A rich, creamy chocolate orange cheesecake that combines the bright, citrusy flavor of orange zest and orange flavoring with a luxuriously smooth chocolate filling. This decadent cheesecake has an Oreo cookie crust and is dressed up with a decorative cocoa stencil and dried oranges. This cheesecake recipe pairs a water bath with a lower temperature bake to ensure no cheesecake cracking occurs.
Preheat oven to 350° F (177° C, gas mark 4). In a medium bowl, combine Oreo cookie crumbs and melted butter until mixture resembles wet sand. Pour crust mixture into prepared pan and distribute evenly in the base. (This recipe only uses a bottom crust - there is no crust up the side of the pan). Using the bottom of a measuring cup or a smooth bottomed glass, firmly press crust mixture down until compacted and smooth. Bake for 8 minutes. Set aside to cool.
CHOCOLATE ORANGE CHEESECAKE FILLING
Place a 10 x 14 x 2 inch (25 x 36 x 5 cm) metal baking pan, roasting pan or broiling pan (must be large enough to fit a 9" (23cm) springform pan) on the center rack of the oven and fill with ¾ inch (2 cm) of water.
Wrap the base of the springform pan with aluminum foil to prevent water entering during baking. Set springform pan aside.
Preheat oven to 300° F (150° C, Gas Mark 2) with prepared water bath inside.
Make sure your cream cheese is at room temperature (about 72° F/22° C). It should be soft to the touch, like soft butter. If it's too firm, carefully microwave in 10 second bursts until soft enough. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese with the paddle attachment on medium speed until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula.
Add sugars and beat on medium-low until mixed in. Scrape the bowl again. Add the sour cream, vanilla extract, orange oil and orange zest. Mix on medium-low speed until well combined, scraping down the bowl several times to ensure cream cheese is fully blended into the mixture.
Add beaten egg mixture and beat on low just until combined. Add melted chocolate and again, beat until just combined. Be sure to scrape the bowl well to ensure all chocolate has been well incorporated. Do not overmix. If you overmix, the cheesecake batter will contain too much air, which can cause bubbles and cracks.
Pour cheesecake filling on top of baked crust and smooth out with a mini offset spatula. Firmply rap the springform pan on the counter several times to pop any air bubbles that have formed during mixing.
Place springform pan directly into hot water bath and bake at 300° F for 70 minutes. The cheesecake should be slightly dull on the top, and mostly set. The center should still have a slight wobble. It will continue to bake when removed from the oven.
Remove from oven and place onto a rack to cool completely. When cool, cover pan (but not cheesecake directly) with foil and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
GANACHE GLAZE AND COCOA DECORATION
Once cheesecake is fully cooled, remove from the refrigerator. Gently blot up any water condensation that has formed on the cheesecake with a paper towel.
In a two quart pot, heat cream until almost simmering. Remove from heat and add finely chopped dark chocolate. Let sit for 1 minute, and then gently whisk until all chocolate has melted and no lumps remain. Pour chocolate ganache onto top of cheesecake. Using a mini offset spatula or the back of a spoon, spread the ganache to the edges of the cheesecake but do not let it drip down the sides (unless you're aiming for the drip look, in which case, go ahead!)
Place cheesecake back in the fridge to help the ganache glaze set. Once set, run a thin knife around the edge of the cheesecake to loosen it from the springform pan. Remove the springform edge.
With the cheesecake on a work surface, carefully place a decorative stencil on the top of the cheesecake (for this design, I used a fine meshed baking rack from my countertop oven). Put the cocoa powder in a fine mesh sifter and dust the entire cheesecake with a layer of cocoa powder. Lift the stencil straight up off of the cheesecake to reveal the pattern.
If desired, place dried orange slices (and possibly a fresh mandarin orange with leaves still attached) on the top of the cake as decoration.