This marble chocolate cheesecake is a tall, dense, impossibly creamy New York-style cheesecake with ribbons of real hot fudge running through every slice.
Unlike most marbled cheesecake recipes, which rely on two different batters for the chocolate marble effect, this one swirls thick ribbons of hot fudge directly into rich New York cheesecake batter.
Beneath all that creamy, fudgy decadence is a buttery cinnamon cookie crust. The buttery cinnamon-sugar crust adds delicious warmth to the chocolate without overpowering the rich cheesecake filling. Serve each slice as it is, or drizzle it with even more warm hot fudge.
This is an unapologetically rich cheesecake designed for birthdays, holidays, dinner parties, and any occasion that deserves a showstopper. It requires several hours of chilling, making it an ideal dessert to prepare a day or two before you plan to serve it.
TL;DR
- Real hot fudge swirled into every bite. Instead of dividing the cheesecake batter and flavoring half with cocoa or melted chocolate, thick hot fudge is swirled directly into the filling. This creates distinct ribbons of fudgy chocolate throughout each slice.
- This cheesecake has a true New York-style texture. Forty ounces of full-fat cream cheese, five eggs, and two additional yolks produce an exceptionally tall, rich cheesecake with a dense but creamy consistency.
- A cinnamon-sugar cookie crust! Cinnamon adds subtle warmth that complements the rich cheesecake and ribbons of chocolate fudge.
- The perfect make-ahead dessert. This cheesecake needs a long chill before slicing, making it the perfect dessert to prepare in advance.
Recipe creation, development, and writing by Rebecca Blackwell.
Recipe testing and photography by Anne Blackwell.
Ingredient notes
- It's important to use full-fat cream cheese in this recipe. This is a decadent, indulgent dessert, not diet food. Now is not the time to worry about fat and calories. This is a true New York-style cheesecake. It bakes up into a tall, dense cheesecake that's impossibly rich and creamy, which requires a whopping 40 ounces of cream cheese.
- I love using cinnamon biscuits to make the crust for this marble chocolate cheesecake. For the cheesecake you see pictured here, I used Pepperidge Farm Chessman Cinnamon Sugar Cookies. You could also use Biscoff Biscuits or cinnamon graham crackers. For extra chocolate flavor, use chocolate graham crackers or Oreo cookies with the cream filling scraped off. Or, simply use regular graham crackers.
- Hot fudge. The chocolate marbling in this cheesecake is created by swirling hot fudge into New York-style cheesecake batter. As the cheesecake bakes, the hot fudge ribbons remain thick and fudgy, creating distinct chocolate marbling in every single slice. It's essential that you use real hot fudge, not chocolate sauce. I almost always make my own and this is my favorite recipe: Real Hot Fudge Sauce. The recipe makes enough for the cheesecake, with plenty left over to drizzle over individual slices.
- This recipe includes an optional ½ teaspoon of lemon extract. That tiny hint of citrus wakes up the chocolate flavor without giving the cheesecake an overt citrus flavor. This is, of course, optional. If you'd rather leave it out, please do so.
Step-by-step photos and instructions
Add the cookies to a food processor and process into fine crumbs. Add the sugar, salt, and melted butter.
Process until the mixture is moist enough to hold together if you squeeze it between your fingers.
Press the moist, buttery crumbs into the bottom of a springform pan and about 1 inch up the sides.
Set the springform pan on a baking sheet to catch any butter that might leak out through the bottom of the pan and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool while you make the filling.
Use an electric mixer to beat the cream cheese, sugar, flour and salt on medium speed until very creamy and smooth. This will take 2-3 minutes.
Stop every once in a while to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Add the eggs and egg yolks and beat on medium-low speed until they are completely blended into the batter.
Add the heavy cream, vanilla, and lemon extract and mix on low just until everything is blended together.
Pour the cheesecake batter into the prepared crust.
Drizzle a cup of hot fudge sauce over the top of the cheesecake batter.
Use a knife to swirl the hot fudge into the batter.
Bake the cheesecake for 15 minutes at
475°F (246°C). Then reduce the oven temperature to 200°F (93°C) and bake for 1 hour.
To test that the cheesecake is done, gently shake the pan. There will be some movement in the center of the cheesecake, but it will appear set. If the center jiggles loosely like gelatin when you gently shake the pan, the cheesecake is not quite done.
Turn off the oven and let the cheesecake rest inside the oven for 30 minutes. Then remove the cheesecake from the oven and let cool completely on a wire rack. Refrigerate uncovered for about 3 hours, until chilled. Cover and continue refrigerating for at least 8 hours, or overnight, before slicing and serving.
Drizzle slices of cheesecake with some additional hot fudge, if you like.
Pro tips!
To prevent the top of the cheesecake from cracking: A water bath promotes gentle, even baking and significantly reduces the chance that the cheesecake will crack.
This is optional. The hot fudge marbling makes small cracks difficult to notice. But if a smooth surface is important to you, a water bath is recommended.
After preparing the crust and allowing it to cool, wrap the springform pan in several layers of aluminum foil, overlapping it in different directions. Set the foil-wrapped pan inside a roasting pan or baking dish that's large enough to hold it comfortably. Follow the recipe instructions to pour the cheesecake batter into the pan and swirl with hot fudge.
Bring enough water to a boil to reach approximately halfway up the side of the springform pan. Place the roasting pan and cheesecake in the oven, then carefully pour the boiling water into the roasting pan. The water should reach approximately halfway up the side of the springform pan without rising above the aluminum foil barrier. Bake as directed.
For the best marbling effect: When swirling the hot fudge into the cheesecake batter, use broad figure-eight or S-shaped movements and stop when the ribbons are still clearly defined.
To make chocolate cheesecake instead of marble chocolate cheesecake, beat the hot fudge into the cheesecake batter before pouring it into the pan.
For a true New York-style cheesecake without any chocolate, this has been my go-to recipe for decades: New York Cheesecake with Classic Shortbread Crust
If you give this recipe a try, let me know! Scroll down to rate this recipe and leave a comment for me.
Happy baking!
📖 Recipe
Chocolate Marble Cheesecake With Hot Fudge
This marble chocolate cheesecake is a tall, dense, impossibly creamy New York-style cheesecake with ribbons of real hot fudge running through every slice.
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 9-ounce package (about 2 ½ cups) cinnamon biscuits (see note)
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ cup (4 ounces/ 113 grams) unsalted butter, melted
For the cheesecake:
- 40 ounces (1135 grams) cream cheese, full fat, at room temperature
- 1 ¾ cups (375 grams) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (30 grams) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 5 large whole eggs
- 2 large egg yolks
- ¼ cup (57 grams) heavy whipping cream
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon lemon extract (optional)
- 1 cup hot fudge sauce
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Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°F (176°C).
- Add the cookies to a food processor and process into fine crumbs. Alternatively, you can put the cookies in a zip-top bag and crush with a rolling pin. Add the sugar, salt, and melted butter, and process until the mixture is moist enough to hold together if you squeeze it between your fingers.
- Press the mixture into a 10-inch springform pan so it covers the bottom of the pan in an even layer and comes about 1 inch up the sides of the pan. Set the springform pan on a baking sheet to catch any butter that might leak out through the bottom of the pan and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool while you make the filling.
- Turn the oven temperature up to 475°F (246°C). It's common for the top of cheesecake to crack slightly while baking. This doesn't always bother me. If it doesn't bother you, proceed with the recipe. If you want to prevent cracks in your cheesecake, it's important to bake the cheesecake in a water bath. Read the note below about how to create a water bath and prepare accordingly.
- Use an electric mixer to beat the cream cheese, sugar, flour and salt on medium speed until very creamy and smooth. This will take 2-3 minutes. Stop every once in a while to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add the eggs and egg yolks and beat on medium-low speed until they are completely blended into the batter, about 2 minutes. Add the heavy cream, vanilla, and lemon extract and mix on low just until everything is blended in.
- Pour the cheesecake batter into the prepared crust. If the hot fudge is cold, gently heat it until it's warm enough to pour. Heat over low heat in a saucepan or in 20-second intervals in the microwave, stirring well after each interval. You do NOT want the fudge to be hot; heat it just until it's a pourable consistency. Drizzle 1 cup of hot fudge sauce over the top of the batter. Use a knife to gently swirl it into the batter. Do not overmix the hot fudge into the cheesecake. You want visible chocolate swirls. (See photos above.)
- If baking your cheesecake in a water bath, follow the instructions in the note below. If you're not using a water bath, place the springform pan on a baking sheet and set it inside the oven. Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 200°F (93°C) and bake for 1 hour. To test that the cheesecake is done, gently shake the pan. There will be some movement in the center of the cheesecake, but it will appear set. If the center jiggles like jello when you gently shake the pan, the cake is not quite done.
- Turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake in the oven with the door closed for 30 minutes.
- Remove the cheesecake from the oven and let cool completely on a wire rack. Refrigerate uncovered for about 3 hours, until chilled. Cover and continue refrigerating for at least 8 hours, or overnight, before slicing and serving.
Notes
- If you can't find cinnamon biscuits, or just want more chocolate flavor, use chocolate graham crackers instead. Oreos will also work, but I suggest scraping off the cream filling because it can make the crust too heavy. I have also occasionally found pre-crushed Oreo crumbs without the cream filling in supermarkets. These crumbs will also work great. And, of course, you can substitute traditional graham crackers if you like.
- To prevent the top of the cheesecake from cracking: A water bath promotes gentle, even baking and significantly reduces the chance that the cheesecake will crack. This is optional. The hot fudge marbling makes small cracks difficult to notice. But if a smooth surface is important to you, a water bath is recommended. After preparing the crust and allowing it to cool, wrap the springform pan in several layers of aluminum foil, overlapping it in different directions. Set the foil-wrapped pan inside a roasting pan or baking dish that's large enough to hold it comfortably. Follow the recipe instructions to pour the cheesecake batter into the pan and swirl with hot fudge. Bring enough water to a boil to reach approximately halfway up the side of the springform pan. Set the roasting pan containing the cheesecake in the oven, then carefully pour the boiling water into the roasting pan. The water should reach approximately halfway up the side of the springform pan without rising above the aluminum foil barrier. Bake as directed.
- Make ahead and storage instructions: This cheesecake can be prepared up to 3 days in advance and stored, covered, in the refrigerator. It can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Freeze the entire cake, or slice the cake into individual slices before freezing. To freeze individual slices, wrap each one separately. Alternatively, separate the slices with parchment paper, wrap them together tightly in plastic wrap, and place them in an airtight container or freezer bag. Allow the cake to thaw in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours before serving.
- For neat, easy slicing: Use a sharp knife dipped into hot water and wiped clean between cuts.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 16 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 598Total Fat: 37gSaturated Fat: 21gUnsaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 174mgSodium: 518mgCarbohydrates: 59gFiber: 1gSugar: 42gProtein: 10g
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Marsha says
I just made this for the third time this first for Thanksgiving people wanted to eat this before the turkey and everyone fought to take some home with them. then had to make it again at Christmas it was requested from everyone lol people went off their diets to eat it.
Now I am making it for a friend's birthday I hope she loves it as much as everyone else did. 💕
Rebecca Blackwell says
Hi Marsha! I am so happy to hear that you are getting so much use out of this recipe! I love that people wanted cheesecake before turkey! I also want cheesecake before turkey. It's all about priorities. 🙂 Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment for me and happy birthday to your friend! She is lucky to have someone to bake a cheesecake for her!
Judy says
Just made this cheesecake for my granddaughter's 1st birthday. Alright, it was for her mommy, but it was the hit of the party. I left out the chocolate fudge swirl and topped it with the Salted Caramel Sauce. Rich but not overly so, just the right amount of sweetness.
Rebecca Blackwell says
Cheesecake with salted caramel sauce sounds so yuuuummmmy. I'm so glad the cake turned out well for you and that everyone enjoyed it. Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know! xo