This chocolate orange cheesecake is a perfect winter cake. This cheesecake consists of a delicious chocolate cookie crust, a smooth and soft milk chocolate orange cheesecake that’s topped with milk chocolate orange ganache and candied orange slices.
This chocolate orange cheesecake is so creamy and delicious. This cheesecake has the most incredible flavor and is full orange flavor. It has the most amazing cocoa cookie crust, creamy chocolate orange cheesecake filling and topped with a luscious chocolate orange ganache, and candied orange slices.
For more cheesecake recipes, try Apple Crumble Cheesecake, Espresso Chocolate Cheesecake and Caramel Pecan Cheesecake.
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WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
- Creamy cheesecake filling: The creamy and smooth cheesecake filling if filled with delicious milk chocolate and orange flavor.
- Chocolate orange ganache: The cheesecake is topped with a delicious milk chocolate and orange ganache, making for the most amazing topping.
- Candied orange slices: The cheesecake is decorated with homemade candied orange slices.
INGREDIENT NOTES
These are some of the key ingredients for this recipe. For a full list of ingredients, check out the recipe card below.
- Digestives cookies: We don't have graham crackers in Danmark, so I therefore use Digestive cookies. But if you can buy graham crackers then you can definitely use those instead if you want.
- Cream cheese: It's important that it's full-fat cream cheese and it's at room- temperature when using it. Take the cream cheese out of the fridge 1-2 hours before baking.
- Sour cream: Measure and let the sour cream come to room temperature 1-2 hours before baking.
- Eggs: Take the eggs out of the fridge 1-2 hours before baking.
- Orange marmalade: I recommend using a fine-shred orange marmalade
- Milk chocolate: I recommend using a good quality milk chocolate ofr the best flavor.
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS - CRUST
Here is how to make and bake these chocolate orange cheesecake. This recipe needs a blender and stand mixer or electric hand mixer.
The full recipe is down below in the recipe card.
Before starting preheat the oven to 160ºC/ 325ºF conventional oven. Prepare a 22 cm spring pan lined with parchment paper in the bottom.
STEP 1: In a food processor, blend the cookies, cocoa powder and granulated sugar until a fine sand-like texture. Melt the butter. Add the melted butter to the food processor and blend it together with the blended cookies.
STEP 2: In a 22 cm spring cake pan add parchment paper to the bottom. Add the cookie crumbs and press the cookie crust down with the bottom of a glass, and up against the side of the pan, so it’s well packed together and flattened out. Bake it for 10 minutes. Then let it cool down so that it’s cool to touch.
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS - FILLING
STEP 1: Melt the milk chocolate and heavy cream together in the microwave or over a double boiler, and set it aside.
STEP 2: Rub together the granulated sugar and orange zest. With a hand mixer or in a stand mix, using the paddle attachment, cream the cream cheese for 1 minute on low speed. Add the granulated sugar. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and let it mix for 1 minute on low speed.
STEP 3: Mix together the sour cream and cornstarch until smooth. Add it to the cream cheese with the orange marmalade and vanilla extract and let it mix on low speed until combined. Add one egg at a time and let it mix on low speed until combined. Then add the melted milk chocolate and mix it in. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and give it a final mix to make sure all the ingredients have incorporated.
STEP 4: Pour the cheesecake batter into the spring pan. Boil up water in a kettle. Place the springform pan in a 25 cm/10 inch cake pan. Place the cake pan in another baking pan or roasting pan and fill it with hot water ⅔ up the side of the pan. This method will prevent water from getting into the crust.
STEP 5: Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Turn off the oven and have the oven door slightly open and let the cheesecake cool down in the oven for 1 hour.
STEP 6: Take the cheesecake out of the oven and remove it from the water bath. Let it cool down fully for about 1 hour to room temperature. Finally, once at room temperature, place it in the fridge and let it set for at least 6 hours, preferable overnight.
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS - CANDIED ORANGES
STEP 1: Start by slicing the orange peel into thin slices. Add water and granulated sugar to a wide saucepan. Stir it together and bring a simmer. Then add the orange slices and let them simmer for 30-40 minutes. The white part of the orange peel should be fairly translucent. Swirl the pan once in a while to make sure the slices are covered with the syrup.
STEP 2: Gentle lift the slices out of the saucepan and onto a wire rack to dry for 2 hours or overnight.
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS - GANAHCE
STEP 1: Melt the milk chocolate, heavy cream and orange juice together in the microwave or over a double boiler. Take it off the heat and stir it together until smooth.
STEP 2: Pour it over the cheesecake and even it out. Decorate with the candied oranges and orange zest. Keep it stored in the fridge.
EXPERT BAKING TIPS
- Use a kitchen scale: My default setting for my recipes is grams. It is the most precise way of measuring out your ingredients, I therefore highly recommend using a kitchen scale.
- Don't over mix your batter: I always use a spatula after everything has mixed together, to give it one final gentle fold together. This makes sure everything in the bottom of the mixing bowl has been mixed into the batter.
- Light vs. dark baking pans: For the best result, use an aluminum baking pan, greased with butter and lined with baking paper in the bottom. Aluminum pans are light in color and therefore attract less heat. That means it bakes more gently which results in a softer cake. If you use a black baking pan it'll attract a lot more heat. That will then give a darker crust, which can result in a dryer cake.
FAQ
Give the cheesecake pan a small shake, it's only slightly jiggling in the center of the cheesecake then it's done.
Yes, use full-fat greek yogurt.
WHY BAKE THE CHEESECAKE IN A WATER BATH
Why is baking a cheesecake in a water bath so important? What the water bath does, is that it makes the cheesecake bake more gentle. When baking a cheesecake without a water bath, it is more likely for it to over-bake, which will give a curdled texture, a cracked and lopsided top. The hot water protects your cheesecake while it's baking in the oven. It makes sure your cheesecake comes out smooth and cream
STORAGE
Store the chocolate orange cheesecake in the fridge in an airtight container. It's best enjoyed within 5 days.
Other Cheesecake Recipes To Try
Make sure leave a STAR REVIEW if you loved this recipe! Make sure to tag me on Instagram @juliemarieeats. To get more ideas by following me on Pinterest.
Chocolate Orange Cheesecake
Equipment
- 20 cm spring-form
Ingredients
CHOCOLATE COOKIE CRUST
- 200 g digestive cookies
- 2 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 1 ½ tablespoon granulated sugar
- 50 g butter melted
CHOCOLATE ORANGE CHEESECAKE
- 200 g milk chocolate roughly chopped
- 60 g heavy cream
- 200 g granulated sugar
- 1 organic orange zested
- 600 g cream cheese full fat, room temperature
- 60 g fine-shred orange marmalade
- 150 g sour cream 18% room temperature
- 2 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs room temperature
CANDIED ORANGES (OPTIONAL)
- 1 organic orange washed and clean
- 145 g water
- 130 g granulated sugar
ORANGE MILK CHOCOLATE GANACHE
- 100 g milk chocolate
- 25 g heavy cream
- 25 g orange juice
Instructions
CHOCOLATE COOKIE CRUST
- Preheat the oven at 160ºC/325ºF, conventional oven.
- In a food processor, blend the cookies, cocoa powder and granulated sugar until a fine sand-like texture. Melt the butter. Add the melted butter to the food processor and blend it together with the blended cookies.200 g digestive cookies, 2 tablespoon cocoa powder, 50 g butter, 1 ½ tablespoon granulated sugar
- In a 22 cm spring cake pan add parchment paper to the bottom. Add the cookie crumbs and press the cookie crust down with the bottom of a glass, and up against the side of the pan, so it’s well packed together and flattened out. Bake it for 10 minutes. Then let it cool down so that it’s cool to touch.
CHEESECAKE
- Keep the oven temperature at 160ºC/325ºF conventional oven.
- Melt the milk chocolate and heavy cream together in the microwave or over a double boiler, and set it aside.200 g milk chocolate, 60 g heavy cream
- Add the orange zest into a bowl with granulated sugar. Rub together the granulated sugar and orange zest. It will almost look like wet sand.200 g granulated sugar, 1 organic orange
- With a hand mixer or in a stand mix using the paddle attachment, cream the cream cheese for 1 minute on low speed. Then gradually add the granulated sugar. Once all the granulated sugar is added, scrape down the sides of the bowl and let it mix for 1 minute on low speed.600 g cream cheese
- In a small bowl, mix together the sour cream and cornstarch until smooth. Add it to the cream cheese with the orange marmalade and vanilla extract and let it mix on low speed until combined. Then add one egg at a time and let it mix on low speed until combined. Once all the eggs have mixed in, add the melted milk chocolate and mix it in. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and give it a final mix to make sure all the ingredients have incorporated.60 g fine-shred orange marmalade, 150 g sour cream 18%, 2 tablespoon cornstarch, 2 teaspoon vanilla extract, 3 large eggs
- Pour the cheesecake batter into the spring pan.
- Boil up water in a kettle. Place the springform pan in a 25 cm/10 inch cake pan. Place the cake pan in another baking pan or roasting pan and fill it with hot water ⅔ up the side of the pan. This method will prevent water from getting into the crust.
- Alternatively, add a triple layer of aluminium foil around the cake pan to safely seal it from the water before placing it in a water bath. There might be a possibility of water leaking in, so make sure it's covered well if choosing this method.
- Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes.
- Once the time has passed, give the tray a very gentle shake. The cheesecake should still be a bit wobbly in the middle. Turn off the oven and have the oven door slightly open and let the cheesecake cool down in the oven for 1 hour.
- Then take it out of the oven and remove it from the water bath. If added, take off the aluminium foil and place the cheesecake on a cooling rack. Let it cool down fully for about 1 hour to room temperature. Finally, once at room temperature, place it in the fridge and let it set for at least 6 hours, preferable overnight.
CANDIED ORANGE (OPTIONAL)
- Start by slicing the orange peel into thin slices.1 organic orange
- Add the water and granulated sugar to a wide saucepan. Stir it together and bring a simmer. Then add the orange slices and let them simmer for 30-40 minutes. The white part of the orange peel should be fairly translucent. Swirl the pan once in a while to make sure the slices are covered with the syrup.145 g water, 130 g granulated sugar
- Gentle lift the slices out of the saucepan and onto a wire rack to dry for 2 hours or overnight.
ORANGE MILK CHOCOLATE GANACHE
- Melt the milk chocolate, heavy cream and orange juice together in the microwave or over a double boiler. Take it off the heat and stir it together until smooth.100 g milk chocolate, 25 g heavy cream, 25 g orange juice
- Pour it over the cheesecake and even it out. Decorate with the candied oranges and orange zest. Keep it stored in the fridge.
Nav
Can we use spreadable cream cheese
Julie Marie
Yes, thats no problem 🙂
Sofie
So so yummy! And easy to make!
I only had lemon jam at hand so I used that. Turned out great!
Lisbet
Julie always makes the best recipes, and this one is my favorite so far. So delish and full of flavour, and really easy to follow.
Whitney
Just made these recipe for christmas, it was incredible delicius and everyone loved it! I can't wait to try it with semisweet chocolate as well. Thank You for share it 💞