Bake With Zoha

Instructions

Oreo crust:

Pre-heat the oven to 350F (conventional), and prepare a 9" springform pan by brushing a light coating of butter on the bottom and side. Cover the bottom and edges of the pan on the outside with 2-3 sheets of aluminum foil tightly 

For the crust, grind the Oreo cookies in a food processor until they make a fine crumb. Add the melted butter and grind again. Transfer to the pan and press down firmly to have a tight crust. I use a measuring cup for this step, and press quite firmly as that helps make sure the crust isn't soft or crumbly

Bake the crust for 8-10 minutes. Remove from the oven, and turn down the temperature to 325F

Chocolate cheesecake:

Mix the semi sweet chocolate, heavy cream and coffee in a large heat-proof bowl. Heat and stir over a double boiler for a few minutes until everything is melted and you have a silky ganache. Set it aside to cool down

Add the cream cheese to the bowl of a stand mixer fit with a paddle attachment. Mix it for 3-4 minutes until the cream cheese is very creamy and fluffy. Make sure to scrape the edges and bottom of the bowl a few times through this process, as that will help ensure there aren't any solid cream cheese lumps left behind

Add sugar, cocoa powder, salt and vanilla to the mixer, and mix again for 3-5 minutes until everything is well combined. Keep scraping the bowl

Break the eggs in a separate bowl and lightly whisk to break the yolks. Add to the batter and mix for just a few seconds until the eggs are combined into the batter. Avoid overmixing at this stage

Add the cooled down ganache and sour cream, and whip until just combined

Transfer the batter to the pan with the crust. Tap the pan several tips on your counter to get rid of any air bubbles

Boil some water and place it in a larger pan in the oven. Place the cheesecake pan inside this pan so it has a 1-2" water bath around it. The aluminum foil will prevent the water from leaking into the pan. Close the oven door

Bake for 60-70 minutes. The cheesecake is done when the edges are firm and pulled away from the sides, and the center has a slight jiggle to it

Remove from the oven and let cool at room temperature for 2-3 hours. After that, transfer to the fridge to cool completely overnight (at least 8 hours)

Chocolate ganache:

The next day, prepare chocolate ganache for the top of the cheesecake by bringing the cream to a boil and pouring over the chocolate. Rest for 5 minutes, then mix until you have a silky ganache

Chocolate whipped cream:

Prepare the chocolate whipped cream by adding all the ingredients into a bowl and whisking with an electric beater (or stand mixer with balloon whisk attachment) until the cream reaches stiff peaks. Avoid overmixing as it will cause the cream to split. Transfer the cream to a piping bag fit with a star tip of choice

Decoration / Assembly:

Gently remove the cheesecake from the pan and transfer to a serving stand. Pour over the ganache once it has slightly thickened. Spread carefully and make a swirl using an offset spatula

Pipe rosettes around the edge with the chocolate whipped cream

Serve and enjoy!