This creamy, dreamy recipe for Chocolate Orange Cheesecake features a silky-smooth chocolatey filling with a burst of naturally zesty orange flavor nestled on top of a crunchy, buttery Oreo cookie crust. YUM!
Prepare: Line the bottom and sides of a 7" or 8" cake tin (with a removable base) with some parchment paper.
Make orange reduction: Add the freshly squeezed orange juice to a saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Continue to simmer for about 10-20 minutes until the mixture has reduced to 120ml. Once reduced, add in the sugar, whisk, and cook for another minute until dissolved. Bring the orange reduction to room temperature.
Make the crust: Add the cookies and salt to your food processor and blitz for about 30 seconds until evenly finely ground. Add in the vegan butter and blend again until evenly combined and the mixture sticks together between your fingers. Press the cookie mixture into the base of the cake tin, and smooth it out with the back of a spoon, making sure it is compact. Set aside in the fridge while you prepare the filling.
Make the filling: Melt the chocolate over a bain-marie (double boiler), stir until smooth, and set it aside for 15-20 minutes to cool. Add the cream cheese and yogurt to a large mixing bowl and whisk using an electric whisk for 2-3 minutes, until smooth and fluffy.Whisk in the cocoa powder and orange zest until combined.
Lastly, alternate between adding the melted chocolate and orange reduction in 3 increments each, whisking each time to incorporate them into the cream cheese mixture. (one part orange and whisk, one part chocolate whisk again, etc..)
Set the cake: Transfer the filling into the cake tin using a spatula to smooth it out. To get the swirl effect on top, place the cake tin on top of a turntable, and use your spatula to make a swirl print on the surface of the cake whilst spinning the turntable. Place in the fridge to set for 4 hours (or overnight if preferred). Once set, remove the cake from the tin.
Storage: Place it in an airtight container in the fridge and consume it within 3-4 days. Alternatively, you can freeze any unused slices and defrost them as needed.
Notes
Wash, dry, and zest the orange first, making sure to only remove the bright orange parts. (The white pith is quite bitter.) Next, give the orange a firm roll on the countertop to help extract the most juice before cutting it in half and using a reamer to juice it.
Scrape the sides of the bowl as often as needed to ensure the ingredients are well-combined.
When melting the chocolate, do it slowly and over low heat to prevent scorching. Use a double boiler or a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water.
Use a hot knife to slice the cheesecake. Before slicing the cheesecake, dip a sharp knife in hot water and wipe it clean. This will help you get clean slices without the filling sticking to the knife.