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Fresh chocolate cherry cheesecake recipe with a chocolate crust, fresh cherries baked into the cheesecake, dripping with ganache.
I have a bone to pick with grocery stores.
The way they label the prices for cherries is misleading. The cherries are nicely packaged in plastic bags and the sign will say “$2.99” and in tiny writing it will say per pound. But then they don’t tell you the bag is 3 pounds and those cute looking cherries are actually going to cost you $9!!!
I’d rather just have them tell me the real price so I can make the decision in the produce section if I want the $9 cherries rather than realizing I paid a whopping $9 for the cherries when I get home.
Someone please sympathize with me!
Because of this dilemma I will only buy them at Aldi – not only are they cheaper, they tell me how much the whole container will cost!
Cherries are pretty much good in anything. Cake, muffins, on top of chocolate cake, in homemade ice cream. I’m ready for dessert now :)
With our suggested tips, we’re going to show you that making cheesecake at home can be easy and delicious!
For the base you’ll need a lot of cream cheese (this is a no judgment zone friends!), sugar, vanilla, eggs, cherries and flavored coffee creamer.
I used International Delight’s Sweet Cream coffee creamer. I’m obsessed and go back and forth between the sweet cream and french vanilla as my favorite. Either one adds so much more flavor than heavy cream!
There are 2 other important details to follow when making cheesecake.
1. Don’t be afraid of the water bath! I know it sounds weird, putting your cheesecake in a water bath, but it’s the secret to creating moist, perfectly baked cheesecake. It’s really not scary. Be sure to wrap the pan you’re baking your cheesecake in with 3 layers of tinfoil before you fill it with the cheesecake mixture. Place the cheesecake pan inside a larger pan, like a 9×13, and fill the 9×13 inch pan with water, about 1-2 inches below the top of the cheesecake pan.
2. Don’t rush the cooling process. Once the cheesecake is done baking, let it sit in the oven for 1 hour or longer with the oven door cracked. A slow cooling process will help prevent the cheesecake from cracking. Don’t forget to refrigerate your cheesecake over night before serving.
Once the cheesecake has cool completely, top it with chocolate ganache, mini chocolate chips, and fresh cherries!
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of International Delight. The opinions and text are all mine.
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Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake
Ingredients
Cheesecake
- 3 packages full fat cream cheese, 8 oz each
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup International Delight Sweet Cream Creamer
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup chopped cherries, fresh
Crust
- 1 ½ cups chocolate graham cracker crumbs
- 5 tbsp butter, melted
Chocolate Ganache
- ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
- ¾ cup chocolate chips
To top the cheesecake
- mini chocolate chips
- fresh cherries
Instructions
Crust
- Preheat the oven to 350º F.
- Pulse the chocolate graham crackers or similar chocolate crackers/cookies in a blender or food processor until they are very fine. Measure out 1 & 1/2 cups of crumbs. Combine the crumbs with the melted butter in a small bowl and mix well until incorporated.
- Before adding the crumbs to the pan, wrap the bottom and sides of the pan in 3 layers of aluminum foil. This will help keep the water out during the water bath.
- Add the crumbs to the 8 inch pan, distribute them evenly, using a cup or the bottom of something flat to press the crumbs into the pan. If desired, you can have the crumbs go up the sides of the pan a bit.
- Place the pan in the oven, bake the crust for 8-10 minutes or until golden.
- Remove the pan from the oven, and allow it to cool to room temperature before adding the cheesecake mixture.
- Turn the oven down to 325º F.
Cheesecake
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the 3 packages of cream cheese until smooth, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add in the sugar and vanilla, beat again.
- Add in the International Delight creamer, beat again to combine.
- Add in the eggs, ONE at a time, beating after each one.
- Beat the mixture for 1 additional minute.
- Add in the chopped cherries, mix with spatula.
- Pour the cheesecake mixture on top of the crust. Make sure the crust and pan have cooled before doing so.
- Place the 8 inch round pan inside a 9×13 inch cake pan. Carefully fill the 9×13 inch pan with water, filling it about 1 inch below the top of the tin foil on the 8 inch pan.
- I like to place the cake pan on top of a large baking sheet, this makes moving the water bath easier.
- Place the water bath with cheesecake inside in the oven and bake at 325º F for 60 minutes.
- The cheesecake is done when the center wobbles a little when you jiggle the pan. The edges of the cheesecake should look firmer than the center.
- Once your cheesecake looks done, turn the oven off and open the oven door a little. Allow the cheesecake to cool to room temperature inside the oven before removing – this could be 60-90 minutes.
- Once cooled, remove the cheesecake from the oven. Take the aluminum foil off carefully and place the cheesecake (still in the pan) in the fridge for at least 6 hours or overnight.
- Before serving, carefully unmold the cheesecake from the pan. Allow the pan to do most of the work, some of the cheesecake may stick to the pan, but the cheesecake should naturally separate from the pan.
Chocolate ganache
- Place the chocolate chips in a heat proof bowl.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring the heavy cream to a boil. Once boiling, pour the heavy cream over the chocolate chips. Allow the mixture to sit for 1-2 minutes, melting the chocolate chips, then stir well to mix. Allow the chocolate to cool for 5-7 minutes.
To assemble
- Pour/spoon the chocolate ganache on top of the cheesecake, using a spatula to spread it around.
- Add mini chocolate chips on top of the ganache, around the edge of the cheesecake.
- Add fresh cherries to the center of the cheesecake.
- Serve. Cover and refrigerator any leftovers.
I want to make this for my fiancee for Valentine’s day. Of course cherries aren’t in season, but since we live in Florida, strawberries will be. I’ll have to substitute the strawberries for cherries, but it should work. Right???
Yeah! I would definitely give it a go!
Hi _ im from South Africa and intend making this cheesecake over the weekend as i have just seen the recipe.
The International creamer – is it a dry ingredient that is used to cream coffee or is it a liquid?
It’s a liquid coffee creamer.
Didn’t have coffee creamer, so replaced it with heavy cream. Also increased the vanilla to 1 3/4 tsp. Lovely cheesecake! Both the taste and texture were perfect. The cherries did sink to the bottom as I’d expected, but I didn’t mind at all. (Any tips to prevent them from sinking?) Thank you very much for this recipe! Looking forwards to making it again ~
Great to know that heavy cream worked too! As far as the cherries sinking to the bottom, when baking things like fruit breads or cakes, I usually coat the fruit in flour so the wet fruit doesn’t sink and gives it a bit of a texture to cling to! For this, so you don’t have that flour flavor, maybe try coating them in powdered sugar? That’s what I’m gonna try! Will update if that works out!
LOVED this recipe! Huge hit with my friends and family and making it for Thanksgiving today!
So happy to hear that!
If I use a 10 inch spring pan, do I have to add more cream cheese and or more eggs to fill the pan? What do you suggest?
Hi Judy! I haven’t made a cheesecake in a 10 inch pan, so I’m not able to give an accurate suggestion for how to increase the cheesecake volume without testing it.
Does the foil go on the inside of the cheesecake pan, or the outside?
Outside!
Has anyone tried using frozen cherries instead of fresh? I want to make this for my dad’s bday but cherries aren’t in season. ☹️
Could you use canned cherries and just drain off the liquid?
Hi Emily! I would say go for it! Definitely drain off the liquid well.
This is epic looking…
Makes me wish cherries were in season right now!
Are you supposed to wrap the bottom of the pan separately from the sides? I just put the cheesecake in the oven, but I am confused on step 13 where you say to remove the foil but leave the cheeseburger in the pan. I spread 3 layers of foil directly over bottom and sides before crumb end cheesecake. Am I going to be able to get this cheesecake out?
I can’t wait to try this. I want to make it for a gathering in October. Can I get fresh cherries now and freeze them for this cake? I know I won’t have them for the top but it will still be pretty. Thanks
Yes, that’s a great idea! Be sure to fully drain the excess moisture from the cherries once they thaw.