Black Forest Cheesecake

Chocolate cheesecake on an Oreo crust with a layer of kirsch cherry compote through the middle and more spread over the top, finished with piped whipped cream, fresh cherries and chocolate shavings. It serves 12 to 16 and is made a day ahead.

• Pan: 9-inch springform, baked in a water bath
• Oven: 350°F
• Chill: At least 6 hours

Cherry filling and topping

• 2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 1/2 tablespoons water
• 5 1/4 cups dark sweet cherries, fresh or frozen (not thawed); sour cherries also work
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 3 1/2 tablespoons kirsch, or water or orange juice
• 1 1/4 teaspoons almond extract

Crust

• 35 whole Oreos, cream and all
• 1/4 cup salted butter, melted

Cheesecake

• 32 oz full-fat block cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup full-fat sour cream, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 8 oz semi-sweet chocolate, melted
• 1 cup cocoa powder

Whipped cream

• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

To decorate

• Fresh cherries
• 1 small semi-sweet chocolate bar, for shavings

Instructions

1. Compote: stir the cornstarch into the water until dissolved. Pit and halve the cherries (tart cherries can stay whole; frozen go in frozen).
2. Cook the cherries with the sugar and kirsch over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring now and then, until they soften and release their juice. Re-stir the cornstarch, add it, and stir for 30 seconds to a minute until the sauce thickens enough to part when a finger is drawn through it on a spoon. Stir in the almond extract and chill completely. It keeps 2 days.
3. Crust: heat the oven to 350°F and spray a 9-inch springform pan. Crush the Oreos, cream and all, stir them into the butter, press over the base and a little up the sides, and bake for 10 minutes. Leave the oven on, and set a large pot of water on the stove and a roasting pan nearby for the water bath.
4. Filling: with every cold ingredient at room temperature, beat the cream cheese for 1 to 2 minutes until creamy, then the sugar for 1 to 2 minutes, scraping the bowl between additions. Beat in the eggs one at a time on medium, just until combined. Mix in the vanilla and sour cream, then the melted chocolate and cocoa, each just until combined.
5. Spread half the batter over the crust, spoon about 40 percent of the compote over it, and spread the rest of the batter on top. Any batter that will not fit bakes as cupcakes on an Oreo in a lined muffin tin, 19 to 22 minutes at 350°F.
6. Boil the water. Wrap the springform base in foil, set it inside a 10-inch cake pan, set both in the roasting pan and pour the boiling water into the roasting pan only.
7. Bake for 1 hour 30 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes, until the edges are set and the center has a slight wobble. Turn off the oven, crack the door and leave the cheesecake inside for 1 hour.
8. Cool on a rack to room temperature, 1 to 2 hours, then cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or up to a day.
9. Whip the cream, powdered sugar and vanilla to stiff peaks.
10. Spread the rest of the compote over the top, pipe the whipped cream around the edge, add fresh cherries and shave the chocolate bar over it with a vegetable peeler.

Tips

• Take the cream cheese, eggs and sour cream out about 30 minutes ahead; cold ingredients leave lumps.
• A 10-inch cake pan around the springform keeps the water bath out better than foil alone.
• Leftovers keep 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator.

Recipe by @bluebowlrecipes, from the full recipe on Blue Bowl.