Sugar: For sweetness, but also moisture.

Cheesecake is technically a custard-based dessert because of the eggs.

Eggs: Add richness and bind everything together.

I used semi-sweet, but bittersweet would be fine as well.

Chocolate: 8 ounces of melted chocolate add additional chocolate flavor and richness to this cheesecake.

Sour Cream: Helps give the cheesecake a creamy texture.

I used regular natural unsweetened, but you could also use a dark cocoa.

Cocoa Powder: Provides part of the chocolate flavor in this cheesecake.

Sugar: For sweetness and to soften the tang in the cream cheese.

Plus, it’s super creamy and perfect as the base of the cheesecake filling. It’s as close to homemade as it gets and has nothing artificial and no added hormones.

Cream Cheese: This is the base of the cheesecake and must be room temperature so you don’t end up with little chunks of cream cheese throughout your cheesecake.Their spreadable butter is also a favorite in our house. It will definitely elevate your baking and cooking. If you haven’t tried it before, you definitely need to. It has no added hormones, artificial flavors or fillings, so you can feel good about feeding it to your family. Challenge Butter is a high quality, creamy butter that goes from farm to fridge in just two days, ensuring that it’s nice and fresh. Butter: The butter holds the Oreo crumbs together for the crust.You could also pound the Oreos into crumbs in a ziplock bag. I leave the filling in the Oreos and grind them into crumbs in a food processor. The only exception is the cherry liqueur, but even that is readily available. The list of ingredients is somewhat long, but most are things that you likely already have and can easily find at the grocery store. While the shavings are totally optional, they do add some nice texture to the top of the cheesecake. The cheesecake is finished off with whipped cream and chocolate shavings. The topping is a homemade cherry filling made with kirschwasser, the traditional cherry liqueur, and is actually the same as the one I use in my Black Forest Cake. In the crust sits the rich, creamy chocolate cheesecake. To start, you’ve got the chocolate Oreo crust. It’s a traditional German cake known for its layers of chocolate cake, whipped cream, cherries and most importantly, a clear liqueur made from sour cherries called kirschwasser. So what is a black forest cheesecake? Well, it’s based on the traditional Black Forest Cake, which has been around for ages. This black forest cheesecake is definitely a holiday winner! The combination of chocolate and cherries make it perfectly festive, not to mention delicious. Slice and serve immediately.Cookies get a lot of attention this time of year, but for those of us that love cake-y things, this cheesecake deserves a place at the table.

Heap reserved cherry mixture on top and sprinkle with chocolate shavings. Pour ganache over cake immediately, spreading to edges to create a dramatic drip. REMOVE collar from pan, then transfer cake to a platter.Let stand for 1 min, then stir until smooth. GANACHE: Heat cream in a small saucepan over medium-high until it comes just to a boil.Scrape onto prepared crust and smooth top. Stir in chopped cherry mixture until combined. Fold a third into cream cheese mixture until combined. BEAT cream in another bowl until stiff peaks form.Beat in condensed milk until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl. BEAT cream cheese in a large bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.STIR wafer crumbs and butter in a medium bowl.Keep remaining cherry mixture in refrigerator for garnish. PULSE 1 cup of the cherry mixture in a food processor until cherries are finely chopped.Add to cherries and cook, stirring until slightly thickened, 1 min. Stir cornstarch and water in a small bowl. COMBINE cherries, sugar and lemon juice in a medium saucepan over medium and cook until cherries are slightly softened, 6 to 7 min.Line base with parchment and reassemble pan.

Black forest cheesecake