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Chocolate Mascarpone Cheesecake Recipe – chocolate cookie crust, luscious dark chocolate mascarpone filling and rich chocolate ganache topping. Chocolate lover’s heaven! Easy to make, but impressive dessert for any occasion.
I’ve always wanted to try and make mascarpone cheesecake and I finally created this Chocolate Mascarpone Cheesecake Recipe. Even my Tiramisu Cheesecake recipe is made without mascarpone.
I recently went to a restaurant in Chicago, where I had the most delicious lemon mascarpone cheesecake! It was so delicate, with the perfect lemony flavor.
Then I was 100% determined to try and bake a mascarpone cheesecake.
And I made it a chocolate one! How fun?
Just in time for Valentine’s Day!
My readers seem to love chocolate desserts and I do as well.
This Triple Chocolate Cheesecake and No Bake Three Chocolate Bundt Cake have been very popular lately!
Why use mascarpone cheese in a cheesecake?
- You only substitute half of the cream cheese with mascarpone. This is not an all mascarpone cheese cheesecake.
- It makes the cheesecake creamier and slightly denser, due to the extra fat from the cheese.
- Use the exact amount that the recipe calls for, otherwise the cheesecake texture may be ruined.
Mascarpone is rich, soft cheese that originates from Italy.
It is made by boiling cream until it’s reduced and then adding an acidic ingredient, usually cream of tartar, which makes the cream to thicken and ripen.
Used in various desserts and sauces, it has a creamy texture with slightly sweet taste with a a tangy finish.
What kind of chocolate should you use in this Chocolate Mascarpone Cheesecake Recipe?
- I recommend that you use chocolate bar instead of chocolate chips. It will taste so much better! I’ve recently been in love with the Pound Plus from Trader Joe’s.
- I don’t suggest using milk chocolate – semi-sweet, bittersweet or dark chocolate are great choices.
- When melting the chocolate for the cheesecake filling, I recommend that you let it cool for 5 minutes first. Then mix 1/4 of the cream cheese mixture into the bowl and then add it to the rest of the filling. This helps the chocolate to be easily incorporated into the filling.
Should you bake your Chocolate Mascarpone Cheesecake in a water bath?
- If you have a springform pan that “you trust”, then yes, definitely use a water bath. It produces softer, more moist and slightly denser cheesecake, vs non water bath baking.
- I don’t have a good springform pan (I own 4 flimsy ones), that’s why a while back I started baking my cheesecakes without a water bath at a lower temperature. This saves me a lot of foil for wrapping and also works best for me!
For the cheesecake crust I used Oreo cookies, butter and a tablespoon of sugar.
Graham crackers and cocoa powder could be used instead.
This Chocolate Mascarpone Cheesecake is one of the prettiest and richest chocolate desserts I’ve ever made!
If topping the cheesecake with chocolate ganache is not enough, you may try decorating it by piping some flowers. This Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting from A Dash Of Megnut is creamy, rich, fluffy and delicious.
Chocolate Mascarpone Cheesecake Recipe
Ingredients
For the cheesecake crust:
- 1 1/2 cups oreo cookie crumbs, about 20 cookies
- 3 tbsp melted butter
For the cheesecake filling:
- 16 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
- 16 oz mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 8 oz semi-sweet chocolate, up to 70% cocoa, melted
- 4 eggs, large, room temperature
For the chocolate ganache:
- 8 oz semi-sweet chocolate , chopped
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
Instructions
For the cheesecake crust:
- Preheat oven to 325 F.
- Line the inside bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper. Crush Oreo cookies (filling should not be removed) in a food processor transfer to a bowl. Add butter and mix to combine. Press mixture to the bottom of the springform pan. Bake for 8 minutes then cool for 15 minutes.
For the cheesecake filling:
- Reduce the oven temperature to 300 F.Beat cream cheese and mascarpone cheese together for 2 minutes on medium speed. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. Add sugar and beet until combined.
- Mix in heavy cream and vanilla extract.
- Melt chocolate, then let it cool for 5 minutes. Mix in 1/4 cup of the cheesecake batter into the chocolate, then add to the mixer. Beat to combine. Add the eggs, one by one, mixing to incorporate after each addition.
- Pour batter over the prepared crust and bake for 1 hour, then turn the oven off and let the cheesecake cool inside for 30-60 minutes.
- Refrigerate for 2 hours.
For the chocolate ganache:
- Heat heavy cream until boiling hot. Pour over the chocolate. Let it stand for 1 minute, then whisk to combine.
- Spread the ganache over the chilled cheesecake. Let it set for 15 minutes, then slice and serve.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
More Cheesecake Recipes:
Vanilla Bean Cheesecake With Biscoff Cookie Crust Recipe
Pear Mousse Cheesecake Bars Recipe
Coconut Cheesecake Cake For Easter
Other Sweet Treats:
No Bake Three Chocolate Cake Recipe
Hi. Is the cake supposed to be very jiggly when you take it out of the oven? I never made cheesecake before.
Not very, but a little jiggly when still hot. Don’t touch it, but let it cool to room temp, then refrigerate for 2 hours, it will harden. Then cut and enjoy.
Do I bake it or waterbath the cake?
I do not use water bath for cheesecake. Just put the springform in the oven.
I don’t have a springform pan. What pan (glass or otherwise) size could I use? You didn’t say if your springform was 9×3, 9×2, etc. So, I’m having a hard time finding an equivalent.
Hi, I recommend a spring form. Mine is 9×3. I don’t know what is the equivalent probably 9×3 glass? I don’t own any round glass pans. If you use cake pan, use round 9×3.
Made many a cheesecake and this one I made twice in two days. The first was exactly as suggested on the recipe but it was too wet in the middle. I thought it might have been the temp so I bumped it to 325 for the first half of the bake and then checked and checked for the last 15 minutes making the time 1 hr 5 min. All ovens are different so just a suggestion for all. The flavor is fantastic and the end result is a great presentation. Kudos!!
Glad you liked it Betsy! You are absolutely right, all ovens and pans are different. Thanks for the feedback, I’ll make a note about it.
After the gananche can you place back in frig for later? Thanks so much
Hi Rita, yes definitely you can place it in the fridge and keep it there. The ganache will harden.
Hello. I’m actually making this right now and it’s overflowing from the top of my pan and smoking up my oven. I don’t understand what’s happened. I followedthe recipe exactly. My springform is only a quarter inch shorter than yours, but the cake has grown like an inch bigger than it. What did i do wrong?
Hi Sorry to hear that. I believe you needed a larger, taller pan or the oven it a little too hot.
This may be a silly question but I have never made cheesecake or used a spring form pan before. Do I pour the ganache while the cheesecake is still in the spring form pan or do I take it out first? I noticed that your ganache was only on the top of the cheesecake and not on the sides?
Hi Julie,
Not a silly question at all. The ganache is added after the cake is out of the pan. The reason why it is only on top is because when the cake bakes, and then cools, the middle part slightly sinks, and it holds the ganache on top. Of course yo can spread ganache on the sides of the cheesecake, if you’d like to.
Hi!  I printed your recipe out and I noticed that it has different ingredients than your blog entry. The printed copy has whole milk instead of heavy cream and the printed copy also added unsweetened cocoa powder. Which recipe should I follow for  this?  Thanks!
Hi,
it is heavy cream and unsweetened cocoa powder. Not sure why this is happening…
HI made this cheesecake for Christmas! It is wonderful! Noticed you add tablespoon sugar to oreo butter crust! You don’t list the sugar in ingredients for crust?
I am making this again in a year later for my sons birthday July 2020 because it was amazing and he wanted it again! Wonderful! Thank you!