Orange and Dark Chocolate Cheesecake: The Perfect Recipe for Any Occasion
My passion for homemade cheesecakes knows no bounds! I love experimenting with seasonal fruits and playing with original decorations to create desserts that leave everyone amazed.
Today I offer you a special recipe that celebrates the end of the orange season: a citrus cheesecake with the intense touch of dark chocolate. An irresistible contrast of flavors, made with organic Sicilian oranges from nearby farms, pesticide-free.
Why you’ll love this recipe
First of all for the freshness and the intense citrus flavor that only true Sicilian oranges give with their natural aroma. The combination of orange and dark chocolate is a timeless classic that creates that sweet-bitter contrast that always wins! And if you follow exactly the steps I give you to garnish this cheesecake, you’ll have the perfect show-stopping dessert for all your occasions that will astonish everyone!
Ingredients and Preparation
I will guide you step by step in creating this wonderful spoon dessert. From choosing quality chocolate to preparing the citrus cream, every detail is designed for a patisserie-worthy result. And if you’ve always wanted to present a perfect cheesecake at the table without the unsightly metal pan rim, further down you’ll find my demonstration video where I reveal the final trick for professional plating!
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I enjoyed making it.
Other cheesecakes that might interest you:
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Medium
- Rest time: 5 Hours
- Preparation time: 40 Minutes
- Portions: springform pan Ø 9 in (22-24 cm)
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
⚠ IN THIS RECIPE ONE OR MORE AFFILIATE LINKS ARE PRESENT. The products I recommend are the same I use in my recipes; purchasing them through my blog helps support me and my work at no extra cost to you!
- 12 oz plain biscuits (type Digestive — about 3 cups crushed)
- 1/2 cup butter (melted (about 120 g))
- 11 oz cream cheese, spreadable (about 1 1/4 cups (≈300 g))
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 7 oz orange yogurt (or citrus yogurt (≈200 g))
- 3.2 oz brown sugar (about 6 tbsp (≈90 g))
- 1 orange juice
- 1 orange zest (untreated)
- 3 tbsp milk
- 0.28 oz gelatin sheets (about 8 g (≈4 sheets))
- 1 cup water (250 ml)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar (≈100 g)
- 1 orange juice
- 1 orange zest (untreated)
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 4 drops food coloring (red)
- 10 drops food coloring (yellow)
- 3 oz dark chocolate (about 80 g)
- 5 slices orange (for decoration)
- as needed orange zest (untreated)
Tools
- 1 Mixer
- 1 Pan
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Saucepan
- 1 Hand mixer
- 1 Spatula
- 1 Dough scraper
- 1 Acetate cake collar
- 1 Spoon
- 1 Fine mesh sieve
Preparation
Start by preparing the base, finely crushing the biscuits. Put them in a food bag, seal it and crush them using a rolling pin. Or to speed up, pulse them in a mixer as I did and place them in a bowl.
Add the melted butter (bain-marie and slightly cooled), mix well and press the biscuit-and-butter mixture into the base of a springform pan lined with parchment paper or inside an adjustable ring, leveling with the back of a spoon until you obtain a smooth, compact base.
Put it in the fridge for at least 30′ or in the freezer for 15′. Meanwhile, prepare the cheese cream: soak the gelatin sheets in a bowl of very cold water to soften them for about 10′.
In a separate bowl, beat the cream cheese with the sugar using electric beaters.
Then add the yogurt and the grated orange zest.
Incorporate the filtered orange juice (strained through a sieve) and continue whipping.
Squeeze the gelatin sheets and dissolve them in 3 tablespoons of warm milk. Add the dissolved gelatin to the mixture and continue to combine.
Whip the cold cream separately until firm and thick, then fold it into the cream cheese mixture using a spatula with slow upward motions so as not to deflate it.
At this point pour the cream onto the biscuit base. Level well with a spatula, then give the pan a few gentle taps to remove air bubbles and place the cheesecake back in the fridge for 2 h.
After this time, prepare the topping by gently heating the water with the sugar, the orange juice and the grated orange zest in a small saucepan. Then add the sifted cornstarch and stir until the glaze thickens.
Turn off the heat and add the food colorings. Let it cool slightly. Pour the glaze over the cheesecake and level it. Refrigerate for at least another 3 h, but preferably overnight.
For the decorations, melt the chocolate in a bain-marie, then temper it by slowly bringing it to a temperature between 113°F and 122°F. Let it cool gradually by removing the pan from the heat and stirring energetically until you lower the temperature to 79–82°F. At this point spread the chocolate on an acetate sheet, first with a spoon, then smooth with a spatula and finally notch it to create a striped effect.
Roll the acetate sheets for a scenic effect and let them cool completely (it will take about 15′), then gently peel the chocolate off the acetate. Remove the springform rim and decorate with orange slices and the chocolate decorations.
And voila… the orange and chocolate cheesecake is ready to be enjoyed!
Enjoy! from La Cucina di FeFè!
Storage
👉 The orange and chocolate cheesecake keeps in the fridge in suitable containers, preferably glass, for about 2-3 days.
1. How to replace gelatin in a vegan cheesecake?
To obtain a perfect consistency without animal ingredients, use agar-agar. Dissolve one teaspoon in a little hot orange juice and add it to the mixture: your cheesecake will set perfectly while keeping a velvety texture.
2. Can I make this cheesecake 100% plant-based?
Absolutely! If you follow a plant-based diet, substitute the regular biscuits with vegan cookies and use coconut oil or vegan margarine instead of dairy butter.
For the Cream, use a mix of vegan spreadable cheese (almond- or soy-based) and whippable plant-based cream. For structure, instead of gelatin sheets, use agar-agar (a natural gelling agent derived from seaweed). Finally, dark chocolate is often naturally vegan, but always check that it does not contain milk traces.
