Espresso martinis are hands-down my favourite cocktail. They’re bold, smooth, and a perfect balance of sweet and bitter. So, when I was trying to come up with a dessert to bring to a New Year’s party, I thought it would be fun to turn my go-to drink into a cheesecake! I tried to keep the espresso front and centre, with just a touch of chocolate to avoid veering into mocha territory. It turned out fantastic, if I do say so myself!
Also, if you want to try my go-to espresso martini recipe, here’s a post on that: Soufflé Espresso Martini Recipe.
Ingredients
The ingredients are pretty simple for this one! For the crust, I went with Java Chip Oreos because I had them on hand and thought they’d add some nice extra coffee flavour – but you can absolutely just use regular Oreo crumbs! You’ll mix those with melted butter and a bit of sugar and salt to get that perfect, crunchy base. The filling is super simple – just cream cheese, sugar, eggs, Greek yogurt (or sour cream), espresso powder, vanilla, and a splash of Kahlua. I use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream because it’s what I always have on hand, but either option works totally fine. To top things off I went with an espresso whipped cream in an attempt to match the vibes of the foam on top of an espresso martini. It’s fluffy, flavourful, and totally ties the whole thing together (in my humble opinion!).
Decaf Espresso Option
If caffeine isn’t your thing (it is NOT mine) or you’re planning to serve this later in the evening, you can absolutely use decaf espresso powder. I use Nescafe Gold, and really don’t notice a difference in flavour. It’s a great option if you want to serve it as a post-dinner treat without keeping everyone awake all night.
Steps
I find a lot of people are intimidated by cheesecake recipes, but making this espresso martini cheesecake really is a straightforward process that doesn’t require any fancy techniques. It does have a few steps, and it does require planning ahead since it has a long chill time, but it’s nothing complicated. You start by prepping the crust, which involves just mixing everything together with a spoon and pressing it into a pan, then baking for 12 minutes.
While it cools, you’ll lower the oven temperature and whip up the cheesecake filling, by combining cream cheese, sugar, eggs, espresso powder, vanilla, sour cream (or Greek yogurt), and Kahlua. Remember to scrape down the sides of the bowl as you’re mixing! Then you want to grease the pan to make sure the cake will release smoothly, then you pour the filling into the pan and bake in a water bath for about an hour, followed by gradual cooling. Once the cheesecake is fully chilled, you top it with whipped cream! That’s it, that’s all!
Water Bath
Cheesecakes can sometimes be finicky, but a water bath is one of those steps you do not want to skip. To avoid any leaks, I don’t actually put my cheesecake pan in the water. Instead, I place a pan of hot water on the rack below the cheesecake. This keeps the oven nice and steamy, ensuring the cheesecake bakes evenly and stays super creamy – without getting a soggy bottom!
How to Avoid Cracking
Cracked cheesecakes can happen for a few different reasons. Here are the most common causes:
- Overmixing the batter: When you beat the cream cheese mixture too much, you can incorporate too much air into the batter. This can cause the cheesecake to puff up while baking and then sink and crack as it cools.
- Baking at too high a temperature: If the oven is too hot, the cheesecake will cook too quickly on the outside, while the inside remains undercooked. As it cools, the outer edges will contract faster than the middle, leading to cracks.
- Sudden temperature changes: A cheesecake is very sensitive to temperature shifts. If you remove it from the oven too quickly, the dramatic change in temperature can cause the surface to crack.
- Overbaking: Baking for too long can dry out the cheesecake.
So how do we avoid this?? A few simple tricks can make a big impact.
- Mix until just combined: When mixing up the filling, you want to mix on a low speed, and only until everything is just combined. No need to whip it up at high speeds!
- Bake low and slow: We bake at only 300 degrees, for a long time. This allows the cheesecake to heat up slowly and cook evenly.
- Water bath & gradual cooling: A water bath helps create a moist environment in the oven, which prevents the cheesecake from drying out and ensures even heat distribution, allowing the cheesecake to bake gently. Gradual cooling (by leaving the cheesecake in the oven after turning the heat off, and letting it cool on the counter for a while before putting it in the fridge) prevents cracks by allowing the cheesecake to contract evenly and reduces the risk of sudden temperature changes that cause splitting.
- Baking until just cooked: The cheesecake is baked just long enough to cook it through – it will actually still be quite loose when it’s done in the oven. This is why the chilling time is so important! The cheesecake is not fully set until it has cooled in the fridge for a few hours.
But also, remember that cracks in your cheesecake aren’t the end of the world—they don’t affect the flavour, and you can easily cover them with the whipped topping to still have a beautiful finish!
The Topping & Cocoa Design
I wanted to come up with a topping that would replicate the foam on the martini itself, since that’s one of the signature parts of the cocktail. I didn’t want to go the ganache route though, because that would have turned the cheesecake into more of a mocha flavour – I wanted to keep the focus on that rich coffee taste! I landed on espresso whipped cream, which felt like the perfect way to achieve the airy, frothy texture while still enhancing that deep espresso flavour.
For the cocoa powder design, I promise it looks more complicated that it is! All I did was cut little chevrons into parchment paper and lay it over the whipped cream, then dusted with black cocoa powder to create those angled lines that look super professional (but are actually super easy to do). Give it a shot! Worst case scenario, you can just dust the whole top of the cheesecake with cocoa 😂
Storage & Serving
This cheesecake is best stored in the fridge and will keep for up to five days. For the perfect texture, let it sit at room temperature for about an hour before serving. That way, every bite is creamy, smooth, and full of flavour.
Video Tutorial
Here’s a short video showing the steps:
Happy baking!
Espresso Martini Cheesecake
Ingredients
Crust:
- 240 g Oreo crumbs
- 70 g butter melted
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
Cheesecake Filling:
- 3 bricks cream cheese, room temperature 24 oz
- 200 g sugar
- 3 eggs room temperature
- 2 tablespoons espresso powder (use decaf if need be)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 80 g sour cream or Greek yogurt
- 1 shot Kahlua 30mL
Topping:
- 1/2 cup whipping cream
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon espresso powder (use decaf if need be)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder for dusting
Instructions
For the Crust:
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
- In a bowl, combine Oreo crumbs, melted butter, sugar, and salt. Mix until the texture resembles wet sand.
- Press the mixture evenly into an 8-inch pan.
- Bake for 12 minutes. Set aside to cool while you prepare the filling.
For the Cheesecake Filling:
- Lower the oven temperature to 300°F (150°C).
- In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar together until smooth.
- Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Mix in the espresso powder, vanilla extract, sour cream (or Greek yogurt), and Kahlua until fully combined.
- Spray the 8-inch pan with cooking spray and pour in the cheesecake mixture.
- Place the pan in a water bath and bake for 1 hour.
- Turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake inside for 30 minutes.
- Crack the oven door open slightly and leave the cheesecake for another 30 minutes.
- Remove the cheesecake from the oven and let it cool at room temperature for 1 hour.
- Transfer to the refrigerator and chill for at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight.
For the Topping:
- Using a whisk attachment, whip the cream to soft peaks.
- Add sugar, espresso powder, and vanilla extract, then whip to stiff peaks.
- Pile the whipped cream onto the cooled cheesecake.
- Place the cheesecake in the freezer for 20 minutes to firm up the cream.
- Cut a pattern into a piece of parchment paper and lay it over the whipped cream.
- Dust cocoa powder over the parchment, then carefully remove it to reveal the design.
To Serve:
- Keep the cheesecake in the fridge until about an hour before serving.
- Serve at room temperature for the best texture and flavour.
Notes
- Replace Kahlua with another coffee liqueur or omit it completely for a non-alcoholic version.
- Use decaf espresso powder for a caffeine-free option.
- The Greek yogurt and the sour cream are totally interchangeable! Either one works.
- Store the cheesecake in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Cheesecake can be frozen (without the whipped cream topping) for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.
- Cracks happen when the cheesecake changes temperature too quickly, so we use a water bath and a lengthy cooling process to prevent this.
- A water bath helps create a moist environment in the oven, which prevents the cheesecake from drying out and ensures even heat distribution, allowing the cheesecake to bake gently and achieve its smooth, creamy texture.
- Gradual cooling prevents cracks by allowing the cheesecake to contract evenly and reduces the risk of sudden temperature changes that cause splitting.
- But also, remember that cracks in your cheesecake aren’t the end of the world—they don’t affect the flavour, and you can easily cover them with the whipped topping to still have a beautiful finish!
Similar Posts
