Inverted Oreo No-Bake Cheesecake

Ingredients

• 1 cup Heavy whipping cream (35% fat; for the ganache)
• 9 tbsp Dark chocolate (Or milk chocolate; roughly chop if using large pieces, or use chocolate callets. Source measurement is ½ cup + 1 tbsp.)
• 1 tbsp Unsalted butter (Room temperature; for the ganache)
• 2 cups Oreo cookie crumbs (Use whole cookies, including the creamy filling, blended into crumbs)
• 3 tbsp Unsalted butter (Melted and warm; source says add a little more if the crumb mixture needs it)
• 2 cups Cream cheese (Full-fat, room temperature)
• 1 cup Powdered sugar
• 1 cup Heavy whipping cream (35% fat; very cold; for the cheesecake filling)
• 0.25 tsp Fine sea salt
• 2 tsp Vanilla bean paste
• 9 Oreo cookies (Roughly chopped)

Steps

1. 1

   Make the ganache: Warm 1 cup (240 ml) of the 35%-fat heavy cream in a pot until it just begins to simmer, then turn off the heat.

2. 2

   Put the dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Pour the hot cream over it and leave undisturbed for 20–30 seconds. Stir until the chocolate has fully melted and the mixture is smooth.

3. 3

   Let the ganache cool for 3–4 minutes. Add the room-temperature butter and mix thoroughly. Cover with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the ganache; once cool enough, refrigerate it while preparing the other components.

4. 4

   Make the crust while the ganache cools: Combine the whole-cookie Oreo crumbs with the warm melted butter. Mix until the texture resembles wet sand; the source notes that a little more butter may be added if needed.

5. 5

   Line the bottom of an 8-inch (20 cm) springform pan with parchment paper. Add the crumb mixture and press it firmly over the bottom and up the sides of the pan so the crust holds together.

6. 6

   Freeze the crust for 10 minutes.

7. 7

   Make the filling: Place the room-temperature cream cheese in a mixing bowl and work it with a firm spatula until creamy and smooth.

8. 8

   Sift the powdered sugar over the cream cheese and combine.

9. 9

   In a clean, dry stand-mixer bowl, whip the very cold heavy cream with the whisk attachment on the highest speed until it reaches medium peaks; this should take less than 2 minutes, depending on the mixer and cream. Set aside.

10. 10

    Add the fine sea salt and vanilla bean paste to the cream-cheese mixture and combine.

11. 11

    Add the whipped cream and fold it in gently. When it is almost incorporated, add the chopped Oreos and fold just until mixed; stop before overmixing.

12. 12

    Assemble: Remove the chilled crust from the freezer. Add slightly more than half of the cheesecake filling and form a deep, wide well in the center for the ganache.

13. 13

    Add the chilled ganache into the well. Smooth it with an offset spatula if needed.

14. 14

    Cover the ganache with the remaining cheesecake filling and smooth the top. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 8 hours to overnight, until fully set.

15. 15

    To unmold, remove the plastic wrap and place a flat plate over the cheesecake. Carefully but quickly invert it so the bottom of the pan is on top. Remove the springform sides, then the pan bottom, and finally the parchment paper.

16. 16

    Serve by scooping portions onto plates with a serving spoon. The cheesecake may also be sliced; the source suggests that sharing it by breaking and scooping is part of the fun.

Notes

Control the ganache temperature: overheating can cause it to split. If it becomes too firm in the refrigerator, warm it gently using a bain-marie. If the chocolate has not melted after adding the hot cream, use the lowest heat setting for gentle melting rather than high heat. The source also says the cheesecake can be frozen, well covered in a freezer container, for up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the refrigerator, not by warming. An optional warm chocolate-sauce finish is mentioned, but the source excerpt cuts off before giving its complete instructions, so it is not included as a recipe component.

Nutrition per serving

• dessert
• no-bake
• cheesecake
• Oreo
• chocolate
• make-ahead
• American