Chocolate Hazelnut Cheesecake

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Creamy, rich, and so decadent, this chocolate hazelnut cheesecake is a crowd favorite, and it's one of the easiest baked cheesecakes you'll ever make! And the cherry sauce takes it to another level of deliciousness!

Prep Time30

Cook Time1

Chilling Time8

Course: Cakes, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: Servings

Calories: 581kcal

Author: Natasha Minocha

Ingredients

CHEESECAKE CRUST

7 oz Marie biscuits, crushed
1/3 cup Butter, melted
1 Tbsp Cocoa powder

CHEESECAKE FILLING

2 1/4 cup Cream cheese
1/3 cup Cream
1/3 cup Greek yogurt
1/4 cup All purpose flour
3/4 cup Sugar
2 Eggs
1/3 cup Hazelnuts, coarsely ground
2 tsp Vanilla extract
1/2 cup Dark chocolate, melted and cooled

RED WINE CHERRY SAUCE

1.5 cup Cherries, pitted
2 Tbsp Water
2 Tbsp Sugar
3 Tbsp Red wine You can use any red wine. If you don't want to use wine, substitute with balsamic vinegar or lemon juice.
1/2 tsp Cornstarch mixed with 2 tsp water Optional

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Cheesecake Crust

Preheat your oven to 180 C / 350 F. Cover the outside of your 8" springform pan with foil.
Mix cocoa powder, crushed Marie biscuits, and melted butter in a small bowl. Press it down evenly at the bottom of the pan. Bake for 10 minutes.
Lower the oven temperature to 160 C while you're preparing the filling.
7 oz (200g)Marie biscuits, crushed, 1/3 cup (100g)Butter, melted, 1 Tbsp Cocoa powder

Cheesecake Filling

Beat the cream cheese, cream, Greek yogurt, flour, and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on low speed.
2 1/4 cup (520g) Cream cheese, 1/3 cup (80g) Cream, 1/3 cup (80g) Greek yogurt, 3/4 cup ( 150 g)Sugar, 1/4 cup (32g) All-purpose flour
When this mixture is smooth, add the eggs, mixing well on low speed until incorporated.
2 Eggs
Stir in the vanilla extract, melted chocolate, and coarsely ground hazelnuts until well incorporated. Don't overbeat.
1/2 cup Dark chocolate, melted and cooled(100 g), 1/3 cup Hazelnuts, coarsely ground(50 g), 2 tsp Vanilla extract
Pour into the prepared crust. Carefully place in the oven and bake at 160 C / 320 F for about 45-55 minutes at 160 C.
The top of the cake should look cooked, and the center should be a bit wobbly.
Turn off the heat and slightly crack the door open and allow to cool for 30 minutes.
Let the cake cool on the countertop for another hour and then refrigerate for at least 8 hours for it to set completely.
Remove carefully from the pan, place on your serving platter, and serve with the cherry sauce on top.

Red Wine Cherry Sauce

Combine cherries, sugar, water, and red wine in a small saucepan. Cook on medium heat for 15-20 minutes until the cherries are soft and bubbling.
Add some more water or wine if the sauce looks too thick. If the sauce looks too watery, stir in the cornstarch mixture. Let the mixture come to a boil and turn off the heat.
Taste and adjust for sweetness. Let the sauce cool completely. It will thicken as it cools. Serve atop the cheesecake. ENJOY!!!
1.5 cup Cherries, pitted, 2 Tbsp Water, 2 Tbsp Sugar, 3 Tbsp Red wine

Video

Notes

Make sure all ingredients are at room temperature.

Allow the melted chocolate to cool to room temperature before adding to the batter.

For enhanced hazelnut flavor, roast them before grinding. You can also add a tablespoon of hazelnut liqueur to the batter!

Please don't overbeat the batter. You don't want to aerate it. Less air in the batter means the cake will be moist, dense, and rich.

While using the electric beater to mix the ingredients, keep the speed at low. That will prevent incorporating too much air into the batter.

Before baking the cheesecake, lightly tap on the counter to release any air bubbles in the batter.

Once the center of the cake feels slightly springy to the touch and wobbles just slightly, you should turn off the heat and crank the oven door open for about 30 minutes with the cake in the oven. This ensures that the top doesn't fall or crack.

It's best to cool the cake in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours.

I like to cover the bottom and sides of the springform cake pan with foil to avoid any instance of batter leaking out and messing up your oven. This is experience talking!

Nutrition