Posted on Tuesday, 7th September 2010 by Grace
Where did the summer go?! I can’t believe my son, Matt, is back to classes already. I wanted to finish off the summer holidays with a delicious dessert and I knew Nigella’s easy chocolate cheesecake would be the perfect treat. Unfortunately not everyone agreed. You see Matt’s favourite all-time dessert is a no bake cheesecake with cherry topping that I’ve been making for the last 15 plus years.
It seems like every time I try to introduce a new cheesecake recipe I’m met with resistance. Thankfully, that all changed when Matt saw the cheesecake I was proposing. It was slathered in chocolate sauce and dripping with caramel sauce. How could he resist? He was chomping at the bit to dive right in (as we all were!).
I am a huge fan of Nigella Lawson! She is one remarkable woman and a true inspiration for the home cook. She was neither a trained chef nor a cook but a journalist. It wasn’t until 1992 when she was asked to write a food column for magazine that she entered the food world. In 1998, Nigella took her love of food and published her first book, . Not only was it a bestseller but also led Nigella to her first TV series, Nigella Bites. In 2000 Nigella released her second book, .
She’s not only written a few cookbooks since but she’s gone on to host several other shows, Nigella Feasts, Nigella Express and Nigella’s Kitchen. She even made appearances on Top Chef and Iron Chef America as guest judges. Nigella is known for her flirtatious manner of presenting and is often called the “queen of food porn”.
I love her best for her easy recipes and this cheesecake recipe is no exception. I strayed from the recipe a little bit and decided to go with an Oreo® cookie crumb base rather than the cocoa-flavoured graham crackers. I spotted a mouth watering butter caramel sauce at Tartelette a while back and I’d been saving it for a special dessert. I knew it would take this decadent chocolate cheesecake over the top luscious and it did! The crunch of the toasted hazelnuts is a welcoming contrast to the silky smooth filling.
I think you’ll agree with me when I say this Chocolate Cheesecake is scrumptious and sinful!
Chocolate Cheesecake with Chocolate Sauce, Butter Caramel Sauce and Hazelnuts
(Adapted from The Food Network, )
*Special Equipment – 9-inch spring form pan
Oreo® Cookie Crumb Cheesecake Base
- 1 to 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 1/3 cups Oreo® cookie crumbs
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Chocolate Cheesecake Filling
- 6 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped small, melted
- 2 1/2 cups cream cheese, room temperature
- 3/4 cup caster (superfine) sugar
- 1 tablespoon custard powder
- 3 large eggs
- 3 large egg yolks
- 2/3 cup sour cream, room temperature
- 1/2 teaspoon cocoa, dissolved in 1 tablespoon hot water
To make base:
- Using a small pastry brush, brush the sides of the spring form pan with the room temperature butter.
- Place Oreo® cookie crumbs in a small bowl.
- Place butter in a small saucepan over low heat, stir with a spoon until melted.
- Remove from heat and pour over the cookie crumbs. Using a spoon, stir to combine well; press evenly into bottom of pan.
- Place in the freezer while you make the filling.
To make filling:
- Fill a teakettle with water and place over medium heat and bring to a boil.
- Preheat oven to 350° F.
- Place the chocolate in a small saucepan and set over low heat. Stir with a spatula until chocolate has melted, set aside to cool slightly.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese at medium-high speed until light and fluffy.
- Add the sugar and custard powder and continue to beat on medium-high speed until well incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.
- Add the eggs one-at-a-time, beating well after each addition.
- Add the egg yolks and beat until combined.
- Add the sour cream and beat until well combined.
- Add the melted chocolate and cocoa dissolved in hot water and beat until well combined to a smooth batter.
- Remove spring form pan from freezer and line the outside of the pan with cling wrap, and then another layer of strong foil over that (this will protect it from the water bath).
- Sit the spring form pan in a roasting pan and pour the cheesecake filling into the spring form pan.
- Fill the roasting pan with just boiled water to come about halfway up the spring form pan.
- Carefully place in the oven and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour. The top of the cheesecake should be set, but the underneath should still have a wobble to it.
- Peel away the foil and cling film wrapping and sit the cheesecake it its tin on a wire rack to cool completely.
- Cover loosely and refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight.
- Remove from fridge and prepare Toasted Hazelnuts, Chocolate Sauce and Butter Caramel Sauce.
- Using a spoon, drizzle Chocolate Sauce (in a back & forth motion) over cheesecake. Repeat with Butter Caramel Sauce; let set. Sprinkle cheesecake with hazelnuts and serve.
Toasted Hazelnuts
- 1/2 cup hazelnuts
- Preheat oven to 350° F.
- Place hazelnuts on a small baking sheet and bake for 8 to 10 minutes.
- Remove from oven and place on wire rack to cool completely.
- Chop into small pieces (make sure pieces are not too large or it will make it difficult to cut nice cheesecake slices).
Chocolate Sauce
(Adapted from The Food Network, Nigella Lawson – Nigella Feasts)
- 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
- 1 1/2 ounces milk chocolate, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons dark corn syrup
- Place the bittersweet chocolate, milk chocolate, heavy cream and corn syrup in a small saucepan. Place over low heat and when chocolate has nearly melted remove from heat.
- Using a whisk, whisk to well combine and until you’ve reached a smooth consistency.
Butter Caramel Sauce
(Adapted from who originally adapted from )
- 240 grams caster (superfine) sugar
- 80 ml water
- 115 grams unsalted butter
- 150 ml heavy whipping cream
- Place the caster sugar and water in a medium-sized, heavy saucepan. Set the saucepan over low heat and stir with a spatula until the sugar has dissolved.
- Add the unsalted butter and stir to combine until butter has melted. Let the mixture come to a boil and cook until it reaches a golden caramel colour.
- Remove from heat and carefully add the heavy cream (be cautious because it will splatter and it will appear to almost bubble over – I place saucepan in my kitchen sink). Using a whisk, whisk well to combine.
- Return to the stove and cook over low heat. Let the mixture return to a boil and cook for an additional 10 to 15 minutes until you reach a creamy consistency.
Related posts:
- Fudgy Chocolate Brownies & Caramel Pots de Creme
- Chocolate Salted-Caramel Cakes & Mini Cupcakes
- One-Bowl Chocolate Cupcakes with Creamy Peanut Butter Frosting
- White Chocolate Pots De Creme, Blueberry Sauce & Hazelnut Florentines
- Chocolate Explosion – Chocolate Hazelnut Tart
Tags: baking and pastry, cakes, cheesecake, chocolate, chocolate dessert, chocolate sauce, cream cheese recipes, dessert, dessert sauces, desserts, hazelnut, Summer desserts
Posted in Baking & Pastry, Baking Mise en Place, Fillings, Frostings & Dessert Sauces, Pastry Doughs & Batter, Recipes
Comments (14)
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September 7th, 2010 at 6:08 pm
WOW, that looks just so evil, but yet so good. Amazing recipe you have here!
September 7th, 2010 at 7:38 pm
Your son would have been crazy to turn down this cheesecake. Looks too yummy!!!
September 7th, 2010 at 7:43 pm
Marly, he’s been crazy enough to turn down some really delicious ones in the past, thank goodness he likes this one, getting a little bored making the same cheesecake over and over again.
September 7th, 2010 at 7:44 pm
Perfect description Jason!
September 7th, 2010 at 8:23 pm
OMG!!! I can do anything for a slice of that cheesecake! Absolutely sinful and tempting!
September 7th, 2010 at 11:19 pm
Beautiful cheesecake! My son is the same – resisting change. Occasionally I can persuade him. I think I could with this one. Great work!
September 8th, 2010 at 3:03 am
Isn’t it frustrating at times Marcellina?
September 8th, 2010 at 6:05 am
this cheesecake looks absolutely incredible!
September 8th, 2010 at 8:26 am
Oh my gosh, this is utterly amazing. Not even a tiny crack in that cheesecake, then to cover so deliciously. I think it’s perfect.
September 8th, 2010 at 10:57 am
Hi Michelle ever since I started baking my cheesecakes in a water bath 99% of the time I don’t get cracks and the remaining 1% is usually tiny cracks that are easily fixed.
September 8th, 2010 at 10:57 am
Thank you Paula
September 8th, 2010 at 11:20 am
I don’t think “delicious” comes even close to describing that. The sauce dripping from the sides look heavenly.
September 9th, 2010 at 2:07 am
This looks absolutely heavenly! I love the photos too!
September 9th, 2010 at 6:31 am
Thank you Maria