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Bailey’s Chocolate Cheesecake

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In honor of St. Patty’s Day next week, I’m stoked to introduce…..my favorite cheesecake!!!

Oh yes. This Bailey’s chocolate goodness has long been the go-to cheesecake recipe in my kitchen, partly because it’s (truly) so simple and foolproof to make, and partly because it’s…um…AMAZING! By now, I think nearly all of my friends and family have tried this recipe at one point, and it always receives stellar reviews.

In fact, I actually brought the cheesecake today to the seven guys in my band, who are some of my most willing (yet most honest) critics of my cooking. And, after poking brief fun of my chocolate curls (which they then immediately dug into), they unanimously agreed it was a winner. Yay.

So if you’re looking for a new cheesecake recipe, or even if this may be your first, I can’t recommend it enough! I’ve included instructions for a water bath below (to prevent cracking). And also included a 2-ingredient chocolate ganache recipe and a super-simple chocolate curls “tip”, that will make the top look gorgeous regardless of if the cake cracks.

Enjoy, enjoy!!!

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Bailey’s Chocolate Cheesecake

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 4 reviews
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 70 minutes
  • Total Time: 85 minutes
  • Yield: 12 -16 slices 1x

Description

This Bailey’s Chocolate Cheesecake is made with a chocolate crust, and creamy chocolate filling with a hint of Bailey’s.


Ingredients

Scale

Crust Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups chocolate graham cracker (or chocolate cookie) crumbs
  • 1/3 cup powdered (confectioner’s) sugar
  • 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/4 cup (half a stick) butter, melted

Cheesecake Ingredients:

  • 3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened (I used 1/3 less fat)
  • 1 1/4 cups white sugar
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 cup Bailey’s (or other Irish cream liqueuor)

Chocolate Ganache Ingredients (Optional):

  • 1/2 cup heavy cream (or half and half)
  • 4 ounces dark chocolate

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, mix together the cookie crumbs, confectioners’ sugar and 1/3 cup cocoa. Add melted butter and stir until well mixed. Pat into the bottom of a 9-inch well-greased springform pan. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes; set aside. Increase oven temperature to 450 degrees.
  2. In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, white sugar, 1/4 cup cocoa and flour. Beat at medium speed until blended and smooth. (Try not to over-mix!) Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Blend in the sour cream and Irish cream liqueur; mixing on low speed until blended. Pour filling over baked crust.
  3. Optional: To prevent cracking in the cheesecake, I’m a big fan of water baths! Just fill a 9×13 (or whatever size) glass pan halfway with water, and place it on the bottom rack while the oven preheats, and then while the cheesecake cooks.
  4. Place the cheesecake in the oven on the shelf above the water bath, and bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 250 degrees, and continue baking for 60 minutes.
  5. With a knife, loosen cake from rim of pan. Let cool, then remove the rim of pan. Chill for a few hours before serving.
  6. Optional: To prepare the ganache, place the chocolate chips in a bowl. Then heat the cream (or half and half) in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until it is almost boiling. Remove from heat, and pour over the chocolate chips and let sit for 30 seconds. Then stir until the chocolate chips have melted and are mixed in well. Pour over the top of the cheesecake, and sprinkle with chocolate chips or chocolate shavings if you’d like.

Notes

Recipe adapted from AllRecipes

Ali’s Tip:

There are much better ways to create little chocolate curls. But since I was in a hurry, I just popped a dark chocolate bar in the microwave for about 5-7 seconds (just so it is ever-so-slightly melty on the sides), and then ran a vegetable peeler along the sides. And voila!

(If the bar begins to actually bend on you as you run the peeler, it’s too soft! Let it wait a few minutes and try again!)

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