Sometimes only a fancy smancy dessert will do. Espresso Cheesecake with Chocolate Glaze is the dessert for ……sometimes!
Cheesecakes are always a labor of love. They require time, and a bit of patience, but the results are totally worth it!
My first experience baking cheesecakes was also my first fake and bake……don’t judge! You would be surprised at how many desserts are made that way.
The batter came in a bucket and it truly was delicious. Playing around with the crust, the filling, the topping, and the items to mix in was a mission for me……a labor of love… so to speak.
Tim and I have friends that we play cards with (who we love dearly), not as frequently as we would like, but we enjoy the evenings filled with food, fun, cards, and this time….. cheesecake!
Dessert was my contribution to our latest get-together and I made Espresso Cheesecake with Chocolate Glaze. It was a hit!
Before I pretend that everything was easy peasy, just let me say that there is an art to making a perfect cheesecake……..an art I’m not sure I possess…..lol
Taste….spot on….beauty???? Not so much, if not for the glaze. Happiness is bringing your cheesecake out of the oven and it’s perfect….not a crack in sight.
Only to remove it from the refrigerator and find a crack the size of the Grand Canyon…….ok, slight exaggeration, but crushing all the same! Not all was lost, the glaze covered the imperfection and I learned some lessons.
Let the cheesecake cool before placing in the frig. Run a knife around the side of the pan before cooling, the cake not being adhered to the side of the pan helps it not to split. And finally do not over bake, a hard task with cheesecake, but for the perfect cheesecake you need too!
Imperfections or not, Espresso Cheesecake with Chocolate Glaze was a creamy, fluffy, chocolatey, and espressoey dessert that begs to be shared with family and friends……a true labor of love!
PrintEspresso Cheesecake with Chocolate Glaze
- Prep Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Total Time: 4 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: 10-12 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
CRUST
1– 10 ounce package Oreo Thins, crushed
2 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons butter, melted
CHEESECAKE
¼ cup heavy cream
2½ tablespoons instant espresso powder
3 pounds cream cheese
1 cup sour cream
1¾ cups sugar
5 eggs
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
GLAZE
⅓ cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons corn syrup
½ cup semi sweet chocolate chips
Chocolate cover espresso beans for garnish if desired
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Lightly grease the base of a 10-inch springform pan with nonstick spray and line with parchment paper.
MAKE THE CRUST: In a large bowl, mix the Oreo cookie crumbs with the sugar and melted butter to combine. Press the mixture evenly into the base of the prepared pan. Bake 15 minutes. Allow to cool.
MAKE THE CHEESECAKE: In a small saucepan, bring cream to a simmer remove from heat and add the espresso powder, stir to combine. Cool to room temperature.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, mix the cream cheese, sour cream, cooled heavy cream espresso mixture and sugar until well combined. Scrape the side of the bowl and add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla and salt.
Pour the batter over prepared crust. After placing cheesecake is in the oven, reduce the temperature to 300°F. Bake until the cheesecake is set but slightly jiggly in the center, about 1 to 1½ hours.
Turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake in the oven for 1 hour. Remove the cheesecake from the oven and refrigerate until fully cooled, about 2 hours. Run a knife around the edge of the cooled cheesecake, and release it from the springform pan.
MAKE THE GLAZE: In a small saucepan, heat the cream and corn syrup over medium heat. Place the chocolate chips into a small heat-safe bowl. Once the cream comes to a boil, pour it over the chocolate chips. Let it sit for 15 seconds, then stir until chips are melted and mixture is smooth. Pour over the cheesecake and allow to set.
Garnish with chocolate covered espresso beans if desired.
Let set before slicing and serving.