There are some desserts that I have had a hard time getting on the bandwagon for. Cheesecake was one of them. I know so many people love cheesecake hardcore. When I was young, it was hard for me to even want to try it because of the word cheese in it. As I aged I grew more adventurous, but still I was not a big fan of this dessert. Then one day, maybe five years ago or so, I had little chocolate marble cheesecake squares at a friend’s grad party, and everything clicked into place. I finally understood why people adore cheesecake, so I set about to make my own.
Cheesecake is a tough dessert to get perfect because cracks are so hard to prevent. I think I have read over 10 hours of material on how to not get a cheesecake to crack, and I have only had one in my whole life come out perfect. So, with that in mind, please do not beat yourself up about it if you do happen to get a crack. You can always cover it up with a sauce topping anyways!
In my cheesecake tasting period, I tried tons. Chocolate, New York style, marbled, turtle, caramel, etc. I found that even though I loved the chocolate one, it was a little too rich and heavy for me, but this chocolate marble cheesecake has the perfect balance of chocolate, lightness, and sweetness. I think this cheesecake is perfect for chocolate lovers, cheesecake lovers, and everyone in between. When I made the cheesecake this time, I paired it with a raspberry jam sauce, which was wonderful. I also think a caramel sauce would be good as well. But whether you add a sauce or not, I find it quite delightful plain as well.
Chocolate Marble Cheesecake
Equipment
- Hand/Stand Mixer
- Small Saucepans
- 9-inch Springform Pan
- Medium and Large Bowls
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 1½ cups Graham Cracker Crumbs
- 6 tablespoons Unsalted Butter, melted
- ¼ cup Granulated Sugar
For the Cheesecake:
- 2 ounces Semi-sweet Chocolate, melted
- 32 ounces Full-Fat Cream Cheese (4 packages of cream cheese)
- 1¼ cups Granulated Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 4 Eggs
Instructions
For the Crust:
- Preheat the oven to 325°F.
- In a medium-sized bowl, add the graham cracker crumbs and sugar, and whisk together.
- In a small sauce pan on the stove, melt the butter. Once melted, allow it to cool for 3-5 minutes.
- Pour the butter into the bowl with the graham cracker crumbs and sugar, and stir to combine. The mixture should resemble wet sand.
- In a 9-inch spring-form pan, pour the mixture into the bottom of it. Using your hands or the bottom of a measuring cup, pat down the mixture into the bottom of the pan. Make sure to cover every inch of the bottom, and you can build the crust up the sides a bit if you feel as if your bottom crust is a little thick.
- Bake the crust in the oven for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, take it out and allow it to cool while you make the filling.
For the Cheesecake:
- Melt the chocolate in a small clean sauce pan. Melt the chocolate GENTLY over low heat, be sure not to burn it. Or you can use a microwave. Set aside to let cool.
- In a large bowl using a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla together. Beat until the sugar is entirely incorporated and the mixture is creamy and light.
- One at a time, add in the eggs. Make sure to blend each egg in fully before adding the next.
- Remove two cups of this batter and place it in a clean, medium-sized bowl.
- Add the melted chocolate to the two cups of batter in the medium-sized bowl. Beat together with a hand mixer until the chocolate is combined and homogeneously spread throughout.
- Pour the plain batter on the baked crust.
- Pour the chocolate batter in a random movement pattern over the plain batter.
- With a knife or toothpick, swirl the batter to create a marbled effect. I like to go a little deep for my marbled cheesecake, but if you do this, be sure not to disturb the crust on the bottom.
- Bake in the preheated 325°F oven for 40-50 minutes, or until the center is just set,. You want just a little wobble in the center still when you take it out.
- Allow the cooked cheesecake to cool in the pan for 1-2 hours until it reaches room temperature. Then, cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap and allow it to refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.
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