Rich Chocolate Cheesecake – no bake, no gelatine

This is a rich Chocolate Cheesecake that is made without the oven or gelatine. A chocolate base, decadent creamy chocolate cheesecake filling and layer of chocolate ganache on top, finished with swirls of cream and shower of chocolate shavings to make it look extra special!

A rich Chocolate Cheesecake

This is not your every day sort of cheesecake. It is very luxurious, with rich chocolate flavour, one to save for special occasions or to treat a chocolate lover in your life!

Though decadent, it’s not too sweet thanks to a restrained amount of sugar and the tang from cream cheese which balances it out. And in even better news for the cooks out there, in the cheesecake making world, this is on the easy end – it’s no bake (no cracked top fear!) and no gelatine, which I know puts some people off no matter how much I preach how easy it is to use and how much better the results are!

In today’s cheesecake, melted chocolate does the setting work for us – how good is that!!? It firms up the velvety filling as it cools so it slices beautifully yet melts luxuriously in your mouth. Look how neatly it slices!

Also a useful photo to give you a breakdown of the cake:

• Chocolate base made from Oreo cookies (you can use any chocolate biscuit)

• Creamy chocolate cheesecake filling

• Chocolate ganache topping

• Cream piped around the border

• Chocolate shavings

Excessive use of the word chocolate?? Never! 😅

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Ingredients in No-Bake Chocolate Cheesecake

This recipe uses both melted chocolate and cocoa powder for maximum chocolate flavour. Using too much melted chocolate makes the filling firmer and denser because chocolate sets solid when chilled, so the cocoa powder gives us extra chocolate flavour without compromising that lovely creamy cheesecake texture. I went through quite a few versions before I got the balance right!

1. For the chocolate cheesecake filling

Important – This must be made with 70% cocoa chocolate in order to ensure the cheesecake filling sets properly. If you use a chocolate with a lower cocoa percentage, the filling will set softer. See below for more chatter on this!

• 70% cocoa chocolate – As noted above, the cheesecake relies on the chocolate to set (rather than gelatine). Specifically, the recipe calls for 70% cocoa chocolate. I use block chocolate and chop it up to melt. If you have callets or wafers/buttons, you don’t need to chop it.

  Important – Make sure to use chocolate from the baking aisle, not the confectionary aisle which is intended for eating and doesn’t melt properly. The only exception I know of is Lindt 70% chocolate – it’s tempered and works beautifully for baking.

  Dark chocolate (US: semi-sweet chocolate) – It works, but read this first! With a lower cocoa percentage (typically 40-45%), the cheesecake sets softer, so slices don’t cut as neatly and the edges smear when you cut. And because of the lower cocoa %, the chocolate flavour is not as strong. But it still slices, the taste is great and the cheesecake is extra creamy! So the eating part is great. 🙂

  Do not use any milk chocolate or white chocolate. You can use anything between dark chocolate and 70% cocoa chocolate (eg 60%), and the texture will fall between.

• Cream cheese – This recipe must be made with block-form cream cheese. It won’t set properly with cream cheese in tubs which is softer because it’s designed to be spreadable.

  Spreadable tub cream cheese (ie not block form) – The recipe needs to be altered to work with this, omitting the cream and beating the cream cheese for longer. But it does work, I specifically tried it because I understand from readers that it is difficult to find block-form cream cheese in the UK and many parts of Europe. Instructions are in the recipe card notes.

• Cocoa powder – Just regular cocoa, unsweetened, for an extra boost of chocolate flavour. It gets bloomed in a little hot water to bring the chocolate flavour out.

• Sugar – Preferably caster sugar (superfine sugar) as the grains are finer to ensure they dissolve easily. However, regular white sugar / granulated sugar should work fine.

• Vanilla – For a little flavour. Please use vanilla extract not imitation essence. 🙂

2. chocolate base

Here’s what you need for the base – Oreos, unsalted butter and a pinch of salt. You can substitute with a plain chocolate biscuit if you want, rather than using Oreos, just add an extra 15g / 1/2 tablespoon of butter to help the crumbs hold together since they don’t have the creamy filling that Oreos do.

3. ganache layer

To make ganache, you only need chocolate and cream – but the type you use matters so read below! Also note the typical 1:1 ratio of chocolate to cream for ganache doesn’t apply here, I’m after a slightly softer set ganache that a knife will slide through effortlessly without pressing into the soft cheesecake.

• 70% cocoa chocolate – I use the same 70% chocolate that I used for the filling. The 70% chocolate blocks I use are 180g each, so I get two blocks and that’s sufficient for the filling and the ganache layer. You can use 70% chocolate in any form – block, callets, buttons – but whatever you use, it needs to be chopped finely so the heat from the cream can melt it.

  Also, as noted above, make sure to use chocolate from the baking aisle, not the confectionary aisle (Lindt 70% is the only exception!).

  Dark chocolate – If for whatever reason you want or need to use dark chocolate (US semi-sweet chocolate), you will need to increase the amount of chocolate as it’s softer, so check the recipe notes.

• Cream – you must use full fat cream that is around 35% fat in order for the ganache to set! If you use low fat cream less than 30%, the ganache will never thicken and you’ll just have a runny chocolate sauce.

  • Australia – Thickened cream (35% fat) is ideal. Pure cream (typically 35% fat) also works. Don’t use tubs labelled “dollop cream” (too thick, it’s like sour cream) or “cooking cream” (which is just for pouring, it won’t whip”).

  • US: Heavy cream or heavy whipped cream is ideal (~35% fat).

  • UK: Whipping cream is ideal – it’s typically 35% fat. It needs to be that fat % to whip. Double cream is too thick.

How to make this No-Bake Chocolate Cheesecak

Cheesecakes always seem to have lengthy step by step photos, but don’t let that put you off! They aren’t overly difficult, they just have more steps than simple dump-and-bake cakes. Just watch the recipe video and read the recipe from start to finish before you begin. There’s no need to rush, and no fiddly precision is required. You’ll breeze through this!

Note: You need to allow at least 8 hours for the cheesecake to fully set in the fridge before slicing.

1. INVERTED BASE (PRO TIP!)

We use a springform pan for cheesecakes so they can be removed without flipping – no cheesecake would survive being turned upside down! For easy removal, turn the springform base upside down – no lip means the cheesecake slides off smoothly without cracking the crust.

1. Flip the base of a 20cm/8″ springform pan upside down. 

2. Butter and line – Spray the base with oil or grease very lightly with butter, just enough to hold a square(ish) piece of baking paper (parchment paper) in place so it’s not sliding around when you clip the sides in. 

   💡Tip: If you grease too generously with butter, it will make the paper stick firmly and you’ll need to run a knife under it to loosen, or let the cheesecake sit out for a bit to let the butter soften before sliding it off the base.

3. Clip the sides in so the excess paper is sticking out. The overhang makes it easy to slide the cheesecake onto a serving platter – no structural stress!

4. Line sides – Grease then line the sides as well, making the paper sticks up about 1cm / 0.4″ above the rim, to hold in the ganache which will just about reach the rim. It’s not an especially tall cheesecake, rather, inverting the base raises the base of the cake pan.

2. OREO BISCUIT BASE

If you don’t have a food processor, just put the cookies in a ziplock bag and bash into crumbs using a rolling pin or similar. It’s fun – and therapeutic. 🙂

1. Break up cookies roughly by hand, then place in a food processor.

2. Blitz until it becomes sand-like. Pour in the melted butter and blitz again briefly to just combine.

3. Tip this cookie-sand into the lined pan.

4. Press into pan – Use something with a flat base and straight sides to press the crumbs firmly against the base of the pan. I use a measuring cup!

3. PREPARE THE CHOCOLATE

1. Chop chocolate (if using block) – If using a chocolate block, chop it up until the largest pieces are no bigger than 0.5cm/0.2″.

   If using chocolate melts (buttons/discs) or chips, there is no need to do this step.

2. Melt and cool chocolate – Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl and melt. I use the microwave – 20 second increments on high, mixing with a chopstick in between – until fully melted and smooth. Or melt in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water (don’t let the bowl touch the water). Then leave to cool for 5 minutes – but it must still be fluid, to incorporate smoothly into the cheesecake filling without little chocolate lumps.

3. Bloom cocoa – Whisk cocoa powder and hot water until lump-free, then leave to cool and thicken while you make the filling. This is called blooming, which brings out the chocolate flavour. Bonus – no need to sift the cocoa, the lumps whisk out!

4. MAKE CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE FILLING

I prefer a handheld beater for the filling – it’s easier to move around the bowl and needs less scraping. If using a stand mixer, use the whisk for cream, then switch to the paddle for cream cheese to avoid over-aerating (which can cause unsightly bubbles in the filling).

1. Whip cream – Whip the cream on high for 2 – 3 minutes or until stiff peaks form (upright Santa hats, not floppy elf hats!). We want properly stiff cream to make the cheesecake light.

   I whip the cream first so I can use the same beaters for the cream cheese without washing. Do it the other way around and you’ll need to clean them, as cream can be fussy about whipping!

2. Beat cream cheese – Put the cream cheese, vanilla and sugar in a separate bowl and using the same whisk (no need to clean it), beat for 2 minute on high just until it’s softly smooth, then stop. We don’t want to beat excessively to aerate it as this will create unsightly air bubbles in the filling and increase volume too much – your cheesecake will overflow!

3. Make it chocolate! Pour in the cocoa powder water mixture and the cooled melted chocolate, and beat it in until incorporated.

4. Beat in whipped cream – Put 1/3 of the whipped cream in, and beat until you can no longer see cream streaks. Then add the rest of the whipped cream in and beat again until you no longer see white cream streaks. Run a rubber spatula around the edge and base of the bowl to ensure it’s all properly mixed together and a uniform pale chocolate colour.

5. Pour the filling into the base then smooth the surface (a small offset spatula is handy for this).

6. Refrigerate 2 hours to let the surface firm up sufficiently to pour the ganache on.

5. DECORATING THE CHEESECAKE

The cheesecake is finished with chocolate ganache, whipped cream and chocolate shavings. You can skip the cream and shavings, but not the ganache – it’s part of the cheesecake and adds an extra hit of chocolate!

1. Chop chocolate for ganache – Whether using a chocolate block, melts or discs, chop the chocolate up finely to ensure it melts fully. This is especially important for this recipe because we are not making a large amount of ganache so there’s only a small amount of cream from which the heat is used to melt the chocolate.

2. Hot cream – Heat the cream until hot but don’t let it come to a boil, then pour it over the finely chopped chocolate in a bowl. Then leave it, uncovered, for 5 minutes to let the hot cream melt the chocolate.

3. Mix with a rubber spatula until the cream and chocolate come together into a smooth ganache.

4. Ganache topping – Pour the chocolate ganache onto the surface, then rotate the cheesecake to make the ganache spread evenly all over.

5. Refrigerate 6 hours to let the cheesecake fully set.

6. Decorating – Pipe whipped cream around the rim and decorate with chocolate shavings. I just make chocolate shavings using a vegetable peeler on a bar of milk chocolate (milk chocolate is softer so it shaves and curls more easily than dark chocolate). I like using the chocolate shavings as it hides any imperfections on the surface of the ganache (little bubbles) and just generally makes the cake more enticing and chocolatey!

   TIP: If you want to pipe the cream on the day before, then use stabilised whipped cream – see here for various ways to do it (easiest is to buy McKenzie’s whipped cream stabiliser, it’s a powder, just add to cream and whip). I almost always stabilise my whipped cream these days so it doesn’t weep and stays perfectly fluffy for days.

This Chocolate Cheesecake will keep for 5 days in the fridge, though the chocolate base does start to soften on days 3 and beyond. It’s not suitable for freezing because it weeps too much – you can really only freeze baked cheesecakes.

One last piece of advise with this cheesecake: It is best served at a gathering so there’s none left. Knowing there’s Chocolate Cheesecake lurking in the fridge is dangerous stuff. Midnight fridge raids! – Nagi x

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Watch how to make it

Life of Jaffle

These days, I do a lot of work sitting on the floor because a certain fur ball is just so interested in whatever I’m doing. 😆 Here he is, closely studying the chocolate cheesecake. I don’t have the heart to tell him he will go his whole life without knowing what chocolate tastes like!!