Black and White Cheesecake

 

Inspired by the famous cookie, I wanted to create a simple, elegant cheesecake presentation featuring a two tone look with chocolate and vanilla. I think it looks much nicer than just marbling the two flavors. 

 

To perfectly bake a cheesecake, I have come to insist on a low oven temperature and baking the dessert in a bain marie.

A word about baking a cheesecake in a bain marie before starting the recipe. A bain marie is simply a water bath that buffers the direct heat from the sides and bottom of the baking pan to more evenly bake the cheesecake from the sides to the center.

I bake my cheesecakes in a 9 or 10 inch spring form pan that has the bottom and sides wrapped in multiple layers of wide heavy duty aluminum foil which forms a sort of boat that the cheesecake pan sits in. The roll of aluminum foil that I use is about 16 inches wide. I use at least 4 layers of foil to make sure that no water leaks in and ruins the crust of my cheesecake. The aluminum foil wrapped pan is then placed inside a larger baking pan; I use a 12 inch cake pan. Boiling water is then poured into the larger pan filling it from 1/2 to 2/3 of the way to the top.

I find it best to pour the boiling water into the pan after it is placed on the rack in the oven as you are less likely to splash water onto the cheesecake or inside the aluminum foil. I reuse the aluminum foil for several future cheesecakes, adding a couple of layers to it each time just to be safe..

Grease bottom but not sides of a 9 or 10 inch spring form pan. I like to line the bottom with parchment paper for easy removal from the pan.

Mix together and press into pan :

1 ½ cups chocolate cookie crumbs, I use Oreo brand
1/3 cup melted butter
3 tbsp sugar

Cream together:

1 ½ pounds cream cheese
1 ¼ cups sugar

Add, one at a time:
3 eggs

Then add
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup whipping cream

Blend until smooth and divide mixture into 2 equal portions. (about 4 cups each)

To the first half of the mixture, stir in:

3 squares melted unsweetened baking chocolate or good quality, very high cocoa content chocolate
(In a pinch you can substitute 1/2 cup cocoa but add another ¼ cup whipping cream)

Pour evenly into bottom of prepared springform pan.

Carefully spoon the vanilla cheesecake batter over the top of the chocolate mixture already in the pan.

Bake in a bain marie (water bath) at 300 degrees F for about 55 minutes to an hour or until the surface of the cake no longer looks glossy. Remove from oven and cool completely in the pan for at least an hour before chilling to completely cold in the fridge.