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I make this triple chocolate cheesecake when I want to go all out on chocolate. Deep, fudgy semi-sweet chocolate on the bottom, sweet creamy white chocolate on top, and a thick ganache poured over the whole thing. Chocolate lovers lose their minds over it.
This is my special occasion cheesecake. It is the one I bring to Christmas dinner, to Easter, to a birthday, to any holiday table where I want people asking for the recipe before they have finished their slice. I have plenty of quick desserts, but this is the showpiece, and the chocolate lovers in my life lose their minds over it every single time.
Here is what sets it apart from most triple chocolate cheesecakes out there. Almost every version calls itself triple by counting the crust, one brown chocolate filling, and a ganache, so it still looks like one solid color on the plate. Mine actually bakes two separate cheesecake layers, which is where that two-tone slice comes from.
If you love a baked chocolate cheesecake, my Toblerone cheesecake is another one worth bookmarking, and you can find more in my full collection of cheesecake recipes.
SPECIAL OCCASION
Why This Is the One I Save for a Real Occasion
I used to buy a showpiece dessert when I wanted to impress people, because a layered cheesecake felt too fancy to pull off at home. This is the recipe that changed my mind. Once I had the two layers and the water bath figured out, it came out looking like it came from a bakery, and now it is the dessert I am proud to walk in carrying myself.
What Makes This a Triple Chocolate Cheesecake
This is a layered chocolate cheesecake built from three real hits of chocolate. A semi-sweet chocolate cheesecake layer bakes on the bottom, a white chocolate cheesecake layer bakes right on top of it, and a silky semi-sweet ganache finishes the whole thing, with chocolate shavings to garnish. The Oreo crust rounds it out.
That is different from most recipes that use the word triple. Here you get two distinct baked cheesecake layers instead of one, which is what gives you that two-tone slice.
What You’ll Need
Full ingredient amounts are in the recipe card below. Here are the ones where the choice actually matters.
- Semi-sweet and white chocolate baking bars: Use good bars, not chips. I like Ghirardelli, Lindt, or Baker’s. Baking bars melt smooth and fold cleanly into the batter, while chips have stabilizers that keep them from melting the same way, and that shows up in the texture. The two chocolates are what create the two layers, so this is not the place to cut a corner.
- Block-style cream cheese: Use full-fat cream cheese in blocks, never the whipped tub kind. The block cream cheese is what gives you that dense, velvety, New York style body. Low-fat or whipped versions bake up looser and can throw off the set.
- Full-fat sour cream: This keeps the batter smooth and the baked texture creamy instead of tight. The fat matters here, so do not swap in a light version.
- Heavy cream: It does triple duty in this recipe. A little goes into each chocolate to loosen it for folding, a little goes into the batter, and the rest makes the ganache. Nothing else gives the ganache that pourable, glossy finish.
How to Make Triple Chocolate Cheesecake
Step 1: Make the Oreo crust.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Wrap the outside of a 9-inch springform pan with two layers of heavy-duty foil and spray the inside with nonstick baker’s spray. Pulse the Oreos in a food processor into fine crumbs, then drizzle in the melted butter until the mixture looks like wet sand. Press it evenly into the bottom of the pan and bake for 15 minutes, then cool to room temperature.
Step 2: Melt the two chocolates.
Reduce the oven to 325°F. In one microwave-safe bowl, heat the chopped semi-sweet chocolate with a quarter cup of heavy cream for 45 to 60 seconds and stir smooth. Do the same with the white chocolate and another quarter cup of cream in a second bowl. Set both aside to cool slightly before they go into the batter.
Step 3: Beat the batter base.
In a stand mixer with the paddle, beat the cream cheese and sugar on medium for 2 to 3 minutes until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time on low, letting each fully mix in before the next, and scrape the bowl as you go. Mix in the remaining quarter cup of heavy cream, the sour cream, and the vanilla just until smooth.
Step 4: Split and color the batter.
Pour half the batter into the bowl of melted semi-sweet chocolate and gently fold until no streaks remain. Pour the other half into the white chocolate and fold the same way. You now have two batters ready to layer.
Step 5: Layer them in the pan.
Spread the semi-sweet batter over the cooled crust in an even layer. Then gently spoon the white chocolate batter on top and spread it carefully to an even layer, being careful not to blend the two layers together.
Step 6: Set up the water bath and bake.
Place the cheesecake in a large roasting pan on the center rack. Carefully pour hot water into the roasting pan, keeping it out of the batter, until it comes about 1 to 1 1/2 inches up the side of the springform pan. Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, until the outer edges are just barely golden and only the very center jiggles slightly when the pan is tapped.
Step 7: Cool it slowly.
Turn off the oven, crack the door open about an inch, and let the cheesecake sit for another hour. Then take it out, remove the foil, cool to room temperature, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours or overnight.
Step 8: Finish with ganache.
Once fully chilled, make the ganache. Heat the chopped semi-sweet chocolate and heavy cream for 45 to 60 seconds, stir smooth, then stir in the corn syrup. Let it cool for 3 to 4 minutes so it thickens slightly, then spoon it onto the center and spread to the edges without letting it drip over the sides. Add the chocolate shavings, then chill 15 to 30 minutes until the ganache firms before slicing.
Make-Ahead and Storage
This cheesecake is built to be made ahead, which is part of why I reach for it on a busy holiday. Keep it covered in the refrigerator and it holds for up to 5 days.
To freeze, bake and cool the cheesecake, then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and foil before adding the ganache. It keeps for up to 2 months. Thaw it completely in the refrigerator, then add the ganache and chocolate shavings before serving.
More Chocolate Desserts You May Enjoy
Triple Chocolate Cheesecake
Ingredients
Crust layer
- 26 Oreo brand chocolate creme filled sandwich cookies
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted and cooled
Cheesecake layers
- 4 ounces semi-sweet baking bar finely chopped
- 4 ounces white chocolate baking bar finely chopped
- ¾ cup heavy cream divided, ¼ cup for the white chocolate, ¼ cup for the semi-sweet chocolate and ¼ cup for the cheesecake batter
- 32 ounces block-style cream cheese room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- ¼ cup full-fat sour cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3-4 cups hot water for the water bath
Ganache layer
- 4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate baking bar finely chopped
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon clear corn syrup
Garnish
- White chocolate bar shavings
- Semi-sweet chocolate bar shavings
Instructions
Crust layer
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Tightly wrap the outside of a 9-inch springform pan with two layers of heavy duty aluminum foil and lightly spray the inside of the pan with non-stick baker’s spray. Set aside.
- Add the Oreo cookies to a food processor and pulse for 30-60 seconds or until fine crumbs form.26 Oreo brand chocolate creme filled sandwich cookies
- While the food processor is running, slowly drizzle in the melted butter until fully incorporated into the cookie crumbs. The mixture should resemble wet sand.4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Press the crust mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared springform pan. Bake for 15 minutes, remove from the oven and allow the crust to cool to room temperature.
Cheesecake layers
- Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F.
- To a medium sized microwave safe bowl add the finely chopped semi-sweet chocolate and ¼ cup heavy cream. Heat for 45-60 seconds, stir until smooth and set aside to cool slightly before adding to the cheesecake filling mixture.4 ounces semi-sweet baking bar, 0.25 cup heavy cream
- To a second medium sized microwave safe bowl, add the finely chopped white chocolate and ¼ cup heavy cream. Heat for 45-60 seconds, stir until smooth and set aside.4 ounces white chocolate baking bar, 0.25 cup heavy cream
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and granulated sugar on medium speed for 2-3 minutes or until smooth and creamy.32 ounces block-style cream cheese, 1 cup granulated sugar
- With the mixer on low add the eggs one at a time, allowing each egg to fully incorporate before adding the next. Stop and scrape down the bowl and paddle attachment as needed to ensure the ingredients are evenly mixing.4 large eggs
- Add the remaining ¼ cup heavy cream, sour cream, and vanilla extract to the bowl and mix on low just until fully incorporated and the cheesecake batter is smooth.0.25 cup heavy cream, ¼ cup full-fat sour cream, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Pour half the batter into the bowl with the melted and slightly cooled semi-sweet chocolate. Gently fold to combine until no streaks of melted chocolate remain.
- Pour the remaining half of the batter into the bowl of melted and slightly cooled white chocolate. Gently fold to evenly combine and no streaks of white chocolate remain.
- Add the semi-sweet chocolate cheesecake batter to the crust and spread to an even layer.
- Gently spoon the white chocolate cheesecake batter onto the top of the semi-sweet cheesecake layer, being careful not to combine the layers, and gently spread to an even layer.
- Place the cheesecake into a large roasting pan and onto the center rack of the preheated oven. Carefully pour the hot water into the roasting pan, being sure not to get any into the cheesecake batter, until it goes up the side of the springform pan about 1-1 ½ inches.3-4 cups hot water for the water bath
- Bake for 1 hour, to 1 hour 15 minutes, or just until the outer edges are just barely golden and the center just slightly jiggles if the pan is tapped.
- Turn off the heat to the oven, crack the door open about 1-inch and allow the cheesecake to slowly cool, and finish baking for an additional 1 hour.
- Remove the roasting pan from the oven, remove the aluminum foil from the springform pan and allow the cheesecake to cool to room temperature before transferring to the refrigerator to chill for at least 8 hours or up to overnight.
Ganache layer
- Once the cheesecake is fully chilled, remove it from the refrigerator.
- To a small microwave safe bowl, add the finely chopped semi-sweet chocolate and heavy cream. Heat for 45-60 seconds, stir until smooth. Add the clear corn syrup and stir until fully combined. Allow the ganache to cool for 3-4 minutes before topping the cheesecake.4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate baking bar, ¼ cup heavy cream, 1 tablespoon clear corn syrup
- Spoon the ganache into the center of the cheesecake and carefully spread to the outer edges being careful not to drip any over the sides.
- Sprinkle the top of the cheesecake with the white and semi-sweet chocolate shavings to garnish. Return the cheesecake to the refrigerator to chill for 15-30 minutes, or until the ganache has firmed, before slicing and serving.White chocolate bar shavings, Semi-sweet chocolate bar shavings
Jenn’s Notes
- Use good semi-sweet and white chocolate baking bars like Ghirardelli, Lindt, or Baker’s, not chips, since chips have stabilizers that keep them from melting as smoothly.
- Pull the cream cheese and eggs out at least an hour ahead so the batter stays lump-free, and once the eggs go in, mix only until combined to avoid cracks.
- To keep the two layers defined, spoon the white chocolate batter over the back of a large spoon and spread it lightly instead of pouring it in fast.
- Let the ganache cool a few minutes so it thickens before spreading.
- Store covered in the refrigerator up to 5 days.
- To freeze, wrap the baked and cooled cheesecake tightly before adding the ganache and freeze up to 2 months, then thaw in the fridge and finish with ganache and shavings.
