Dark Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake (Print Version)

# Ingredients:

→ Crust

01 - 113 grams unsalted butter, melted
02 - 36 chocolate sandwich cookies (Oreo type), crushed really fine

→ Chocolate Raspberry Filling

03 - 120 grams fresh raspberries
04 - 2 teaspoons espresso powder
05 - 198 grams granulated sugar
06 - 340 grams semi-sweet chocolate, roughly chopped
07 - 71 grams light brown sugar, packed tightly
08 - 4 large eggs, room temperature
09 - 2.5 tablespoons Dutch-process cocoa
10 - 170 grams heavy cream, room temperature
11 - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
12 - 2 large egg yolks, room temperature
13 - 680 grams full-fat cream cheese, soft

→ Chocolate Ganache

14 - 57 grams unsalted butter, cubed and soft
15 - 283 grams heavy cream
16 - 226 grams semi-sweet chocolate, chopped fine

→ For Garnish (optional)

17 - 0.5 teaspoon cocoa powder
18 - 1 cup chocolate sauce
19 - 120 grams fresh raspberries

# Instructions:

01 - Wrap a 23-cm springform pan with lots of foil so water can’t sneak in. Grease the whole thing, even the edges. Start preheating your oven to 175°C.
02 - Toss your crushed cookies and the warm melted butter together in a big bowl. Stir until it clumps. Push this mix into the pan’s bottom and a little up the sides with your hands.
03 - Slide the crust into the oven for 10 minutes. Take it out and cool it on a rack. Now turn the oven down to 165°C.
04 - Gently heat water in a saucepan till it barely bubbles. Put a heatproof bowl on top (not touching the water). Toss in the chocolate and espresso powder. Stir here and there until it’s all melted. Set aside but keep it over warm water for later.
05 - Throw the soft cream cheese into your food processor. Let it spin until it’s super smooth, about 2 minutes. Scrape the sides. Add brown sugar, granulated sugar, and the cocoa powder. Mix again so it all blends. Drop in each egg and yolk one by one, pulsing just enough to mix each in.
06 - With the food processor still spinning, slowly pour in your heavy cream and vanilla. Give it about 20 seconds—just until mixed.
07 - Fold your bowl of melted chocolate into the creamy cheese mixture. Don’t stop until it looks sticky and totally blended.
08 - Pour half the chocolate batter over your cooled cookie crust. Sprinkle raspberries evenly across this layer. Cover them up with the rest of the filling so you can’t see a berry.
09 - Place the pan with foil into a big roasting pan. Put both in the oven. Carefully add very hot water so it rises about 2.5 cm up the sides. Bake about 70 minutes. The middle should wobble a little but not be wet.
10 - Take the cake out of the water bath and peel off some foil so steam escapes. Slide a thin knife all around the pan so it doesn’t crack while cooling. Let it sit and get totally cool in the pan.
11 - Pop the cooled cake straight into your fridge. Let it chill for at least 6 hours before you try taking it out or cutting it.
12 - Dump the chopped chocolate into a heatproof bowl. Warm your cream in a saucepan just till it’s barely boiling. Pour it on the chocolate. Let it sit a minute. Whisk until you get a shiny, smooth mixture. Blend in butter till melted. Let this mix cool on the counter until it thickens a little.
13 - Spread the ganache over your cheesecake. Use a spatula to smooth it out. Leave it at room temperature about an hour to set.
14 - Use a sharp, thin knife (wipe it clean every slice) to cut portions. Top each with chocolate sauce, some raspberries, and a bit of cocoa powder if you want. Keep leftovers in the fridge with a cover for up to 5 days.

# Notes:

01 - If you use dairy straight from the fridge, the filling won’t be smooth.
02 - Pick chocolate between 55% and 70% cocoa—anything in that zone works great.
03 - Don’t skip the fridge time at the end! It really helps your slices look tidy and hold together.
04 - Wait to add fresh toppings until serving. The cake stays tasty in the fridge on its own.
05 - No food processor? Use a powerful blender, stand mixer, or even a hand mixer—it all works.

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