CHOCOLATE DONUT HOLE CHEESECAKE

This Chocolate Donut Hole Cheesecake might be the most over-the-top dessert I’ve made yet! It’s a smooth and creamy chocolate cheesecake filled with chocolate donut holes and the perfect vanilla glaze!

INGREDIENTS

CRUST
2 cups Oreo crumbs
4 tbsp butter, melted

CHEESECAKE FILLING
24 ounces packages of cream cheese, room temperature (three 8 oz packages)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup cocoa
2 tbsp flour
4 eggs, room temperature
1 cup sour cream
3/4 tsp vanilla extract
8–10 doughnut holes

GLAZE AND TOPPING
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar (add more if needed for thickness)
3 tbsp milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
doughnut holes

INSTRUCTIONS

CRUST

1. Heat oven to 325 degrees.
2. In a small bowl, combine crust ingredients and mix well.
3. Press mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper in the bottom.
4. Bake crust for 10 minutes then remove.
5. Cover the outsides of the pan with aluminum foil so that water from the water bath cannot get in, and set aside.

CHEESECAKE FILLING

1. Reduce oven to 300 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, blend the cream cheese, sugars, cocoa and flour with an electric mixer until combined (Use low speed to keep less air from getting into the batter, which can cause cracks). Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
3. Add eggs one at a time, beating slowly and scraping the sides of the bowl after each addition.
4. Add the sour cream and vanilla extract. Beat on low speed until well combined.
5. Put a little bit of the filling in the bottom of the crust. Press the doughnuts into the bottom of the cheesecake.
6. Pour remaining filling into the springform pan and spread over the doughnuts. The pan will be very full.
7. Place springform pan inside another pan. Fill outside pan with enough warm water to go about halfway up the sides of the springform pan. The water should not go above the top edge of the aluminum foil on the springform pan.
8. Bake for 1 hour and 35-40 minutes.
9. Turn off heat and leave cheesecake in oven with door closed for 20 minutes.
10. Crack oven door and leave the cheesecake in the oven for another 20 minutes or until set. This cooling process helps the cheesecake cool slowly to prevent cracks.
11. Remove cheesecake from oven and chill.
12. Remove springform pan sides from cheesecake. Cheesecake may be a little lumpy on top from the donuts inside.
13. Whisk together powdered sugar, milk and vanilla extract to make the glaze.
14. Pour a little glaze on top of the cheesecake, then pile on additional donut holes.
15. Drizzle more glaze over the donut holes just before serving.