You know everyone loves cheesecake, right? It’s the king of all desserts. And what makes it even better? Chocolate ganache. And what could possibly be better than that? When you make Philadelphia Oreo Cheesecake with milk chocolate ganache, that’s what. It’s a twist on the classic recipe which is loved by all.
Make sure cream cheese is room temperature
This one is really all about making sure that your cheesecake isn’t lumpy and that the ingredients combine smoothly. Cream cheese that is too firm won’t mix well and will leave you with a lumpy mess, so it needs to be room temperature.
Don’t over mix the batter or mix on too high speed
Both over mixing and mixing on a h
igh speed add more air to a batter. Too much air in a cheesecake can cause cracks. If your cream cheese isn’t soft enough, you’ll have to mix things more to get out the lumps. Even when adding your eggs, use a low speed.
Don’t over bake the cheesecake
You will still have a bit of jiggle in your chee
secake when it is done. So, do not over bake! Over baking a cheesecake can lead to cracks, much like with a custard pie. You will know the cheese cake is finished baking when the outer rim is set and just the center is a bit jiggly.
Let the cheesecake cool gradually
We let our cheesecake sit in the oven with the door closed for about 30 minutes. Then we crack the door of the oven about half way and let it gradually cool some more. This allows the cheesecake to cool slowly, while also finishing baking, which again helps avoid cracking. We then pull it out and allow it to finish cooling on a wire rack.
Do I need a spring-form pan to make a cheesecake?
You can use almost any baking pan for your cheesecake. Just keep in mind that you’ll have to consider how different sized pans will affect the cooking time. In other words, if the pan is shallower, the cake will cook faster. There’s no need to adjust the baking temperature, simply bake for a shorter amount of time. When the center of the cheesecake sets, you will barely see a wiggle. If you would like to remove the cheesecake from the pan, be sure to line the base and sides with parchment paper first.
Equipment
- Springform pan
- Baking Sheet
- Rubber Spatula
- Electric Mixxer
- Wire cooling rack
Ingredients
For the Oreo Cheesecake:
- 4 8 oz. blocks of Philadelphia cream cheese, room temp
- 1 1/4 cup sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1/2 sea salt
- 1 bag small Oreos snack size
For Milk Chocolate Ganache and topping:
- 12 ounce bag milk chocolate chips
- 6 ounce heavy cream
- 8 regular size Oreos
Instructions
Instructions for Oreo Cheesecake:
- Pre-heat oven to 325. Wrap bottom and sides of a 9” springform pan with foil, set aside.
- Add 36 Oreos into food processor. Pulse until fine crumbs. Pour in melted butter, and pulse again.
- Press crumbs tightly into the springform pan, going about an inch up the side of the pan, making sure the bottom is pressed out evenly.Bake for 12 minutes, turning half way through. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add sugar, and beat again. Add eggs, one at a time, then mix in sour cream and vanilla. Add flour and salt, and stir just until combined. Gently fold in bag of mini Oreos.
- Pour mixture into crust swirling top for an even finish. Place pan on a cookie sheet, and bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes, checking and turning every 30 minutes. Be sure to bake until center of cheesecake only slightly jiggles when you shake it.
- Turn off oven, prop open door, and let cheesecake cool in oven for 1 hour. Allow to cool completely on a cooling rack before covering with foil, and refrigerate overnight.
Instructions for Milk Chocolate Ganache:
- Place milk chocolate chips in a heat safe glass bowl, and place in microwave at 33% in 2 minute increments until melted.
- Heat heavy cream in a pan until bubbles form around side.
- Pour cream slowly over the melted chocolate and stir until completely smooth. Allow to cool slightly.
Instructions to complete the top of the cheesecake:
- Cut the 8 Oreos in half.
- Pour the ganache slowly over the top of the cheesecake. Place the Oreos in a circle around the edge the the cake in a pattern. This actually will allow each slice to have an Oreo on top!
- Chill cheesecake for at least 2 hours before serving.
Nutrition
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