500gr (18 oz)Cream Cheesesoft, at room temperature
80gr (1/3 cup)Sour Creamsoft, at room temperature
120gr (1/2 cup)Caster Sugar
1tablespoonOrange Zestabout 2 large oranges
80ml (1/3 cup)Orange Juice
1 1/2teaspoonVanilla Extract
3largeEggsat room temperature
Chocolate Ganache
120gr (4 oz)Dark Cooking Chocolatefinely chopped
150ml (1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons)Heavy / Thickened Cream
15gr (1 tablespoon)Honeyoptional
Instructions
Oreo Crust
Line the bottom of a 22 cm / 9-inch Springform pan with baking paper / parchment paper. Lightly grease the sides and optionally line them with strips of baking paper.
Place the Oreo Cookies in a small blender / food processor and blend until you get very fine crumbs and no large chunks remain. Alternatively, crush them inside a freezing bag or plastic bag with a rolling pin.
Add the Melted Butter and blend until you get a thick paste that resembles wet sand.
Transfer the crumbs into the prepared Springform Pan. Spread the crumbs around then firmly press with the back of a spoon or cup to pack the crumbs into an even layer.
Place in the freezer.
Orange Cheesecake Filling
Preheat your oven on 140 degrees Celsius / 285 degrees Fahrenheit.
In a large mixing bowl (if using a hand mixer) or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the very soft room temperature Cream Cheese and Sour Cream (see note 1) until completely smooth and no lumps remain.
Add the Sugar, Orange Zest, Orange Juice and Vanilla. Slowly mix to combine, stopping to scrape the bowl when required.
Add in the Eggs (preferably pre-whisked together) and very slowly stir until you get a smooth mixture. Stop as soon as combined to avoid creating air bubbles (see note 2).
Take the Springform Pan out of the freezer and pour the Cream Cheese Mixture over it. Tap the pan over a hard surface a few times to pop any air bubbles.
Place on the lowest rack of your oven and bake for 60 to 70 minutes. The centre of the cheesecake should will still be very slightly jiggly but the edges should be fully set (see note 3).
Turn off the oven, slightly open the oven door (use a wooden spoon to keep it open) and leave the cheesecake to cool down inside the oven for 1 hour. Take out of the oven and leave at room temperature for 1 hour, then transfer in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight (see note 4).
Chocolate Ganache
Remove the chilled cheesecake from the springform pan and place on a serving plate.
Finely chop the Cooking Chocolate and place in a heat-proof bowl. Place in the microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minutes or until the bottom of the chocolate has started to melt slightly.
Place the Cream and Honey (optional) in a small saucepan and heat on low until the honey has melted and the cream starts to simmer.
Pour the hot cream over the partially melted chocolate and leave for 2 minutes. Using a silicone spatula, gently stir in a circular motion to mix the chocolate and cream until you get a smooth, shiny ganache (see note 5).
Directly pour the warm ganache over the cheesecake. If required, use the back of a spoon or small offset spatula to spread it around towards the edges of the cheesecake. Optionally, slightly push the ganache off the side of the cake to create a drip effect.
Before the chocolate has started to set, decorate with your favourite garnish such as dehydrated oranges, orange zest or Terry's Chocolate Oranges.
Keep in the fridge until ready to serve.
Notes
It is very important for the ingredients to be at room temperature. If too cold, you will find lumps of unmixed cream cheese in the cheesecake.
Over-mixing the eggs into the cream cheese mixture will create air bubbles that will make the cake rise in the oven then collapse, creating cracks.
If the cheesecake seems to be browning too quickly, lower the temperature or cover the tin with aluminium foil.
Gradually cool down the cheesecake, first in the turned off oven, then at room temperature and finally in the fridge. An abrupt change of temperature will make the cheesecake sink and crack.
If you had not chopped the chocolate, it is possible that you will still find small chunks of unmelted chocolate. If this happens, place the heat-proof bowl over a double-boiler or in the microwave for 30 seconds to finish melting the chocolate.