Originally published on December 20, 2016
It was hubby’s birthday this week! And while that’s enough excitement in itself, it also meant that it was time again for Oreo cheesecake, something that has become a bit of a tradition in our house. This year though, I wanted to do something a bit different; something more than just the expected Oreo cheesecake. Something with a bit of a wow factor. So, I combined Brent’s two favourites – Oreo cheesecake and chocolate cake.
I could see it in my mind immediately, with a layer of cheesecake in between two beautiful layers of rich and delicious chocolate cake. How I was going to actually layer them though, I had no clue. First there was the difference in size between my springform pan and my cake pans. And an Oreo crust running through the middle of the cake might make it a bit weird. Clearly I had to go crustless, which meant I would also have to go no-bake when it came to the cheesecake.
I’ll be honest with you. I hate no-bake cheesecake. But I was hoping that the chocolate cake would offset that, and I was right. After the birthday song has been sung, the presents have been unwrapped, and the cake has had a chance to sit altogether, the cheesecake portion is more reminiscent of decadent icing than it is cheesecake. And that suited me just fine.
Ingredients:
For the chocolate cake:
- 2 cups white sugar
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup boiling water
For the Oreo cheesecake:
- 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 10-ounce container Cool Whip, plus more for garnish
- 12 Oreos, roughly chopped
For the chocolate ganache:
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Directions:
1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line the bottom of two round 9″ cake pans with parchment paper.
2.) Start by making the chocolate cake. In the bowl of a stand mixer combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix on low for 1 minute just to combine. Add the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla. Turn speed to medium and mix for two minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally. Turn to lowest speed and slowly pour in boiling water. Continue mixing for 1 more minute, just until all ingredients are thoroughly combined, scraping sides if necessary.
3.) Pour the batter into the two round cake pans, dividing it as evenly as possible. Place in the preheated oven and bake for 30 – 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.
4.) Let cake cool in the pans for 10 minutes before turning them onto a wire rack and letting them cool completely.
5.) While chocolate cakes are cooling, make the Oreo cheesecake. Place the cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat on low just until it’s completely softened. Add the sugar and vanilla and continue to beat on low speed, just until all ingredients are combined. Stir in the chopped Oreo cookies, then fold in the Cool Whip.
6.) To make the ganache, fill a medium saucepan with a couple inches of water. Place a heat-proof bowl over top (I have a Pyrex glass bowl that works very well) and add chocolate chips. Bring water to a simmer and stir the chocolate chips, allowing the gentle heat to gradually melt them together. When all the chips have been melted, remove from the heat and slowly add the heavy whipping cream, whisking continuously. The chocolate may appear to seize at first, but keep adding the cream and whisking – it will all come together!
7.) When the chocolate cakes have completely cooled, you can begin assembling the cake. On one of the chocolate cake rounds, spread the Oreo cheesecake mixture completely on top in a thick even layer. Place the other chocolate cake round on top, gently pressing so the cake comes together at each layer.
8.) Holding the bowl with the chocolate ganache about 4 inches above the cake, pour it right onto the centre of the top layer of the cake. It will pool and spread out, dripping down the sides of the cake.
9.) Place the entire cake into the fridge. This will allow the Oreo cheesecake to further set, and it will cool the ganache and allow it to set. After about an hour in the fridge, you can remove the cake and do any further decorating you want. I went with basic swirls of whipped cream and a sprinkling of chocolate chips I had leftover from the ganache.
10.) Serve and enjoy!