time, beating on a low speed after each incorporation until only just combined. Add the last egg and stop mixing as soon as the mixture is just combined. It’s really important not to over beat your mixture.
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Boil a full kettle.
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Place the 9 inch baking pan into a large roasting dish making sure it fits comfortably. Pour the cheesecake batter on top of the baked cheesecake crust. Use an offset spatula to smooth out the top.
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Put the roasting dish containing the cheesecake pan into the oven then quickly but carefully pour boiling water from the kettle into the roasting dish. You are aiming for about 1 inch deep. Quickly close the oven door. Bake for one hour or until the edges of the cheesecake are set but the middle still has a slight wobble.
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At this stage turn the oven off and open the door slightly, leave the cheesecake to cool in the oven for one hour. Remove from the oven and leave to cool at room temperature (this will take about one hour). Cover the cheesecake pan with foil and refrigerate for at least four hours but preferably overnight.
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Make the cherry compote: In a medium saucepan set over a low heat add the chopped cherries and sugar. Bring to a simmer stirring occasionally. Leave to cook down for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, add the cornstarch and water to a small bowl and whisk until the cornflour has dissolved. When the cherries have been cooking for 15 minutes and have softened and broken down, add the cornflour slurry along with the kirsch and cook for another couple of minutes or until the compote is thick and glossy. Remove from the heat and transfer to a covered dish or glass jar with a lid and refrigerate until it’s needed.
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When the cheesecake has been properly cooled, run a sharp knife around the edge of the cheesecake, unclip the pan and turn the cheesecake out on to a serving plate.
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Make the cream decoration: To a mixing bowl, add the heavy cream and powdered sugar. Whisk until soft peaks have formed. Add a piping tip to a piping bag (we used a Wilton 1M) transfer the whipped cream to the prepared piping bag.
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Spread the cherry compote on top of the cheesecake, leaving some space around the edge. Reserve some of the cherry compote juice for drizzling later.
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Pipe cream swirls around the edge of the cheesecake.
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Add the fresh cherries to the cream swirls drizzling over any leftover juice from the cherry compote. For a final flourish use a vegetable peeler to make decorative curls with the extra bittersweet chocolate and scatter over the top of the cheesecake.
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Slice, serve and enjoy!
We used fresh cherries to make the compote for this cheesecake however, you can use frozen if you prefer - just don’t defrost them before making the compote. The decoration is best with fresh cherries.
• Kirsch, short for Kirschwasser (German for "cherry water"), is a clear, colorless fruit brandy traditionally made from morello cherries. It’s what adds the unmistakable Black Forest flavor. If you can’t get a hold of Kirsch you can use any cherry liqueur, cherry juice or syrup.
• As one of the main ingredients and flavors in this cheesecake is chocolate we suggest using a high quality chocolate in bar form. Be sure to chop it finely so that it melts smoothly and evenly.
• When you add the Oreo crumbs to the pan you might notice that there are only enough for a very thin layer. Don’t be temped to add more as the crust will puff up in the oven when it bakes.
• Make sure all the ingredients for the cheesecake filling such as eggs, cream cheese and heavy cream are at room temperature as this will ensure the best texture for the cheesecake and help prevent it cracking.
• Adding the eggs to the mixture last, one at a time and only beating until just incorporated is an important step. Over beating the eggs can incorporate too much air which can cause the cheesecake to rapidly rise in the oven only to collapse as it cools. Over beaten eggs can also contribute to a dense and rubbery texture. To avoid these issues, it's best to beat the eggs just until they are fully incorporated into the batter, and not any longer. This will help you achieve a smooth, creamy cheesecake with the perfect texture.
• To prevent cracking and to ensure a cheesecake that rises tall and evenly it’s important to use a water bath. We wrap the outside of the cheesecake pan in foil as this forms a barrier to stop the water getting into the pan. We recommend using extra wide, extra strong foil. Double wrap the pan with the foil making sure there are no gaps. The water bath is the roasting pan the
cheesecake sits in. The pan is filled with boiling water which produces a steamy and moist environment for the best results.
• If the cherry compote has set too much after refrigerating you can loosen it by stirring in a teaspoonful of boiling water.
• Storage: Store any leftover cheesecake in an airtight container and refrigerate for 4-5 days.