I thought this was the first time I had made a chocolate cheesecake, but apparently I made this one a little over a year ago. I’m not sure where I first saw this recipe, but it looked stunning so I’ve just been waiting for the right time to make this.

This recipe isn’t difficult, just quite time consuming. I was going to make this earlier, but completely forgot to set the ingredients out ahead of time so I had to put it off. Once you’re ready to start this recipe, be sure to really wrap the spring form pan since it’s going in a water bath.

The crust is really easy to throw together. As a note, I always wish I knew what to do with the Oreo middles since you don’t use those for most Oreo crust recipes. If anyone has some recipes for this let me know!

The cheesecake portion is also pretty easy. Normally I use the microwave to melt chocolate, but I decided to use a double boiler this time. I’m notorious for taking short-cuts when it comes to sifting things, but after a batch of flour that was clumpy I’ve changed my ways and made sure to sift the cocoa. The recipe mentions this, but be sure not to over mix the filling. Pour this into the baked crust and then place it in a large baking dish (I used a roasting pan) filled with water and bake.

I’ve tried several different cheesecakes recipes and usually a recipe either uses a water bath, or they let the cheesecake sit in the oven after baking for a bit. Both of these techniques are supposed to help avoid a crack in the top and this recipe does both. You’ll want to let this cool to room temp after baking before wrapping with plastic wrap and then putting in the fridge. Let it be known that these wasn’t a single crack in this cheesecake. I hadn’t even put the mirror glaze on yet and I was already excited at how nice it looked. I made my cheesecake the night before and then the day of I pulled it out and took it out of the pan and then pour the mirror glaze over it.

The mirror glaze was easy to make as well, though it took a lot longer than a minute for my glaze to become thick enough that it would set, but still be pourable. I was a little nervous about this part because I didn’t want to mess anything up, but it poured well and wasn’t as messy as I was afraid. I did put it on a jelly roll pan with a cookie rack on top so I could make sure I got it on the whole cheesecake. I let it set up for a bit before garnishing with strawberries.

This is honestly one of the most stunning things I’ve ever made. I don’t say that to brag, I was actually shocked because I feel like the recipes always look so nice and then mine doesn’t turn out quite as nice. It was so great to finally make something that actually looked as pretty as the actual recipe. This also was one of the most delicious cheesecakes I’ve ever made. You do want to make this when you’ve got a small crowd though because it’s very rich. It’s definitely time consuming, but I would absolutely make this again!

Baking Ease	9
Time Spent	7
Taste	10
Visual	10

Recipe Used: The Jo Baker