Chocolate Orange Cheesecake

Chocolate orange cheesecake with an oreo crust topped with chocolate ganache

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This is a multi-day baking project. Day 1: Bake the cheesecake and chill overnight. Day 2: Garnish and enjoy.

Prepare a 9-inch springform pan with a circle of parchment on the bottom and a ring of parchment for the sides (optional).

Twist apart each oreo and remove the cream center. Discard or save to use for something else.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Pulse the cookies in a food processor until fine crumbs form.
Melt the butter in a microwave-safe medium bowl. Add the oreo crumbs, granulated sugar and kosher salt and toss together until combined.
Pour this mixture into the prepared springform pan and either pat down completely into the bottom or pat up the sides too, if desired.
Bake for 8-10 minutes, then remove from the oven and lower the oven to 325°F. Let cool completely.

Melt the chocolate: In a bain-marie (heatproof bowl over a medium pot filled with 1 inch of water) over medium heat, add the chopped chocolate. Stir with rubber spatula until completely smooth and melted. Make sure water does not get in the bowl of chocolate or it could seize. Set aside and let cool almost completely. Don’t do this too far ahead of time that you risk the chocolate cooling down to the point of solidifying.
Mix the cream cheese in a medium bowl with beaters on low or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on low for 1-2 minutes, just until smooth and no lumps remain. Do not over whip or you will introduce too much air.
In a separate small bowl, rub together the granulated sugar and orange zest to express the oils in the zest. Add this, along with the brown sugar, in with the cream cheese. Mix until combined.
Sift in the cocoa powder. Mix until combined.
Add the eggs one at a time, mixing in between each. Add the sour cream and mix until incorporated. Add the heavy cream, orange juice, orange-flavored liqueur, orange extract and kosher salt, and mix.
Finally, add in the melted chocolate, mixing just until combined. Pour the batter into the cooled baked crust and smooth the top.

Create a bain-marie: Cut large pieces of foil. Stack them on top of each other in opposite directions. Place the cheesecake on top of the foil stack and bring the foil up around the edges. You basically want to make it so that no water can get to the cheesecake pan. This is important otherwise your cheesecake could get waterlogged and ruined.
Place the foiled cheesecake pan inside of a larger baking dish. Pour boiling (or very hot) water into the larger baking dish so that it reaches at least halfway up the sides of the foiled cheesecake pan (but not so much that you risk getting water into the cheesecake pan). See notes for alternative options.
Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes to 1 hour and 20 minutes. You’ll know it is ready when it looks firm, but there is still a slight jiggle.
Turn the oven off and leave the cheesecake inside while the oven cools down. The key here is letting the cheesecake cool very gradually to prevent cracks. After about 30 minutes, crack the oven door with a wooden spoon or just open it slightly. Let cool in there another 30 minutes before removing to the counter to cool down to room temperature.
Finally, place the cheesecake in the refrigerator to chill completely overnight. I either cover the top or place it in a cake carrier before setting it in the refrigerator.

After the cheesecake has chilled overnight, make the ganache. In a bain marie (heatproof bowl over a medium pot filled with 1 inch of water) over medium heat, add the chocolate and heavy cream. Stir with rubber spatula until completely smooth and melted. Let cool a few minutes before pouring on top of the cheesecake. Use an offset spatula to let some drips run down the sides, if desired.
Garnish with candied, fresh or dried orange slices or whipped cream.