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Cakes + CupcakesIndulgent
November 18, 2012

Dark Chocolate Cheesecake with Chocolate Hazelnut Ganache, Toasted Hazelnuts, & Sea Salt

Decadent dark chocolate cheesecake with chocolate hazelnut ganache, toasted hazelnuts & sea salt. This indulgent cheesecake has a hazelnut & chocolate cookie crust for the ultimate chocolate lovers’ dessert.

Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
1 hour 15 mins
Total Time
1 hour 45 mins

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Dark chocolate cheesecake

Dark chocolate cheesecake topped with hazelnuts and ganache

Hi! I’m so excited to FINALLY publish this recipe!

This past week has been completely crazy! I flew to New York to meet and cook with Bobby Flay at his restaurant! Whattt?! I know! My dessert was selected by Fage Total Greek Yogurt to be served at their event. They transformed Bobby’s restaurant Mesa Grill into a beautiful Pop-up Plain Kitchen restaurant.

Monique with Bobby Flay

I’m so happy that I was able to be a part of it! I can’t express how blessed I feel. I met some fabulous food editors, Fage’s PR team (Mullen!), and of course, Bobby. He was incredibly sweet and complimented me on how delicious this cheesecake was. We also made a spice-crusted lamb, which was by far my favorite entree of the evening!

BUT THE CHEESECAKE?! Can we just talk about it? It’s a dense, smooth, chocolate-wasted cheesecake that I want to live in for the rest of my life. I’m SERIOUS. Oh and not to mention that it has a creamy, rich chocolate hazelnut butter (Nutella) ganache, toasted hazelnuts, and sea salt.

Please prepare yourself to drool.

Dark chocolate being placed in a saucepan

Coming up with this recipe was quite a process. I knew that I wanted to use greek yogurt, but also that I wanted to make a dessert that could be presented in a restaurant or made for a special occasion such as a holiday party. It had to be decadent, rich, and basically everything you could ever want in your mouth.

Now here’s the funny part: I’m not a cheesecake girl. I typically go for pie during the holidays, but I wanted to challenge myself into crafting something beautiful and unique. And in my opinion, there’s really nothing better than dark chocolate and sea salt. OBVIOUSLY.

Dark chocolate spooned out of a saucepan

Oh.my.goodness.

Chocolate ganache being drizzled on a dark chocolate cheesecake

I really can’t even deal with how incredible this is. The crust is made with hazelnuts and chocolate sandwich cookies and the filling from cream cheese, greek yogurt, dark chocolate, cocoa powder, eggs, and sugar.

Dark chocolate cheesecake with chocolate ganache

The topping is a mixture of chocolate hazelnut butter, dark chocolate, and heavy cream, then it’s finished with toasted hazelnuts and a sprinkle of coarse sea salt.

There are not enough happy adjectives to describe this cheesecake. There are simply no words.

Dark chocolate cheesecake topped with ganache and hazelnuts

But I think that if Bobby says it’s good, well then… you know it’s GOOD.

Hope you guys had a good weekend! Enjoy!

Dark chocolate cheesecake topped with ganache and hazelnuts

Dark chocolate cheesecake with ganache and hazelnuts

Dark Chocolate Cheesecake with Chocolate Hazelnut Ganache, Toasted Hazelnuts, & Sea Salt

5 from 4 votes
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Dark chocolate cheesecake
Course Cheesecake, Dessert, Indulgent
Keyword dark chocolate cheesecake
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Serves 16
Decadent dark chocolate cheesecake with chocolate hazelnut ganache, toasted hazelnuts & sea salt. This indulgent cheesecake has a hazelnut & chocolate cookie crust for the ultimate chocolate lovers' dessert. #cheesecake #darkchocolate #chocolate

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup FAGE Total Greek Yogurt 2%
  • 24 ounces cream cheese, softened at room temperature
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 10 ounces (1 1/4 cup) granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (use dark cocoa for more intensity)
  • 10 ounces 72% dark chocolate, chopped
  • 25 chocolate sandwich cookies (Oreos are good)
  • 1 cup hazelnuts
  • 1/4 cup butter, melted
  • Chocolate Hazelnut Ganache:
  • 4 ounces (1/2 cup) chocolate hazelnut butter (Nutella)
  • 4 ounces (1/2 cup) heavy cream
  • 2 ounces 72% dark chocolate, chopped
  • 1/4 cup toasted hazelnuts, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt, plus more if desired

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan.
  2. Place chocolate sandwich cookies and hazelnuts in a food processor and pulse until finely ground; add melted butter and process again until well combined and cookie crumbs resemble wet sand.
  3. Scrape into prepared pan and use fingers to press into the bottom and up the side of the pan, making sure the crust is even. 
  4. Bake in oven for 10-12 minutes. Place on wire rack to cool. Keep oven temperature.
  5. Prepare cheesecake filling by placing 10 oz. of chopped chocolate in a double boiler until smooth and creamy. Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes.
  6. In an electric or stand mixer, beat cream cheese and FAGE Total 2% Greek Yogurt until smooth and fluffy. 
  7. Add in sugar and cocoa powder and beat again until smooth, then add in eggs and egg yolks; blending until there is a silky consistency. Fold in melted chocolate until well combined.
  8. Pour chocolate cheesecake filling over the cooled crust and smooth the top with a spatula. Tap a few times to release any air in the batter.
  9. Bake until center is just set and just appears dry, about 1 hour and 15 minutes, but check at 1 hour. Do not worry if the cheesecake cracks while baking; this will be covered with ganache.
  10. Cool the cheesecake 10 minutes, then run a knife around the crust to loosen it. Chill the cheesecake a minimum of 4 hours in fridge, although overnight is best.

  11. To make the chocolate hazelnut ganache: In a medium saucepan, heat cream over medium-low heat. Add chocolate hazelnut butter and stir until smooth. 

  12. Add in 2 ounces of chopped dark chocolate and stir until melted. 
  13. Pour or drizzle over the center of the chocolate cheesecake and spread to outer edges to help cover any cracks. Top with toasted hazelnuts and sprinkle with sea salt.
  14. Serve while ganache is warm or place in refrigerator to cool. Cut into 12-16 slices and enjoy!

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