Chocolate Cheesecake with Cherry Topping
Chocolate Cheesecake with Cherry Topping
Yield: 12 slices
Equipment: 9-inch springform pan, roasting pan, saucepan, thermometer
Time and setting: 325°F; 60–75 minutes plus chilling
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups chocolate cookie crumbs
- 5 tablespoons melted butter
- 16 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup cocoa
- 1 cup Greek yogurt
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups pitted cherries
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons water
Method
- Heat oven to 325°F. Wrap pan in foil. Press mixed crumbs and butter into base; bake 10 minutes.
- Beat cream cheese, sugar, and cocoa low; add yogurt and vanilla, then eggs one at a time.
- Bake in 1-inch water bath 60–75 minutes until center reaches 160°F. Cool 1 hour; chill 6 hours.
- Simmer cherries and sugar 5 minutes. Add cornstarch mixed with water; cook 1 minute. Cool and spoon over cheesecake.
Preparation notes
Read the method, prepare equipment, and arrange ingredients in order. Divide evenly and preserve all rest or chilling time.
Substitutions
Raspberries may replace cherries. Use gluten-free cookies if required.
Storage and safety
Refrigerate within 2 hours up to 4 days. Freeze cheesecake without topping up to 1 month.
Crust and filling
Press crumbs evenly with the flat base of a measuring cup, concentrating lightly around the edge without creating a hard ridge. Bake and cool the crust before filling. All dairy should be near room temperature so it combines without lumps. Beat on low, scrape the bowl often, and add eggs last; excessive air expands in the oven and encourages cracking.
Water bath and doneness
Two tight foil layers protect the springform seam. Add hot, not boiling, water after placing the roasting pan on the oven rack. At the end, the outer two inches should look set while the center moves as one gentle unit. Confirm 160°F without touching the pan base. Turn off the oven, crack the door, and leave the cheesecake 20 minutes before removing it to slow cooling.
Cooling and cherry timing
Cool on a rack for one hour, then chill uncovered until no longer warm before covering. Add only fully cooled cherry topping; warm fruit softens the surface and creates condensation. For clean slices, chill at least six hours, loosen the side with a thin knife, and wipe a warmed knife between cuts. Because the old page has third-party lineage, use new owned media.
Service notes
Avoid opening the oven during the first 50 minutes because rapid heat loss can collapse the center. If a small crack forms, the cherry topping can cover it without affecting safety or flavor. Keep topping in a separate covered container if the cake will be frozen. After thawing overnight in the refrigerator, add the topping shortly before serving so the surface stays neat.
