Mocha Cheesecake. Creamy, delicious chocolate espresso cheesecake filling over coconut praline crust. Garnished with whipped cream, espresso chocolate sauce, and toasted pecans. Perfect dessert for casual or elegant get-togethers.
Why You Should Make This Cheesecake
- coffee + chocolate
- the cocoa pecan praline crust is delicious
- its visually stunning
- perfect for casual or elegant affairs
How To Make This Mocha Cheesecake
Graham cracker sheets are laid out on a silpat or parchment lined rimmed baking sheet. Pecan pieces are arranged over the graham crackers. Brown sugar, sea salt and unsalted butter are melted in a saucepan. The mix is brought to a vigorous boil and kept there for about 2 minutes.
The hot sugar mix is poured over the pecans and crackers. The baking pan goes in the oven for 10 minutes. The pan is set on a wire rack to cool completely and harden, about an hour.
The hardened pecan and graham cracker mix is broken into pieces and placed in a food processor with a couple tablespoons of cocoa powder. The mix is ground into fine crumbs. A few tablespoons of melted butter are added to the crumbs and pulsed to combine.
The crumbs are spread evenly into the bottom of a parchment paper lined springform pan. Once evenly spread the crumbs are pressed tight to form the crust. The springform pan goes into the refrigerator until ready to use.
Cream cheese is beaten in a stand mixer, or with a hand mixer until creamy. Sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, and espresso powder are added to the cream cheese and beaten until well combined and creamy, about 4 minutes.
Vanilla bean paste and three eggs are added to the cheesecake filling and beaten just long enough to incorporate, after each addition.
Sour cream and heavy cream are added and beaten long enough to incorporate.
The cheesecake filling is poured over the crust. The bottom and sides of the springform pan is wrapped in two pieces of heavy duty foil. The springform pan is placed in an oven roaster or other oven safe pan larger than itself. The pan is placed in the oven and enough water is added to the larger pan to come up the foil wrapped springform pan about an inch.
The cheesecake is baked a little over an hour, the oven is turned off and the cheesecake is left in the oven to continue baking while the oven cools. The door to the oven is opened for a while to cool the cake further and slowly. The cake is removed from the oven, the foil removed and cooled to room temperature. The cooled cake is chilled in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight to completely set.
The springform pan is opened and removed from the sides of the cheesecake. The cake is cut and served slightly chilled. I garnished my cake with chipped cream, espresso chocolate sauce, and toasted pecans.
Other Recipes You Might Enjoy
Some of our most popular cheesecake recipes include caramel apple cheesecake, vanilla bean cheesecake, raspberry chocolate cheesecake, and dark chocolate cheesecake.
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Mocha Cheesecake
Equipment
- 1 (9-inch) springform pan
Ingredients
Praline Crust:
- 125 grams graham crackers (8 sheets)
- 100 grams whole or chopped pecans (1 cup)
- 113 grams unsalted butter (1 stick OR 1/2 cup)
- 1 gram sea salt (1/4 teaspoon)
- 110 grams light brown sugar (1/2 cup)
- 42 grams unsalted butter (3 tablespoons), melted
Cheesecake Filling:
- 672 grams cream cheese (24 ounces), room temperature
- 200 grams granulated sugar (1 cup)
- 14 grams unsweetened cocoa powder (2 tablespoons)
- 6 grams instant espresso powder (1 tablespoon)
- 5 grams vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract (1 teaspoon)
- 150 grams egg (3 large), room temperature
- 120 grams sour cream (1/2 cup), room temperature
- 120 grams heavy cream (1/2 cup), room temperature
Instructions
Praline Crust:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Line a large sided baking tray with parchment paper or silpat mat. Arrange the graham cracker sheets in in a single layer in the center of the tray on the parchment.
- Arrange the pecans over the crackers. Set aside.
- Add the unsalted butter, sea salt and light brown sugar to a small saucepan.
- Melt the butter and sugar over medium heat. Whisk smooth. Bring the mixture to a boil and continue stirring for about 2 minutes.
- Pour the hot sugar mixture over the crackers and pecans. Use a spatula to spread the mixture evenly over the crackers, if necessary.
- Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes.
- Remove from oven. Cool completely at room temperature. Break up the crackers and add to food processor bowl. Pulse until crumbs. Add melted butter to food processor. Pulse until well combined.
- Line a 9-inch springform pan with parchment. Press the crumbs into the bottom of the pan. Use a flat bottomed glass or small offset spatula to create an even crust.
- Refrigerate until ready to use.
Cheesecake Filling:
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
- Add softened cream cheese to stand mixer. Beat on medium for about 4 minutes. Scrape down the stand mixer bowl.
- Add sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, and espresso powder to cream cheese in stand mixer. Beat on low at start, and then medium for 3 minutes. Scrape down the stand mixer bowl.
- Add vanilla bean paste to stand mixer. Beat on low until incorporated, about 15 seconds.
- Add eggs, one at a time, beating on low to incorporate, after each addition. Scrape down the stand mixer bowl.
- Add sour cream to stand mixer bowl. Beat on low until incorporated.
- Add heavy cream to stand mixer bowl. Beat on low until incorporated.
- Wrap heavy duty foil along the bottom and up the sides of the chilled springform pan with praline crust. Repeat with a second piece of foil.
- Pour the prepared cheesecake filling into the springform pan over the prepared crust.
- Place the springform pan into a large roasting pan. Place the roasting pan in the preheated oven. Add enough hot water to the roasting pan to go about 1-inch up the sides of the springform pan, but not over the foil.
- Bake in preheated oven for 75 minutes. Turn off the oven, do not open the oven door and let set for 30 minutes. Open the oven an inch or so and let set for 30 minutes. Remove the springform pan from the roasting pan, and set on wire rack to cool to room temperature. Remove the foil. Leave the cheesecake in the springform pan, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 4 hours or overnight to set completely.
- Remove the springform pan.
- Garnish with whipped cream, espresso chocolate sauce, and chopped toasted pecans.
