Ultimate Chocolate Cheesecake with Maple Sugar (Silky, Rich, 9-Inch Cheesecake)
Albert Wood
This is not the kind of cheesecake you casually make “just because.”
This is the kind of cheesecake you make when you want people to go quiet mid-bite, stare into the distance, and whisper, “Oh wow.”
It’s intensely chocolatey (bittersweet + semisweet + cocoa… we’re not playing), baked in a water bath for that impossibly creamy texture, and sweetened in part with Wood’s Vermont Maple Sugar—which adds a warm, caramel depth that makes the chocolate taste even richer. Then it gets finished with a thick, glossy chocolate ganache that looks like it belongs under museum lighting.
In short: this cheesecake is a showstopper. It’s also dangerously good straight from the fridge at 11:17 p.m. when you “just want a tiny slice.”
Why Maple Sugar Makes Chocolate Taste Even Better
Chocolate is already dramatic. Maple sugar makes it dramatic with nuance.
Wood’s Vermont Maple Sugar adds a toasted, caramel-like sweetness that rounds out the bittersweet chocolate and deep cocoa. It doesn’t make the cheesecake taste like maple syrup—it makes it taste like the chocolate became its highest self.
- Warmer sweetness that softens the edges of dark chocolate
- Caramel depth that makes cocoa taste more complex
- Bakery-level flavor without extra effort
Basically, maple sugar is the secret ingredient that makes people ask, “What did you DO to this?”
The Crust: Chocolate Wafer Crumbs = Instant Classic
A chocolate cheesecake deserves a chocolate crust. It’s just respectful.
Chocolate wafer crumbs (or chocolate graham cracker crumbs) plus butter gives you a rich base that holds up to the filling without competing with it. Think of it as the supporting character who is quietly perfect and deserves their own spin-off.
The Water Bath: The Cheesecake Spa Day
Yes, a water bath is slightly annoying. Yes, you should still do it.
That gentle, steamy heat is what gives you the smooth, crack-resistant, velvet texture that makes a cheesecake feel truly “professional.” Wrap the springform pan in foil like you’re preparing it for battle, then let the hot water do its soothing, creamy magic.
Bonus tip: When the cheesecake comes out, running a knife around the edge helps prevent the top from cracking as it cools. Cheesecake is sensitive. We honor that.
How to Know It’s Done (Without Spiraling)
You’re looking for the center to be set but still slightly jiggly. Not liquid. Not firm like a brick. Just a gentle wobble—like the cheesecake is waving hello.
It will finish setting as it cools, and chilling it for at least 6 hours (overnight is even better) is what gives you those clean, dreamy slices.
Chocolate Ganache: The Glossy Finale
The ganache is the final boss of dessert beauty.
Warm cream melts the chocolate into something dark, silky, and luxurious, and the butter makes it extra glossy and rich. Once it sets on top, your cheesecake goes from “wow” to OH WOW.
Also: if someone tries to skip the ganache, that’s between them and their choices. But we will be quietly disappointed.
Serving Tips (a.k.a. How to Look Like You Know What You’re Doing)
- Use a sharp, thin-bladed knife.
- Wipe the knife clean between slices for picture-perfect edges.
- Serve slightly chilled for best texture (but let it sit a few minutes if you like a softer bite).
This cheesecake is perfect for birthdays, holidays, dinner parties, or any day you feel like making an edible mic drop.
Ready to bake the kind of dessert that makes people fall silent out of respect? Make this Ultimate Chocolate Cheesecake with Wood’s Vermont Maple Sugar, crown it with glossy ganache, and tag us when someone asks if you bought it from a fancy bakery. 🍁🍫
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Ultimate Chocolate Cheesecake with Maple Sugar (Silky, Rich, 9-Inch Cheesecake)
Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users
Category
Dessert
Cuisine
American
Author:
Al Wood
Servings
8
Prep Time
30 minutes
Cook Time
1 hour 10 minutes
Calories
1255
This Ultimate Chocolate Cheesecake is ultra-smooth, deeply chocolatey, and made extra special with Wood’s Vermont Maple Sugar for warm caramel depth—finished with a glossy chocolate ganache. A showstopper 9-inch cheesecake baked in a water bath for the creamiest texture.
Ingredients
For the Crust —
-
1 ½ cups Chocolate Wafer Crumbs/ or chocolate or traditional graham cracker crumbs
- ⅓ cup (57g/2 oz.) unsalted butter, melted
For the Ultimate Chocolate Cheesecake—
- 1 ½ cups bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
- ½ semisweet chocolate morsels, chopped
- 1 ½ pounds full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
-
⅔ cup Wood's Vermont Maple Sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup light brown sugar, packed
- 3 tablespoons unsweetened natural cocoa powder
- 4 large eggs plus 2 egg yolks, at room temperature
- ¾ cup heavy cream, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Chocolate Ganache—
- 1 ⅔ cups semi-sweet chocolate morsels, chopped
- 1 ¼ cups heavy cream
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into cubes
Directions
For the Crust—
- Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C). Grease the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Wrap the outside of the pan in layers of heavy-duty aluminum foil. You’ll be placing this pan in a water bath, so be sure the pan has been wrapped from every angle.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the chocolate wafer crumbs and melted butter. Pat the mixture firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake the crust for 10 minutes. Set the pan on a wire rack and cool the crust completely. Leave the oven on.
For the Chocolate Cheesecake—
- Fill a medium pot one-third full with water and bring it to a low simmer over medium heat.
- Place a heatproof bowl that will fit on top of the pan snugly, but will not touch the simmering water, on top of the pan. Reduce the heat to low and add the chopped chocolate into the bowl over the pot. Heat until the chocolate is completely melted, stirring occasionally with a silicon spatula. Remove the pot from the heat, leaving the bowl of chocolate over the hot water. Set aside until needed.
- In the bowl of a food processor (or high-powered blender), pulse the cream cheese until completely smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, about 2 minutes. Add in both sugars and the cocoa powder and beat until smooth. Add in the eggs, egg yolks, and heavy cream and mix until just combined, about 20 seconds. Fold in the chocolate. Finally, add in the vanilla and pulse for another 20 seconds.
- Remove the bowl from the food processor and, using a rubber spatula, stir the filling several times to ensure it’s evenly blended.
- Scrape the filling over the partially baked crust in the prepared pan.
- Place the springform pan in a roasting pan or large baking pan. Place the roasting pan in the preheated oven and pour enough hot water into the pan to come 1 inch up the sides of the springform pan.
- Bake the cheesecake in the water bath for 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until the center of the cake is set but still slightly jiggly. The cake will set completely as it cools.
- Remove the cake from the water bath and place the pan on a wire rack. Carefully loosen the foil, then immediately run the tip of a knife around the sides of the pan to prevent the top from cracking. Cool completely (in the pan), then transfer cheesecake to the refrigerator to chill for at least 6 hours before removing from the pan and slicing.
For the Chocolate Ganache—
- Add chopped chocolate to a medium bowl; set aside.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring the cream to a low simmer. Pour half the cream over the chocolate pieces and set aside for 1 minute. With a whisk, begin to incorporate the melted chocolate into the cream. Slowly add the remaining cream, whisking carefully until smooth and glossy.
- Add the butter and use a spatula to stir until it is completely melted. The mixture will be dark and glossy. Set aside, at room temperature, until needed.
- Pour ganache over the cooled cheesecake. Set aside until ganache is set, about 1 hour.
- To serve, slice the cheesecake with a sharp, thin-bladed knife, wiping the knife clean between each slice.
Recipe Note
Store loosely covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Nutrition
Nutrition
- per serving
- Calories
- 1255
- Carbs
- 83 grams
- 28%
- Protein
- 16 grams
- 32%
- Fat
- 98 grams
- 150%
- Saturated Fat
- 57 grams
- 355%
- Trans Fat
- 1 grams
- Cholesterol
- 285 milligrams
- 95%
- Fiber
- 7 grams
- 28%
- Sugar
- 58 grams
- Sodium
- 420 milligrams
- 18%
- Iron
- 6 milligrams
- 34%
- Potassium
- 667 milligrams
- 19%