Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake

Summer brings an abundance of cherries which work as a wonderful treat in desserts such as this baked chocolate cherry cheesecake. A chocolate cheesecake batter enriched with cherry sauce then topped with more fresh cherries.

Table of Content

• Why make this recipe?
• Ingredients and substitutes
• Step by step instructions 
• What is the secret to baking a perfect cheesecake?
• Frequently asked questions
• You may also like
• Printable Recipe
• Comments

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Are you enjoying the summer heat? Berries? Stone fruits? We have been on a berry binge recently, pigging on berries and stone fruits. Can you tell?

The sheer amount of wonderful summer fruits in the markets gets my mom juices flowing. I can't stop making all these wonderful things. I made jam plum peach jam, Fig, strawberry. We also made mini berry cheesecakes, blueberry bars, and blackberry nectarine crum cake.

Why make this recipe?

• Most cheesecakes are large desserts baked in a 9-inch springform pan. This one is a smaller cake made in just a 7-inch springform pan. Perfect for a small family using fewer ingredients. Of course, if you want to make this a 9-inch springform pan just double the cheesecake filling.
• There are just two components to this cheesecake.
  • The crust - Today, I am using Graham crackers for the crust. But, if you don't have or cannot find Graham crackers you can also use my homemade cheesecake crust.
  • The cheesecake batter - Rich, creamy and decadent made with full-fat cream cheese, sugar, cornstarch, and eggs. It uses my classic cheesecake batter as a base.
• The cheesecake batter takes only about 30 to 35 minutes to bake and then needs a good few hours of chilling time. Therefore, this is a perfect make-ahead dessert for those times when you have family and friends to entertain.

Ingredients and substitutes

• Cherry Filling - You can use store brought cherry filling of course, but, if cherries are in season homemade cherry filling takes just five minutes to make.
• Cookie crust  - You don't necessarily need a brand here - just any dark-colored cookies will do. Here I am using a brand of dark cookies similar to Oreo cookies. You can also make my homemade Cheesecake Crust from Scratch.
• Cream cheese - I always use Mascarpone or Philadelphia because that's what I get very easily. But any cream cheese with a fat content of over 35% works great.
• Sour cream - Adds a real zing - you can also use a homemade sour cream for this recipe.
• Chocolate - Use good quality chocolate. It makes a huge difference. I'm using 60% Callebaut chocolate but any good brand works.

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Step by step instructions 

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Prepare

• Pre-heat the oven at 350°F / 177°C/ Gas Mark 3.
• Prepare pan - Wrap the outside of a 7-inch springform pan in aluminum foil. We will also need a roasting rack larger than the springform pan.
  Pro tip - The aluminum foil will prevent water from entering the cheesecake while baking in a water bath.
• Melt chocolate - Break the chocolate into small pieces. Place in a microwave-safe bowl or double boiler. Melt at 50% power for one minute or more until melted. Set aside to cool slightly.
  Pro tip - It is important to do this now so the chocolate will cool otherwise the warm chocolate will seize into the batter.
• Place the cherry filling in a microwave-safe bowl or saucepan with ¼ cup water. Heat until well melted. Then press through a sieve to strain as much of the cherry puree as you can. Set aside.
  Pro tip- Alternatively, you can blend the cherry filling with water in a food processor to get more out of the cherry filling as possible.

Crust

• Crush the cookies in a food processor. Add sugar, melted butter, and stir to combine.
  Pro tip - You can also place them in a ziplock bag and use a rolling pin to crush them.
• Pour crumbs into the prepared springform pan. Use the back of your spoon or measuring cup to press the crumbs firmly to form a crust.
  Pro tip - Pressing down firmly will ensure a good base for the cheesecake and it won't fall apart when you cut slices.
• Baked in the oven for 10 minutes. Once baked set aside to cool slightly.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 300°F / 150°C/ Gas Mark 2.

Prepare the filling

• In the bowl of a stand mixer, with the whisk paddle attachment, combine cream cheese and sour cream. Then, add the sugar. Followed by the cornflour and vanilla extract.
  Pro tip - The cream cheese must be at room temperature. Otherwise, the batter will be lumpy. If necessary, place a warm bowl on top of the cream cheese to help thaw faster.
• Add eggs one at a time making sure to incorporate each well.
  Pro tip - We want each egg to incorporate well but we do not want to incorporate too much air into the batter. Otherwise, the top will crack when baking. So, do not overmix.
• Finally, add the cherry filling and the melted chocolate.
  Pro tip - If the chocolate is not cooled, it will seize when added to the batter and you will end up with small shards of chocolate in the batter. So, make sure the chocolate is room temperature.

Bake

• Double boiler - Pour the batter into the prepared springform pan over the baked crust. Place the springform pan in a deep baking pan or roasting rack. Pour 2 cups of hot water into the roasting rack outside the springform pan.
  Pro tip - The water will create steam in the oven and prevent the custard-based cheesecake from drying out.
• Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until set. Remove from the oven and let cool for 30 minutes on the counter. Then, run a knife or spatula around the edge of the cake but do not remove it from the pan.
  Pro tip - As the cheesecake cools it will shrink slightly. Running the knife around will prevent any cracks on the top of the cheesecake.
• Cool for at least 4 hours or up to overnight in the fridge. Then, run a knife or spatula again and release it from the pan.
  Pro tip - The cake must be cooled before you pour the chocolate glaze. Otherwise, the glaze will melt off the cake.
• Garnish with fresh cherries or pour more cherry filling/sauce on top.
• Enjoy!

What is the secret to baking a perfect cheesecake?

Well, I think there are several very important things, as I have explained in the recipe and this post. Most importantly, these are the 5 most important things you must remember for every cheesecake.

1. Room temperature ingredients - for example, chilled cream cheese will make a lumpy batter.
2. Don't over-mix the batter - over-mixing will incorporate too much air, which leads to cracked cheesecake.
3. Bake in a water bath - the oven is dry air, which is not good for custard-based batters. So, the steam created in a water batter bakes the cheesecake to perfection.
4. Loosen the cheesecake before you chill it - the cheesecake and crust shrink as it cools. So, loosen it before chilling to prevent any cracks.
5. Chill for at least 6 hours or overnight - this helps the egg-baked cake to set which will not only tastes great but will also cut impressive slices.

Frequently asked questions

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Printable Recipe