Ginger Cheesecake With Chocolate Crust

A ginger cheesecake on a white cake stand with a slice removed to see layers.

4.75 from 4 votes

Ginger Cheesecake With Chocolate Crust

Chocolate Ginger Cheesecake with fresh ginger in a rich chocolate cookie crust and spiced cream cheese filling, topped with gelatin-stabilized whipped cream and chocolate curls. This impressive cheesecake is meant to be the centerpiece of your holiday table. It's a no-fail, make-ahead dessert that feeds a crowd.

Prep Time1

Cook Time1 40

Total Time8

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cheesecake, ginger cheesecake, ginger cheesecake with chocolate crust

Servings: servings

Calories: 719kcal

Author: Tara Teaspoon

Ingredients

Crust

16 ounces Oreos 40 cookies, to make cookie crumbs, can be swapped with gingersnaps if desired
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
¼ teaspoon salt
1½ tablespoons grated fresh ginger

Filling

4 packages cream cheese 8 ounces each, room temperature
1⅓ cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
2½ tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground ginger
4 large eggs room temperature
2 large egg yolks room temperature

Toppings

½ cup chocolate candy melts to make chocolate curls, optional
1 envelope Knox Unsweetened Gelatin optional
4 cups heavy cream cold
⅔ cup confectioners' sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

For the Crust

Heat oven to 350°F with rack in the lower third. Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with a circle of parchment; set aside.
Tip: cut the parchment just larger than the bottom of the pan so that it gets sealed into place once the ring is attached.
In a food processor crush Oreos until mixture is fine crumbs. Add the sugar, butter, grated ginger, and salt, and pulse until well combined. You'll have 4 cups of crust mixture, and it should have the consistency of wet sand.
Press mixture into the pan so crust is about ⅜ inch thick on the bottom and all the way up the sides (you may have a little extra depending on your pan). Set crust aside.

For the Cheesecake

In a mixer beat together cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and grated ginger until there are no lumps. Sift in the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground ginger. Mix to combine.
While mixing on low to medium speed, add eggs and yolks one at a time, scraping sides of bowl as needed between each addition, until completely combined. Don't over whip the mixture once the eggs go in. Set filling aside.
Prepare the pan and water bath by placing the springform pan on a few sheets of foil. Bring the foil up around the sides to seal the pan and prevent water from seeping in.
Then line the bottom of a roasting pan with paper towels and set the wrapped springform pan on top. Pour the prepared filling into the crust.
Fill a pitcher full of water. Place roasting pan in the oven and gently pour the pitcher of water into the pan, around the springform pan, so the water comes about ⅓ to ½ of the way up the sides.
Close the oven and bake cheesecake until the center is only slightly wobbly and cake is set, 70 minutes. Tent cheesecake with a sheet of greased foil part way through baking if the top is getting too brown.
Turn oven off and crack the oven door a little. Let cheesecake sit in cooling oven for about 30 minutes. Then remove the roasting pan from the oven and lift the springform pan with the baked cheesecake out of the water. Peel off the tinfoil and cool on a wire rack to room temperature, about 2 hours. Then chill cheesecake in refrigerator 4 hours or overnight.
When chilled, gently unlatch the springform pan and loosen the ring. Lift ring from cheesecake. Using a spatula, lift cheesecake from the parchment-lined bottom and transfer to a serving platter. Finish cheesecake with toppings.

For the Toppings

For chocolate curls: Melt ½ cup chocolate candy melts in a bowl in the microwave. Heat in 30 second bursts, stirring between, until smooth.
Spread into a thin, even layer on the bottom of a clean baking sheet (I used a quarter sheet pan). Chill in the fridge for a few minutes.
Remove and let sit at room temperature for 2 to 3 minutes, then use a small spatula or bench scraper to scrape chocolate from the pan into curls. Gently transfer to a plate and chill until ready to use.
For gelatin-stabilized whipped cream: Sprinkle the gelatin over ⅓ cup cold water in a heatproof bowl. Let "bloom" (soften) about 2 minutes. Microwave bloomed gelatin until hot and stir to dissolve completely. Let cool a few minutes.
In a large mixing bowl whip heavy cream, confectioners' sugar, and vanilla until combined (soft peaks). Add dissolved gelatin and continue to whip to the consistency of firm peaks.
Spoon and swirl stabilized whipped cream on top of cheesecake. Chill in the fridge for 1 to 2 hours to set the cream.
For gelatin-free whipped cream: Whip cream, confectioners' sugar, and vanilla to firm peaks. For best results, keep refrigerated and spoon on top of cheesecake just before serving.
Top cheesecake with chocolate curls just before serving. Leftover cheesecake can be covered and stored in the fridge up to 5 days.

Notes

Prepare the pan with parchment for easy cheesecake removal: Parchment under the crust lets the cheesecake slide right off the pan base onto a serving platter.

Use room temperature ingredients for the filling: Soften the cream cheese and eggs on the counter for about 30 minutes so the filling blends smoothly without lumps.

Don’t overmix the filling: Add the eggs on low speed just until combined; extra air can cause cracks and sinking.

Seal the pan to prevent soggy crust: Wrap the springform pan tightly in foil or use a silicone pan protector so the water bath can’t seep in and soften the crust.

Know when it’s done baking: The edges should be set and matte, and the center should wobble like set gelatin, not liquid.

Cool slowly: Let the cheesecake rest in the turned-off oven with the door cracked, then cool on the counter to room temperature, and finish in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Make ahead: Bake up to 4 days ahead. Use gelatin-stabilized whipped cream if topping in advance, and add the chocolate curls just before serving.

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