Chocolate Hazelnut Swirl Cheesecake Recipe

This Hazelnut Swirl Cheesecake is for serious chocophiles!  Imagine this delicious cheesecake with a piping hot cup of coffee – it is a sweet temptation.

Planning to make cheesecakes for Thanksgiving dessert?  Make your cheesecakes ahead of time now and freeze for Thanksgiving!  Try this decadent recipe for Chocolate Hazelnut Swirl Cheesecake using Nutella.  This will hit the spot when dessert time comes around.

Please read What’s Cooking America’s tips on Baking A Perfect Cheesecake before making and baking your cheesecake.

 

Chocolate Hazelnut Swirl Cheesecake

 

Check out more of Linda’s Cheesecake Recipes.

Please check out my Honey-Glazed Ham Easter dinner menu which includes this wonderful Chocolate Hazelnut Swirl Cheesecake.

 

Chocolate Hazelnut Swirl Cheesecake Recipe:
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
1 hr
 
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Chocolate Hazelnut Swirl Cheesecke Recipe
Servings: 10 to 12 servings
Ingredients
Chocolate Hazelnut Swirl Cheesecake:
  • 2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condenced milk
  • 3 eggs, room temperature
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice, fresh-squeezed
  • 2/3 cup chocolate-hazelnut spread (Nutella)
Hazelnut Crust:
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup firmly-packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup hazelnuts, toasted and chopped**
  • 1/3 cup butter
Instructions
Chocolate Hazelnut Swirl Cheesecake Instructions:
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and position rack in center of oven (too high or too low of rack placement will cause baking problems).  Lightly grease (butter) a 9-inch springform pan.  Use a conventional (regular) oven rather than a convection oven in baking your cheesecake.  The forced hot air from the convection oven causes too much browning and can often cause the center of the cheesecake to collapse.

  2. Prepare Hazelnut Crust; set aside to cool before using.

  3. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese just until smooth.  Gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.  NOTE: Do not over beat the mixture.  You want to avoid beating air into the mixture.  Too much air will make the cheesecake fall. Add lemon juice, beating until just smooth.

  4. In a medium bowl, measure 1 1/2 cups of the cream cheese mixture.  Gently stir in chocolate-hazelnut spread.

  5. Spoon half of the yellow batter (about 1 1/2 cups) over the baked and cooled Hazelnut Crust.  Top with 1/2 of the chocolate-hazelnut batter (about 1 cup).  Repeat layering.  With a small metal spatula, carefully swirl batter to marble cake (this also helps get rid of any extra air bubbles).

  6. Place cheesecake in center of middle oven rack.  Position a baking pan filled halfway with hot water on lower rack.  Bake 40 to 50 minutes or until edges are light brown and center is almost set.  NOTE: There should be no wet spots or liquid areas in the center of the cheesecake.  Remember that a cheesecake continues to cook when it is removed from the oven.

  7. How to tell when cheesecake is done cooking:  The cheesecake is done when center is almost set, but jiggles slightly when gently shaken.  For a perfect cheesecake, use a cooking thermometer and take it out of the oven when the cheesecake reaches 150 degrees F. at the center to avoid over baking.  Expect a slight shrinkage as it cools.  If there is great shrinkage, you have baked it at too high a heat.

  8. How to prevent cracks in your cheesecake:  When the internal temperature of a cheesecake rises beyond 160 degrees F. while baking, it will always crack.  To prevent this from happening, use an instant-read cooking thermometer to test its doneness.  Take it out of the oven when the  cheesecake reaches 150 degrees F. at the center to avoid over baking.

  9. Turn oven off.  Let cake stand in oven, with door ajar, 30 minutes or until center is completely set.  Remove from oven and cool completely on a wire rack.

  10. Cool cheesecake completely on a wire rack before refrigerating.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 12 to 24 hours before cutting (the cheesecake will solidify to a perfect consistency during this time).

  11. NOTE: A wonderful looking baked cheesecake (with no cracks), can crack as it sits on the cooling rack because the cake shrank during cooling and clung to the sides of the springform pan.  To avoid this from happening, cool the cheesecake for only a few minutes, and then, using a paring knife, free it from the sides of the pan before allowing it to cool completely.

  12. To serve, slide a small knife around edge of cake to loosen it and remove sides of the springform pan; transfer onto a cake plate.

  13. Makes 10 to 12 servings.

Hazelnut Crust Instructions:
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and position rack in center of oven (too high or too low of rack placement will cause baking problems).  Lightly grease (butter) a 9-inch springform pan.

  2. In a food processor, combine flour, brown sugar, and chopped hazelnuts.  Add butter; whirl 5 to 10 seconds more.  Mix well and press firmly onto bottom of prepared pan.

  3. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are light brown.  Remove from oven and cool crust completely on a wire racks.

  4. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees F. to bake the cheesecake.

Recipe Notes

* To quickly bring cream cheese to room temperature, place unwrapped package in a microwaveable bowl.  Microwave on HIGH for 30 to 45 seconds or until slightly softened.  Do not let it melt or get warm.  Refrigerate if it does.

** Preheat oven to 350 F.  In a baking pan, toast hazelnuts in one layer in middle of oven 10 to 15 minutes, or until lightly colored and skins are blistered.  Wrap nuts in a kitchen towel and let steam 1 minute.  Rub nuts in towel to remove loose skins; and cool completely.

 

Thermapen Internal Temperature Cooking ChartI get many readers asking what cooking/meat thermometer that I prefer and use in my cooking and baking. I, personally, use the Thermapen Thermometer. Originally designed for professional use, the Super-Fast Thermapen Thermometer is used by chefs all over the world.  I only endorse a few products, on my web site, that I like and use regularly.

You can learn more or buy yours at: Super-Fast Thermapen Thermometer.

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More Delicious Cheesecake Recipes:

Chocolate Fudge Cheesecake
Anything chocolate makes it on my list of favorites, and this is one of those.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake
Peanut butter and chocolate!  This delightful combination of flavors will remind you of one of your favorite childhood candy bars.

Perfectly Plain Cheesecake
This is just a basic cheesecake recipe, but it can be used as the base for many other varieties.  Change the crust, add some chocolate, or just get creative!

Pumpkin Cheesecake
Never again make a pumpkin pie for the holiday. This cheesecake is absolutely wonderful. Let your family be the judge!

Sweet Potato Cheesecake
A wonderful cheesecake with a light sweet potato taste.

Cheesecake Hints and Tips:

Baking A Perfect Cheesecake

Baking Cheesecake Ahead of Time

Cutting Cheesecake

How To Freeze Cheesecake

Traveling with Cheesecakes

Springform Pans

 

 

Source:  I adapted this Chocolate Hazelnut Swirl Cheesecake recipe from Robin Hood Flour of Canada.  Photo also from Robin Hood Flour.

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