This decadent Black Forest cheesecake will satisfy all your cravings for the nostalgic flavors of German Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte. Creamy chocolate cheesecake is paired with a crunchy Oreo crust.
And the toppings look super elegant for any dinner party, but they're secretly simple! Canned cherry pie filling adds a pop of sweet, fruity flavor. Plus homemade whipped cream and chocolate shavings check all the boxes to make this an epic Black Forest inspired cheesecake.
Melted dark chocolate and unsweetened cocoa powder make this Black Forest cheesecake super rich and chocolatey. Which means it's great for dessert! But you can also serve it with a cup of coffee or tea in the afternoon for Kaffe und Kuchen.
If you're looking for more Black Forest inspired recipes, I have so many more on my site! I may be a little crazy about this dessert... 🙂 Be sure to try my traditional Black Forest cake, little Black Forest cupcakes, easy Black Forest Bundt cake, simple Black Forest sheet cake, and Black Forest brownies!
Inspired by Germany
Growing up in Germany, we didn't eat a lot of Black Forest cake, because it's traditionally made with a cherry brandy called Kirsch or Kirschwasser. However there's no Kirsch in this recipe, so it's totally kid-friendly. 🙂
And while this Black Forest cheesecake would taste great with fresh cherries, I think the sweetness of cherry pie filling is the perfect compliment to the rich chocolate. Its bright red color also looks so pretty with the whipped cream!
Baking Cheesecake with a Water Bath
If you've ever felt intimidated about making a cheesecake from scratch, don't worry!
The water bath helps regulate the temperature so it bakes slowly and evenly. Just follow my tips and instructions to mix the batter evenly and cool the baked cheesecake slowly. I've never had a cheesecake crack on me yet! 🙂
Ingredients and Notes
- Ground Oreos - You can substitute your favorite chocolate sandwich cookies.
- Almond flour - Adds a little bit of a nutty flavor to balance to sweetness from the Oreo cookies.
- Salt
- Unsalted butter
- Cream cheese - Set it out at room temperature for about 30 minutes to soften.
- Granulated sugar
- Unsweetened cocoa powder - You can substitute Dutch process cocoa powder.
- Eggs
- Plain Greek yogurt - Some cheesecake recipes use sour cream, but I prefer the lighter texture of Greek yogurt.
- Dark chocolate - You can melt chocolate chips, but I recommend using a dark or bittersweet chocolate baking bar which melts a lot smoother and easier.
- Canned cherry pie filling - You can substitute homemade cherry filling.
- Whipped cream - I recommend making whipped cream from scratch which is more tasty and stable than store bought whipped cream.
- Shaved chocolate
How to Make this Recipe
Below is the process to make this recipe. For the full step-by-step directions and ingredient quantities, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
1. Crush the whole Oreos in a food processor or in a sealed bag with something heavy like a rolling pin.
2. In a large mixing bowl, mix the crushed Oreos, almond flour, salt, and melted butter together.
3. Press the cookie crust mixture into the greased 9-inch springform pan.
5. Beat the cream cheese for 4 to 6 minutes on a medium to high speed, until it is smooth and creamy.
7. While mixing on low speed, add the whole eggs and then the egg yolks one at a time.
9. Tightly wrap the outside of your springform pan with at least two large layers of aluminum foil, so water doesn't get into the pan.
11. Place the springform pan in the middle of a large Dutch oven or roasting pan. Add the boiling water so the water level comes between halfway and three-quarters up the sides of the springform pan.
13. Run a knife around the edge of the springform pan to loosen it. Release the sides of the pan.
4. Bake the crust for 10 minutes at 350°F. Then reduce the oven to 325°F.
6. Add the granulated sugar, cocoa powder, and salt to the cream cheese, and mix for another 4 minutes.
8. Add the Greek yogurt and melted chocolate. Mix on a low speed until it's fully combined.
10. Pour the cheesecake mix onto the cooled crust in the prepared pan. Smooth the top with the back of a spoon.
12. Bake for 1 hour, then begin checking the cheesecake. The cheesecake is done baking once only the center is jiggly, and the outer edge is set. Slowly cool the cheesecake & chill overnight.
14. Top the cheesecake with cherry pie filling, whipped cream, and chocolate shavings.
Carissa's Kitchen Tip
You can dollop the whipped cream on top of the cheesecake, then spoon the canned cherry pilling filling on top.
But for a more elegant appearance, use a piping bag to pipe little swirls of whipped cream around the edges of the cheesecake. Then spoon the cherries in the center.
Recipe Tips
- You can make the chocolate curls by using a vegetable peeler to shave a cold chocolate bar directly onto the cheesecake.
- All your ingredients for the cheesecake should be at room temperature before you start mixing the ingredients. Leave the cream cheese, eggs, and Greek yogurt on the counter for about 20 to 30 minutes to warm up.
- If you forget to soften cream cheese ahead of time, submerge the unopened packages in a bowl of warm water for about 10 minutes.
- If you forget to bring the eggs to room temperature ahead of time, submerge them in a bowl or glass of warm water for about 10 minutes.
- Periodically scrape the bottom and sides of your mixing bowl with a silicone spatula to ensure everything is evenly mixed.
- Use a springform pan to get the cheesecake out of the pan much more easily, since this type of pan releases the sides from the bottom.
- Use extra large aluminum foil so whole sheet of foil wraps around the bottom and up the sides of your pan.
Variations
- Ground cookies: If you don't have a food processor to grind the cookies, you can place them in a large sealed bag and crush them with something heavy like a rolling pin.
- Almond flour: I like adding a little almond flour in the crust to add a nutty flavor which tastes amazing with the chocolate and cherries. However, you could substitute more crushed Oreos in place of the almond flour.
- Dairy free: You can make a creamy dairy free cheesecake by swapping out the cream cheese and yogurt for dairy-free alternatives.
- Pumpkin: If you don't like cherries, whip up a vegan pumpkin cheesecake made with just 8 ingredients!
- Different crust: If you want something more epic than a cookie crust, you can make a crust from phyllo dough like my Baklava cheesecake!
Storage
- Room Temperature: Don't store your cheesecake at room temperature longer than a few hours, since it contains dairy.
- Fridge: Store your cheesecake in an airtight container or wrapped loosely in plastic wrap for up to 7 days in the fridge.
- Freezer: Store your cheesecake in an airtight container for up to 3 months in the freezer.
- Make Ahead: If you’re planning to make your cheesecake ahead of time, I recommend freezing just the cheesecake. Allow it to defrost in the fridge. Add the toppings right before you’re ready to serve it.
Recommended Recipes
Looking for more delicious cake and cheesecake recipes like this tasty Black Forest cheesecake? Try these:
Black Forest Cheesecake | Chocolate Cheesecake with Cherries & Whipped Cream
Equipment
- food processor
- measuring cups and spoons
- mixing bowls
- hand mixer or stand mixer
- Large Spoon or Spatula
- large Dutch oven or roasting pan
- kettle
Ingredients
OREO CRUST
- 1½ cups ground Oreos (about 15 whole cookies) (no need to separate the cookies from the filling)
- ½ cup almond flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted (4 Tbsp)
CHEESECAKE
- 32 ounces cream cheese softened to room temperature
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 whole eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 ⅔ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 8 ounces dark chocolate, melted
TOPPINGS
- 2 cups canned cherry pie filling
- homemade whipped cream (get the recipe here)
- shaved chocolate (optional)
Instructions
Make the Crust
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Make sure an oven rack is in the middle of the oven. Grease a 9-inch springform pan.
- Crush the whole Oreos in a food processor or in a sealed bag with something heavy like a rolling pin.In a large mixing bowl, mix the crushed Oreos, almond flour, salt, and melted butter together.
- Spread the crust mixture into the greased springform pan and press it down in an even layer.Bake the crust for 10 minutes. Once it’s done, reduce the oven heat to 325°F and let the crust cool while you prepare the cheesecake filling.
Make the Chocolate Cheesecake
- In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or in a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer, beat the room temperature cream cheese for 4 to 6 minutes on a medium to high speed, until it is smooth and creamy. (If there are any lumps, you'll end up with a lumpy cheesecake. Scrape the sides of the bowl frequently during this process with a silicone spatula.)
- Add the granulated sugar, cocoa powder, and salt to the cream cheese, and mix for another 4 minutes. Stop the mixing and scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl every minute to make sure everything is evenly mixed.
- While mixing on low speed, add the whole eggs and then the egg yolks one at a time. Make sure each egg is fully mixed in before adding the next egg.
- Add the plain Greek yogurt and melted chocolate and continue to mix on a low speed until it's fully combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl and give the mixture a few last stirs by hand, to ensure there are no pockets of ingredients that aren't fully mixed.
- Bring a full kettle of water to a boil. Tightly wrap the outside of a 9-inch springform pan with at least two large layers of aluminum foil, so water doesn't get into the pan when it's submerged halfway in a water bath. Make sure the foil fully covers the bottom and all the way up the sides of the pan, so water doesn't go inside the pan.
- Pour the cheesecake batter onto the cooled crumb crust in your springform pan. Smooth the top with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon.
- Place the springform pan in the middle of a large Dutch oven or roasting pan with sides that are at least as tall as the springform pan.Add the boiling water so the water level comes between halfway and three-quarters up the sides of the aluminum foil-lined springform pan. (Now you have a water bath!)
- Carefully transfer the water bath into the oven. Bake for 1 hour, then begin checking the cheesecake to see if it's done. Give the pan a gentle jiggle. The cheesecake is done baking once only the center is jiggly, and the outer edge is set and doesn't move. If it's still jiggly around the edges, bake for another 10 minutes and check it again.
- Once the cheesecake is done baking, turn off the oven and leave the door open so the cheesecake can start cooling still in the water bath inside the oven for 1 hour.
- Remove the springform pan from the water bath and remove the aluminum foil from the pan. Let the cheesecake continue to cool to room temperature in the pan for 1 to 2 hours.
- Loosely cover the top of the springform pan with aluminum foil and chill the cheesecake in the fridge to fully set for at least 8 hours, or overnight.
- Run a knife around the edge of the springform pan to loosen it. Release the sides of the pan. Top with canned cherry pie filling, whipped cream, and chocolate shavings. Slice and enjoy!!
Notes
- Shaved chocolate: Use a vegetable peeler to shave a cold chocolate bar directly onto the cheesecake.
- Room temperature ingredients: All your ingredients for the cheesecake should be at room temperature before you start mixing the ingredients. Leave the cream cheese, eggs, and Greek yogurt on the counter for about 20 to 30 minutes to warm up.
- Water bath: Use extra large aluminum foil so the whole sheet of foil wraps around the bottom and up the sides of your pan. This will prevent water from getting into your springform pan once the cheesecake is in the water bath.
- Storing: Store your cheesecake in an airtight container for up to 7 days in the fridge or for up to 3 months in the freezer.
- Make Ahead: If you’re planning to make your cheesecake ahead of time, I recommend freezing just the cheesecake. Allow it to defrost in the fridge. Then add the cherries, whipped cream, and shaved chocolate right before you’re ready to serve it.
Vanessa
OMG the oreo crust was AMAZING! Soooo chocolatey! 🙂
shkalen
Wowzerss!! looks good
Rolf
Woah woah woah... this is a whole new level of black forest desserts!
Carissa Erzen
Haha! Thanks, Rolf!