As a child, I used to watch in disbelief as my mum spread cream cheese over chocolate spread on her sandwich. She would do it every morning, and somehow, every morning, I was equally astonished by the combination.
Now that I’m grown up, I finally understand the appeal. Not that I’ve started spreading cream cheese over chocolate spread myself, but I can certainly appreciate why the two work so beautifully together. And they work especially well in this Chocolate Sandwich Cheesecake, where chocolate and cream cheese come together as though they were simply made for one another.
Cheesecakes, in general, are a wonderful thing, whether baked or chilled. They’re creamy, tender, full of flavour and incredibly versatile. As a baker, that versatility is one of the things I love most about them.
This wonderfully creamy and indulgent three-layer baked Chocolate Sandwich Cheesecake brings together contrasting flavours and textures in the most delicious way. A light, fluffy cheesecake filling sits between two layers of chocolatey goodness: a crunchy baked chocolate biscuit base underneath and a rich, whipped chocolate ganache on top. Together, they create an irresistible dessert that truly deserves to be called a delight.
Baked cheesecakes aren’t normally my first choice, but this one is most definitely worth the extra effort.
Ingredients:
Biscuit Base
300g chocolate biscuits
180g unsalted butter, melted
2 tbsp milk
Cheesecake Filling
250g mascarpone
200g full-fat cream cheese
125g caster sugar
3 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
100ml double cream
45g cornflour
80ml sour cream (⅓ cup)
Chocolate Ganache
75g dark chocolate
75g milk chocolate
240ml double cream (1 cup)
10g unsalted butter
2 tbsp icing sugar
Method:
Preheat your oven to 200℃, do not use fan heated
Chocolate Biscuit Base
Over a low heat, gently melt the butter with the cocoa and sugar, stirring until smooth and glossy. Remove from the heat, then stir in the coffee.
Crush the biscuits into fine crumbs using a food processor. Alternatively, place them in a sealed plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin.
Pour the melted chocolate mixture over the biscuit crumbs and stir until thoroughly combined.
Lightly oil a 23cm (9in) springform tin. Spoon in the biscuit mixture, pressing it firmly and evenly over the base and up the sides of the tin.
Bake for 8–10 minutes, or until firm. Set aside to cool.
Increase the oven temperature to 220°C.
Cheesecake Filling
Melt the chocolate in 15 sec increments in the microwave, set aside to chill
Gently mix together, using a wooden spoon, the mascarpone, cream cheese, sour cream, cornflour and vanilla until smooth and creamy.
Separate the eggs, then add the egg yolks to the cheese mixture and stir gently until combined.
Add the double cream and chilled chocolate to the cheesecake mixture and gently mix until incorporated.
In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites, gradually adding the caster sugar, until soft peaks form. Gently fold the whipped egg whites into the cheesecake mixture, taking care not to knock out too much air.
Pour the filling over the cooled biscuit base and loosely cover the tin with foil.
Bake the Chocolate Sandwich Cheesecake
Place a wide ovenproof pan filled with water on the bottom shelf of the oven. Set the cheesecake on the middle shelf and bake for 12–15 minutes, until the top and edges are lightly golden and beginning to set.
Remove the cheesecake from the oven and reduce the temperature to 170°C. Allow the oven temperature to drop before returning the cheesecake to the middle shelf. Bake for a further 40 minutes.
The cheesecake is ready when the edges are firm and set but the centre still has a gentle wobble.
Turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake inside for 1 hour, with the oven door slightly ajar. Leave to cool at room temperature for a further 1 hour.
Chocolate Ganache
Gently warm the double cream in a saucepan over a low heat. Add the dark and milk chocolate and stir until completely melted and smooth. Turn off the heat, add the butter and stir until glossy.
Transfer the ganache to the fridge and chill for approximately 20 minutes.
Remove from the fridge, add the icing sugar and whisk for 2–3 minutes, until light, soft and fluffy.
Once the cheesecake has cooled completely, carefully remove it from the tin and generously spread the whipped chocolate ganache over the top.
Refrigerate the finished cheesecake overnight before serving, to allows it to set fully and gives the flavours plenty of time to develop
Tips:
Use room-temperature ingredients. Take all ingredients out of the fridge at least 30 minutes before you begin. To ensure everything combine smoothly and prevents lumps in the filling.
Don’t overmix the cheese batter. Mix gently and only until smooth. Too much air in a baked cheesecake can cause it to rise excessively in the oven and then crack as it cools.
Fold the egg whites in gently. The whipped egg whites give this cheesecake its lovely light texture, so fold them into the mixture carefully to retain as much air as possible. Do not whip them to hard, to monitor the amount of air in the cake
Press the biscuit base firmly. Use the back of a spoon or the bottom of a glass to create a compact, even layer. This will give you a neat base that holds together beautifully when sliced.
Let the biscuit base cool completely. Adding the cheesecake filling to a warm base can affect the texture, so give it plenty of time to cool before assembling.
Don’t skip the water pan. The steam created by the pan of water helps keep the oven humid, encouraging the cheesecake to bake gently and evenly while reducing the risk of cracks.
Remove cake from oven while still wobbly. The cheesecake is ready when the edges are set while the centre still has a slight wobble, it will continue to set as it cools.
Cool it gradually. Cheesecakes dislike sudden changes in temperature. Leaving the cake in the switched-off oven with the door slightly ajar helps prevent sinking and cracking.
Don’t overwhip the ganache. Whisk just until it becomes light, fluffy and spreadable. Overwhipping can make the ganache too stiff or grainy.
Chill overnight before serving. Although waiting may be difficult, an overnight rest gives the cheesecake time to set properly and allows the flavours and textures to come together beautifully.
For picture-perfect slices, for lovely clean layers that are perfect for serving—and photographing, use a large, sharp knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry before each cut.
Enjoy!
Chocolate Sandwich Cheesecake
Ingredients
For the Chocolate Biscuit Base
- 300 g chocolate biscuits
- 180 g unsalted butter melted
- 2 tbsp milk
For the Cheesecake Filling
- 250 g mascarpone
- 200 g full-fat cream cheese
- 125 g caster sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 100 ml double cream
- 45 g cornflour
- 80 ml sour cream ⅓ cup
For the Chocolate Ganache
- 75 g dark chocolate
- 75 g milk chocolate
- 240 ml double cream 1 cup
- 10 g unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp icing sugar
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 200℃, do not use fan heated
Chocolate Biscuit Base
- Over a low heat, gently melt the butter with the cocoa and sugar, stirring until smooth and glossy. Remove from the heat, then stir in the coffee.
- Crush the biscuits into fine crumbs using a food processor. Alternatively, place them in a sealed plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin.
- Pour the melted chocolate mixture over the biscuit crumbs and stir until thoroughly combined.
- Lightly oil a 23cm (9in) springform tin. Spoon in the biscuit mixture, pressing it firmly and evenly over the base and up the sides of the tin.
- Bake for 8–10 minutes, or until firm. Set aside to cool.
- Increase the oven temperature to 220°C.
Cheesecake Filling
- Melt the chocolate in 15 sec increments in the microwave, set aside to chill
- Using a wooden spoon, gently mix the mascarpone, cream cheese, sour cream, cornflour and vanilla until smooth and creamy.
- Separate the eggs, then add the egg yolks to the cheese mixture and stir gently until combined.
- Add the double cream to the cheesecake mixture and gently mix until incorporated.
- Add in the chilled chocolate, mix.
- In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites, gradually adding the caster sugar, until soft peaks form. Gently fold the whipped egg whites into the cheesecake mixture, taking care not to knock out too much air.
- Pour the filling over the cooled biscuit base and loosely cover the tin with foil.
Bake the cheesecake
- Place a wide ovenproof pan filled with water on the bottom shelf of the oven. Place the cheesecake on the middle shelf and bake for 12–15 minutes, until the top and edges are lightly golden and beginning to set.
- Remove the cheesecake from the oven and reduce the temperature to 170°C. Allow the oven temperature to drop before returning the cheesecake to the middle shelf. Bake for a further 40 minutes.
- The cheesecake is ready when the edges are firm and set but the centre still has a gentle wobble.
- Turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake inside for 1 hour, with the oven door slightly ajar. Remove it from the oven and leave to cool at room temperature for a further 1 hour.
Chocolate Ganache
- Gently warm the double cream in a saucepan over a low heat. Add the dark and milk chocolate and stir until completely melted and smooth. Remove from the heat, add the butter and stir until glossy.
- Transfer the ganache to the fridge and chill for approximately 20 minutes.
- Remove from the fridge, add the icing sugar and whisk for 2–3 minutes, until light, soft and fluffy.
- Once the cheesecake has cooled completely, carefully remove it from the tin and generously spread the whipped chocolate ganache over the top.
- Refrigerate the finished cheesecake overnight before serving. This allows it to set fully and gives the flavours plenty of time to develop.