Decadent Black Forest Cheesecake

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I have never had a Black Forest cheesecake, or any other Black Forest treat before making this cheesecake.  But,since I am a huge fan of The Great British Baking Show, I was aware that it involved a combination of cherries, sometimes liqueur, and chocolate.  Is it just me, or does it seem like someone makes a Black Forest creation about every other week on that show? Well, I figured I might as well give it a go after seeing so many delicious baked goods!

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Story Time…

Like I mentioned in my Kryptonite Cake post, I get super excited for special occasions because it means I have a legitimate reason to bake something extraordinary!  So for this past Fourth of July, I made this scrumptious Black Forest cheesecake. We had guests over for fireworks – we had a great view from our driveways – and I wanted to make a dessert that was rich and decadent.  

I got the recipe from my Eagle Brand Classic Recipes cookbook.  For the life of me, I cannot remember how I came to own this cookbook.  Something about the bargain bin in a bookstore feels familiar, but all I know is I’ve had this cookbook for ages.  Every recipe involves a can of sweetened condensed milk, so you know it’s good! I’ve made a bunch of the recipes over time and pretty much love them all.  Josh’s favorite is the Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies. 

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To the Black Forest Cheesecake Recipe…

Cheesecakes are not the scariest thing in the world, but I think they are a tad intimidating.  The biggest fear is a giant crack in the middle. Well, don’t fret about that too much with this cheesecake because you are going to top it with a load of cherry pie filling and no one will see any cracks!

The recipe is not complicated, but to avoid the dreaded crack, I suggest letting the cheesecake gradually cool down instead of immediately taking it out of the oven.  Bake the cheesecake for 50 minutes, turn off the oven and let it continue to cook for 10 minutes. Crack the oven door a few inches and let it cool down for another 5- 10 minutes before removing it to a cooling rack.  The original recipe says to bake for 55 minutes, and you can do that, but cooling it slowly should help prevent cracks.

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I also suggest using homemade cherry pie filling, like this recipe.  The almond extract in this recipe really binds the flavors of the cheesecake and filling.  As Ina Garten would say, “Store bought is fine,” but why not spend a little extra time on the homemade cherry pie filling and really impress your guests!

Whoops

To be honest with you guys, I would probably call this one a blunder, but it was all my fault and everyone said it tasted great.  First of all, don’t put a cheesecake in the oven and then go out back to play in the pool with your toddler. Who would do such a silly thing?  Um, apparently me. I didn’t check on it until the very end and I made the mistake of cracking the oven, but not turning off the heat! So it got a bit overcooked and the texture was not as smooth as it could have been.

I also got a little over ambitious.  To make this Black Forest cheesecake absolutely over the top, wow, amazing… I thought I’d make some whipped ganache and pipe a border.  Sound idea and I stand by that suggestion. Except I’ve never whipped my ganache before and I over whipped it. It was not pipeable and I had to scrap that.  Bummer, but it still tasted wonderful and looked gorgeous!

Enjoy!

Seriously guys, I thought I had ruined this Black Forest cheesecake after talking it up so much, but at the end of the day it was decadent, rich, chocolatey, and indulgent.  Our friends were impressed and I was happy with what I’d made. Making mistakes in the kitchen used to really get to me (still does some days), but always take a mishap as a learning opportunity.  That’s how you learn and grow as a baker and as a person.  If you want to become a better baker, check out all of the resources in the Library.  You’ll get access when you subscribe here!

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Black Forest Cheesecake

This chocolate cheesecake has notes of almond, is rich and indulgent, and is topped with a homemade cherry pie filling.

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Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword Cheesecake, Cherry

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Servings 16 slices

Calories 298kcal

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups chocolate cookie crumbs (ex: chocolate graham crackers)
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter melted
• 2 oz unsweetened chocolate roughly chopped
• 14 oz sweetened condensed milk
• 16 oz cream cheese softened
• 3 eggs
• 3 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 2- 3 cups cherry pie filling chilled

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 300℉.  
• Mix cookie crumbs and butter until it resembles wet sand.  Press into the bottom of a lightly greased 9 inch springform pan.
• Over low heat, melt chocolate and sweetened condensed milk in a small pan.  Remove from heat and allow it to cool slightly.
• In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until light and fluffy.  Slowly add the chocolate mix until smooth.
• Add eggs, cornstarch, and almond extract.  Mix well and pour into crust.
• Bake for 50 minutes.  Turn off the oven and let it continue to cook for another 10 minutes.  Crack the oven door open a few inches and let it cool for 5- 10 minutes before removing to a cooling rack.
• Once cool, chill in the fridge for at least one hour.  Top with cherry pie filling before serving.

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