Chocolate Orange Cheesecake
Inspired by Terry's, this orange cheesecake is topped with a thick layer of rich chocolate ganache. Chocolate Orange Cheesecake is so rich and decadent! This chocolate orange cheesecake is my favorite and is great for holiday meals.
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 1/2 cup macadamia nuts coarsely chopped
- 4 tablespoons butter melted
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Filling
- 3 blocks cream cheese full fat version, 24 oz in total
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons orange extract
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- orange food color optional, as much as necessary to get the color you desire
Chocolate ganache topping
- 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons butter melted
Instructions
For the crust
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Begin to boil a large pot of water for the water bath.
- Mix together the crust ingredients and press into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Set crust aside.
For the filling
- Combine cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of a stand-mixer and cream together until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, fully incorporating each before adding the next. Make sure to scrape down the bowl in between each egg. Add heavy cream, vanilla, lemon juice, extracts, and food color and blend until smooth and creamy.
- Pour batter into prepared crust and tap the pan on the counter a few times to bring all air bubbles to the surface.
- If cheesecake pan is not airtight, cover bottom securely with foil before adding water. Place pan into a larger pan and pour boiling water into the larger pan until halfway up the side of the cheesecake pan.
- Bake 45 to 55 minutes, until it is almost done - this can be hard to judge, but you're looking for the cake to hold together, but still have a lot of jiggle to it in the center. You don't want it to be completely firm at this stage. Close the oven door, turn the heat off, and let rest in the cooling oven for one hour. This lets the cake finish cooking and cool down gently enough so that it won't crack on the top. After one hour, remove cheesecake from oven and lift carefully out of water bath. Let it finish cooling on the counter.
For the chocolate ganache topping
- While the cake is cooling on the counter, prepare the chocolate ganache. In order to do this, heat chocolate chips, butter (cut into small cubes), and heavy cream in a pan in the microwave in 30 second increments. Continue to heat for 30 seconds, then stir well, then heat for 30 seconds and stir well. Do that three or four times, until the chocolate is very smooth and creamy. The chocolate may become too runny to spread on your cheesecake, so you may have to let it sit on the counter for a while, until it cools and thickens enough to spread.
- Once the cheesecake and the chocolate ganache are sufficiently cool, pour the ganache over the top of the cheesecake, still in the springform pan. Put the whole thing in the fridge to chill over night. Once fully chilled, loosen the edges of the pan, and the cheesecake is ready to serve.
Notes
Prep notes: While the actual making of this cheesecake is a minimal time commitment, it does need to bake for almost an hour, cool in the oven for an hour, and chill overnight before it is served. Please plan accordingly!
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© 2009 – 2018, Tara Ziegmont. All rights reserved.
[email protected] says
Oh my goodness. These pictures are not good for me,right now. I started Weight Watchers, today. Now, as I visit the TMTT posts, I just want to EAT!!!
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Felicia says
LOL at the first picture!!! It still looks delicious!
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Felicia says
LOL at the first picture!!! It still looks delicious!
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[email protected] Beauty and Bedla says
Wow – I don’t care if you think the first pic isn’t the best…it looks amazing! Especially with the chocolate. Thanks for the tip for beating it too much. I think that must be why mine get puffy some times.
Thanks for linking to Tasty Tuesday. 🙂
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[email protected] Beauty and Bedlam says
Wow – I don’t care if you think the first pic isn’t the best…it looks amazing! Especially with the chocolate. Thanks for the tip for beating it too much. I think that must be why mine get puffy some times.
Thanks for linking to Tasty Tuesday. 🙂
[email protected] Beauty and Bedlam’s last blog post..Freezer Meals…Mexican style for Tasty Tuesday
Kara says
That first picture cracked me up! I love chocolate and orange together too, so this sounds wonderful!!
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Jerri says
How scrumptious! I’ve never had this flavor combination. I bet I would like it!
Jerri’s last blog post..Recipe of the Week: Mexican Chicken Casserole
Jerri says
How scrumptious! I’ve never had this flavor combination. I bet I would like it!
Jerri’s last blog post..Recipe of the Week: Mexican Chicken Casserole
[email protected] says
Oh my goodness. These pictures are not good for me,right now. I started Weight Watchers, today. Now, as I visit the TMTT posts, I just want to EAT!!!
[email protected]’s last blog post..Tempt My Tummy Tuesday…Curried Chicken, Rice, and Fruit Salad
Kara says
That first picture cracked me up! I love chocolate and orange together too, so this sounds wonderful!!
Kara’s last blog post..Monster Cookies
[email protected]&Mayhem says
that looks delicious! I have a heck of time knowing when to stop mixing things
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Tara says
Stacey – That’s my problem exactly. I had no idea. I wanted it to be mixed well!
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Chanelle says
It looks Yummy!
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[email protected] says
Wow, that looks really good! Thanks for sharing!
~Liz
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Comfy Mom says
that looks delicious! I have a heck of time knowing when to stop mixing things
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Tara says
Stacey – That’s my problem exactly. I had no idea. I wanted it to be mixed well!
[WORDPRESS HASHCASH] The poster sent us ‘0 which is not a hashcash value.
Chanelle says
It looks Yummy!
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Brenda says
WOW! I gotta make this, I love macadamia nuts, I think I would love this!
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Jerri says
This looks so fantastic. I feel hungry for it now!
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Jerri says
This looks so fantastic. I feel hungry for it now!
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[email protected] says
Wow, that looks really good! Thanks for sharing!
~Liz
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Emily @ marvelous recipes says
My family would get down and beg for this. They love cheesecake and this one is great!
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lana says
you had me at orange and chocolate! Two of my favorites!
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lana says
you had me at orange and chocolate! Two of my favorites!
lana’s last blog post..Petits Fours Junction
Brenda says
WOW! I gotta make this, I love macadamia nuts, I think I would love this!
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Jenna @ Newlyweds says
Love the orange flavor, and creative way to cover up the crack, mine cracked also, blah!!!
Jenna @ Newlyweds says
Love the orange flavor, and creative way to cover up the crack, mine cracked also, blah!!!
asti says
hahahaa.. he looks cute with the little googley eyes. Your cheesecake looked fine!
asti’s last blog post..Cheesecakeletes three ways – DB April 2009
asti says
hahahaa.. he looks cute with the little googley eyes. Your cheesecake looked fine!
asti’s last blog post..Cheesecakeletes three ways – DB April 2009
Emily @ marvelous recipes says
My family would get down and beg for this. They love cheesecake and this one is great!
Emily @ marvelous recipes’s last blog post..Deviled Eggs
Chantal says
Topping makes everything better, lol, especially cracks don’t you think. Great job!
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Chantal says
Topping makes everything better, lol, especially cracks don’t you think. Great job!
Chantal’s last blog post..Daring in April: Cheesecake
Jodi says
Oh. My. Yum!!!
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Jodi says
Oh. My. Yum!!!
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Joy @ Joy Of Desserts says
I’m here via Tasty Thursday.
If it tasted good, you did not fail! Besides, from what I can see of the last picture, it looks like you were able to mask that sad little face. Loved your sense of humor too.
My Tasty Thursday is up too.
Joy @ Joy Of Desserts says
I’m here via Tasty Thursday.
If it tasted good, you did not fail! Besides, from what I can see of the last picture, it looks like you were able to mask that sad little face. Loved your sense of humor too.
My Tasty Thursday is up too.
JennyBakes says
I think a delicious cheesecake can’t possibly qualify for cheesecake fail. It looks good to me! Thanks for being a part of the April Daring Bakers Challenge!
Jenny of JennyBakes
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JennyBakes says
I think a delicious cheesecake can’t possibly qualify for cheesecake fail. It looks good to me! Thanks for being a part of the April Daring Bakers Challenge!
Jenny of JennyBakes
JennyBakes’s last blog post..Roasted Strawberry Season