Valentine's Day is right around the corner. Show your special someone just how much you love them with this chocolate cheesecake!

Here's what you'll need:

• Semi-sweet chocolate chips
• Cream cheese
• Eggs
• Sugar
• Vanilla
• Oreos
• Butter
• Cocoa powder (Optional)

For the ganache:

• Semi-sweet chocolate chips
• Heavy cream

The Process

*Before making the cheesecake, you want to make sure your cream cheese is room temperature.

First, start by making the crust for the cheesecake. For a 9" spring form pan, I used 25 Oreos with the cream removed. I find the cream makes it harder to make the Oreos into crumbs.

Place the Oreos in a large food safe storage bag. Using a rolling pin or a small pan, crush the Oreos until they are fine. (You can also use a food processor.) Doing this by hand won't result in perfectly fine crumbs, but the final product will still turn out just fine. Pour the crumbs into a bowl and stir in 1/4 cup of melted unsalted butter. Press the crumbs into the bottom of a 9" spring form pan, pie pan, or baking dish. In an oven preheated to 325°F, bake the crust for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool while you make the filling.

Using a double boiler or microwave, melt 1 ½ cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips. Using an electric mixer, cream 4-8 ounce packages of room temperature cream cheese in a bowl for 1 minute on medium-high speed until smooth. Add in 1 cup of granulated sugar and mix on medium-high speed for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl after each step to make sure there are no lumps of cream cheese in the end.

Next, add in the melted chocolate and mix on medium-high speed for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and mix for an additional 30 seconds to make sure all of the chocolate is incorporated. I prefer to add the chocolate before the eggs just incase the chocolate is still hot.

With the mixer on low speed, add 4 eggs one at a time, making sure each egg is fully incorporated. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract, and mix on medium-high speed for 30 seconds to make sure everything is fully incorporated. Pour the batter over the crust and into the pan.

Bake the cheesecake for 55-60 minutes at 325°F. I do not find it necessary to use a water bath for this recipe. After the cheesecake has finished baking, let it cool on the countertop for an hour or until the pan is no longer hot. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or at least 4 hours until chilled and set. 

For the ganache: heat 3/4 cup of heavy cream in a saucepan on medium-low heat. Once the cream starts to bubble around the edges of the pot, pour it over 1 ½ cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips and stir to combine. Pour the warm ganache over the top of the cheesecake while it's still in the pan. Refrigerate for 30-45 minutes or until firm. 

To remove the cheesecake from the pan, take a paring knife and run it around the edge of the ganache so it doesn't rip away from the sides. Remove the rim of the pan. For a fancy finish, dust the top with sifted cocoa powder. For easy slicing, warm a knife under hot water and dry the blade before cutting!