Nigella Lawson's Chocolate Cheesecake

Make Nigella Lawson's chocolate cheesecake. This is the best chocolate cheesecake with chocolate in the filling and in the glaze.

Lots of chocolate and cream cheese, some sour cream and heavy cream, digestives for the crust, and more chocolate for the topping. A rich and delightful list of ingredients is what makes Nigella Lawson's chocolate cheesecake recipe better than any other I know.

This was my first chocolate cheesecake ever. After taking the first bite, I was speechless. As I am now! I really have no words to describe how unbelievably good this chocolate cheesecake recipe was.

I am a big fan of Nigella Lawson; I think I have all her books, and there are quite a few recipes I cooked out of them. Such as Nigella's Carrot Cake Muffins.

Try Crustless Cheesecake or German Cheesecake next!

Recipe ingredients

Digestives: Digestive biscuits are popular British biscuits originating in Scotland. They are perfect for Nigella's cheesecake recipe, but if you don't have them, you can replace them with other kinds of biscuits, for instance, graham crackers.

Chocolate: I use good quality dark chocolate to make this easy cheesecake recipe. You will need chocolate for both the cheesecake and the chocolate glaze, and I cannot say it often enough: a chocolate cake or dessert is only as good as the chocolate you use. I recommend European-style dark chocolate for the best results.

Which cheese is used for cheesecake?

In this case, lots of full-fat cream cheese, Philadelphia style, and more dairy like sour cream and heavy cream.

The remaining ingredients are regular cheesecake ingredients like unsalted butter, cream cheese, sugar, eggs, sour and heavy cream.

How to make Nigella's chocolate cheesecake?

Prepare the springform tin

• The cheesecake will be baked in a water bath. I don't do that often, but in this case, it is really worth it!
• You will have to prepare your baking dish properly so that no water will reach the chocolate cheesecake.
• Line a 20 cm/8-inch springform with a double layer of strong aluminum foil on the outside. Set aside.

Make the crust

• Finely crush the digestives in a food processor until you obtain crumbs, then add the melted butter.
• Press the crumbs into the prepared springform tin and place them in the fridge while you make the filling.

Melt the chocolate

• Place the finely chopped chocolate in a small metal bowl that would fit on top of a pan.
• Pour water into the pan, place the bowl with the chocolate on top, but make sure that the water doesn't touch the bowl.
• Heat the water gently, but do not let it come to a boil. Melt the chocolate, stirring often.

Make the chocolate filling

• Beat the cream cheese until smooth and creamy; add the sugar, eggs, and egg yolks one at a time, whisking well after each one.
• Add the sour cream and the lime juice and beat well.
• Pour the melted chocolate into the cream cheese mixture and fold it in gently until everything is smooth again.
• Pour the chocolate mixture into the prepared springform tin.

Bake

• Place the prepared springform into a roasting tin.
• Boil water in a kettle and pour the water into the roasting tin to come 2 – 2 ½ cm/ ¾ – 1 inch up the sides of the cake pan.
• Bake for about 1 hour until the chocolate cheesecake is lightly browned around the edges and the center is just set on top but still a bit wobbly underneath.
• Remove the aluminum foil and let cool on a wire rack at room temperature. Refrigerate once cool.
• Unmold and glaze before serving.

Make the glaze

• Place Nigella's chocolate cheesecake on a large serving platter before glazing it.
• Place the finely chopped chocolate, heavy cream, and golden syrup in a small pan.
• Heat gently while stirring all the time, but don't let it come to a boil.
• When the chocolate is almost melted, remove from the heat and continue stirring until the mixture is smooth.
• Let cool for a few minutes.
• Pour some of the glaze over the cheesecake.
• Serve the remaining glaze on the side.

Nigella Lawson's Chocolate Cheesecake

Nigella Lawson's incredible chocolate cheesecake. A double chocolate cheesecake to die for!

4.46 from 11 votes

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Course: Pies and Cheesecakes

Cuisine: English

Prep Time: 40 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour

Total Time: 1 hour hour 40 minutes minutes

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 692kcal

Author: Adina

Equipment

• ▢
  springform 20 cm/8-inches
• ▢
  Strong aluminum foil

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Ingredients 

Crust:

• ▢ 125 g digestives 4.5 oz, Note 1
• ▢ 60 g unsalted butter ¼ cup

Filling:

• ▢ 500 g full-fat cream cheese 2 ¼ cups
• ▢ 100 g granulated sugar ½ cup
• ▢ 3 large eggs
• ▢ 3 large egg yolks
• ▢ 150 g sour cream ⅔ cups
• ▢ 1 teaspoon lime juice or more to taste
• ▢ 150 g dark chocolate 5.5 oz, Note 2

Glaze:

• ▢ 75 g dark chocolate 2.5 oz
• ▢ 125 ml heavy cream ½ cup
• ▢ 1 teaspoon golden syrup Note 3

Instructions

• Preparations: Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius/ 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line the springform with a double layer of strong aluminum foil on the outside.

Crust:

• Melt the butter in a small saucepan or in the microwave.

  60 g unsalted butter/ ¼ cup
• Mix crust ingredients: Place the digestives and the butter in a food processor and process until you get wet crumbs.

  125 g digestives/ 4.5 oz
• Press the crumbs into the bottom of the prepared pan and place the springform into the fridge while you make the filling.

Filling:

• Beat the cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Add the sugar and incorporate.

  500 g full-fat cream cheese/ 2 ¼ cups + 100 g granulated sugar/ ½ cup
• Add the eggs and the egg yolks one at a time, whisking well after each one. Add the sour cream and the lime juice. Beat well.

  3 large eggs + 3 large egg yolks + 150 g sour cream/ ⅔ cups + 1 teaspoon lime juice

Melt the chocolate:

• Finely chop the chocolate and place it into a small metal bowl that fits on top of a pan.

  150 g dark chocolate/ 5.5 oz
• Melt chocolate at bain-marie: Pour water into the pan and place the bowl with the chocolate on top, but make sure that the water doesn't touch the bowl. Heat the water gently, but do not let it come to a boil. Melt the chocolate, stirring often.
• Pour the melted chocolate into the cream cheese mixture and fold it in gently until everything is smooth again.

Bake:

• Assemble: Place the prepared springform into a roasting tin. Boil water in a kettle and pour the water into the roasting tin to come 2 – 2 ½ cm/ ¾ – 1 inch up the sides of the cake pan.
• Bake for about 1 hour until the cake is lightly browned around the edges and the center is just set on top but still a bit wobbly underneath.
• Let cool: Remove the aluminum foil and let cool on a wire rack. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Unmold and glaze before serving.

Chocolate glaze:

• Place the cheesecake on a serving platter before glazing it.
• Make the glaze: Place the finely chopped chocolate, heavy cream, and golden syrup in a small pan. Heat gently while stirring all the time, but don't let it come to a boil. When the chocolate is almost melted, remove from the heat and continue stirring until the mixture is smooth.

  75 g dark chocolate/ 2.5 oz + 125 ml heavy cream ½ cup + 1 teaspoon golden syrup
• Glaze the cheesecake: Let cool for a few minutes, then pour some of the glaze over the cake. Serve the remaining glaze on the side.

Notes

1. Graham crackers can be used instead.
2. Chocolate: Use the best quality dark chocolate. I recommend European-style chocolate for its best results.
3. Corn syrup can be used instead.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 692kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 53g | Saturated Fat: 30g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 18g | Cholesterol: 251mg | Sodium: 286mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 36g

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