Cookie Dough Cheesecake

New York Cheesecake is the most popular cheesecake. Its texture is rich and creamy, just like this chocolate chip cookie dough cheesecake! The cookie base is made from a giant chocolate chip cookie instead of the traditional graham cracker crust. Edible chocolate chip cookie dough is sprinkled inside the cheesecake batter as well as garnish on top! Chocolate ganache swirls make a decadent decoration! When you are drooling already, this cake is for you!

It is basically edible chocolate chip cookie dough as a cheesecake!

How to make cheesecake crackfree?

• Pre-bake the cookie crust on a slightly higher temperature than the cheesecake and let it com to room temperature before adding the cheesecake batter. These steps ensure a stable base for the cheesecake to bake in.

• Use a Baine-marie to bake the cheesecake. A water bath helps baking the cheesecake with gentle heat and enough humidity to prevent cracking.

• Another important step is to keep the oven door shut. Once the cake finished baking it needs to cool gently. Just turn off the oven and let it cool for at about 20 minutes inside the oven. Then transfer it to the kitchen counter and immediately cut with a knife or spatula around the edges to loosen the cake from the cake pan. This will prevent any cracks in the cheesecake. Let it set for another 30 minutes before cooling it in the fridge for at least 6 hours or overnight.

• To easy remove the baking pan I recommend using a mold with releasable bottom like a springform pan. Either way if you do not make cheesecake on a regular basis you can use a regular cake pan and grease and line the mold completely with parchment paper on the bottom, the sides and to lift the cake: two stripes underneath the bottom layer reaching up on both sides, like tray handles. This will help loosen the cake after chilling in the fridge. Still there is some risk that the cake might not come out clean, even with following all these advices:

  • Make sure that the cheesecake has cooled for at least over night in the fridge before attempting releasing it from the baking pan.

  • Line a plate with parchment paper.

  • After cutting around the edges with a knife or spatula to loosen the cake flip the cake onto the prepared plate and try to loosen it with the parchment paper handles.

  • The cake should smoothly sink onto the plate so that you can remove the cake pan and place the cake onto a clean plate.

These are the cake pans that I always use in my recipe videos and the bake even strips for flat cake tops!

A 8 inch cake pan is the traditional choice to make most cake recipes. It creates tall cake layers without making a huge cake! Having issues with cake domes? Bake even strips help to get flat cake tops by cooling the sides of the cake while baking so that the center bakes evenly with the outside.

Cookie Dough Cheesecake

Ingredients

For the cookie crust:

1 1/2 cups (200 g) flour

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup (57 g) butter

1 cup (160 g) semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup (100 g) brown sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 large egg

For the cookie dough:

1 cup (125 g) flour, toasted (read tips)

1/4 tsp salt

2 tsp milk

6 tbsp butter

1/3 cup (65 g) brown sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/3 cup (50 g) chocolate chips

For the filling:

24 oz. cream cheese

1/2 cup (120 g) sour cream

1 tbsp. vanilla extract

1/2 cup (100g) sugar

1/3 cup (65 g) brown sugar

3 large eggs

3 tbsp flour

1 cup (150 g) semi-sweet chocolate chips

For the ganache:

1 1/2 cups (225 g) semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup (75 ml) heavy cream

INSTRUCTIONS

Step 1:

Start off with a big mixing bowl. Add butter, and the brown sugar. Mix until smooth. Add egg, vanilla, and salt. Whisk it until it comes together. Sift in flour and baking soda. Gently fold in until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips. Fill the cookie dough in a 9-inch lined springform pan. Bake it at 350 °F for 16 minutes.

Step 2:

While the cookie base is baking you can make the cookie dough balls. In a mixing bowl add butter, vanilla, and brown sugar. Mix until fluffy. Add the toasted flour and mix until smooth. If needed add up to 2 tsp milk. Fold in the mini chocolate chips. Make little cookie dough balls and freeze them until needed.

Step 3:

In the meantime, prepare the cheesecake layer. For that mix cream cheese until smooth. Add flour and vanilla and mix it. Add sugar, sour cream and eggs. Mix until smooth. Fold in the chocolate chips and pour the batter on top of the pre-baked chocolate chip cookie base. Bake in a water bath at 300 °F for about 1 hour 10 minutes. Turn off the oven and let it sit in there for another 30 minutes. Then take it out of the water bath and let it come to room temperature. When the cheesecake has cooled refrigerate it for at least 3 hours.

Step 4:

After 2 hours of chilling time prepare a ganache to decorate the cake. To a small bowl add chocolate chips and pour hot heavy cream over it. Let it sit for 3 minutes, then whisk it until it comes together. It should have a smooth consistency but not be too runny. Let it chill in the freezer for about 10 minutes to make it set faster. When it has cooled whip it with a hand mixer with a whisk attachment for about 1 minute. Make sure that you do not whip it for too long as it gets very hard. I recommend to only whisk it until it is still a bit soft. Fill it into a piping bag with a star attachment.

Step 5:

To make the cross pattern of chocolate ganache use 3 tbsp of the chocolate ganache and warm it in the microwave for about 10 seconds add 1 tbsp of heavy cream and mix it until smooth. It should have a runny consistency. Fill it into a small piping bag or drip bottle and decorate the cake with a cross pattern. Then pipe the chocolate ganache swirls and add some more cookie balls if desired. Place it in the fridge for another 30 minutes to let the ganache set.

Enjoy!

**Pro Tips**

• Use semi-sweet chocolate or even 72 % chocolate for a more intense chocolate taste. I do not recommend using milk chocolate because it would add too much sweetness.

• To toast the flour, place it in a flat layer on a lined baking sheet and bake it at 350 °F for about 5 minutes. Let it come to room temperature before using.

• For a more intense flavor I recommend to brown the butter for the chocolate chip cookie crust. Simply add the butter into a small sauce pan and heat it at medium heat. Stir it from time to time and when the liquid butter begins to brown it is ready. You might smell a nutty flavor. Let it come to room temperature before using.

• Forgot to take the cream cheese come out of the fridge before baking? No problem! To quickly soften cream cheese simply fill warm water in a large pan or bowl. Unwrap the carton box from the cream cheese so that it is only wrapped in foil and place the cream cheese into the warm water. Let it sit for about 20 minutes. If the water got too cold replace it with warm water. This method ensures you a nice and soft cream cheese which mixes easily and does not make any lumps.