Chocolate cheesecake

Instructions

1. Step 1

   Take the cream cheese, sour cream and eggs out of the fridge about an hour ahead. Melted chocolate seizes into little bits when it meets cold ingredients, making the filling lumpy. The ingredients are ready when they no longer feel cold in your hand.

   Suggested time: about 60 minutes.

   Mark step 1 as done

2. Step 2

   Preheat the oven to 175°C and line the bottom of a 20 cm springform pan with parchment paper. A hot oven lets you bake the crust right after pressing it. The oven is ready when the heating light turns off.

   Mark step 2 as done

3. Step 3

   Put 200 g chocolate sandwich cookies, filling and all, into a food processor and grind them into crumbs, add 50 g melted unsalted butter, pulse a few more times and press the mixture firmly into the bottom of the pan. The cream filling in the cookies helps bind the crust, so you only need a little butter. The crust is ready when the crumbs look like damp sand and press into a firm, even layer.

   Mark step 3 as done

4. Step 4

   Bake the crust at 175°C for 8 to 10 minutes, then take it out and lower the oven to 150°C. A quick bake makes the crust drier and crisper once chilled. The crust is ready when the surface is dry and smells of cocoa.

   Bake at 175°C for about 8 to 10 minutes.

   Mark step 4 as done

5. Step 5

   Chop 200 g dark chocolate, set the bowl over a pot of barely simmering water on low heat and stir until melted, then take it off and let it cool slightly. A water bath melts the chocolate evenly without scorching it or making it separate. The chocolate is ready when it's smooth and glossy and feels just warm against your lip.

   Low heat.

   Mark step 5 as done

6. Step 6

   Beat 600 g cream cheese with 140 g granulated sugar, 15 g cocoa powder and a pinch salt on low speed, then add 120 g sour cream and 5 g vanilla extract and pour in the cooled chocolate. Cocoa powder deepens the chocolate flavor, while sour cream balances the sweetness. The filling is ready when it's an even brown with no streaks of chocolate or lumps of cheese.

   Mark step 6 as done

7. Step 7

   Add 150 g eggs one at a time, beating each for only a few seconds until the yellow just disappears. Thick chocolate filling traps air easily, so minimal beating keeps the top smooth. The filling is ready when it's thick and glossy and falls from the whisk in a heavy ribbon.

   Mark step 7 as done

8. Step 8

   Pour the filling over the crust, smooth the top, set the pan on a baking sheet and bake at 150°C for 60 to 70 minutes. Chocolate makes the filling prone to drying out, so it needs a lower temperature than vanilla cheesecake. It's done when the edges are firmly set and a palm-sized area in the center still wobbles slightly.

   Bake at 150°C for about 60 to 70 minutes.

   Mark step 8 as done

9. Step 9

   Turn off the oven, prop the door open and let the cheesecake cool gradually inside for about an hour, then take it out to cool completely. Cooling slowly keeps the cake from shrinking sharply and cracking on top. It's ready when the bottom of the pan is cool.

   Suggested time: about 60 minutes.

   Mark step 9 as done

10. Step 10

    Heat 100 g heavy cream over medium heat until it's just bubbling at the edges, pour it over 100 g chopped dark chocolate, wait one minute, then stir from the center outward and pour it over the cheesecake. Ganache (a mix of chocolate and cream) poured while still warm levels itself and sets beautifully glossy. The ganache is ready when it's silky smooth and covers the top in a dark, mirror-like layer.

    Medium heat.

    Mark step 10 as done

11. Step 11

    Refrigerate the cheesecake for at least six hours or overnight, loosely covered so condensation doesn't form on the ganache. The chocolate filling needs a long chill to reach its dense, truffle-like texture. It's ready when the ganache has set on top and slices stand straight without slumping.

    Suggested time: about 360 minutes.

    Mark step 11 as done