Peanut Butter Cheesecake with Fudge Layer
Today is the big day. Today I turn the big 3-0. I don’t look a day over 29, do I? ;-) I certainly don’t feel thirty. Not that I’m sure what exactly it should feel like. But I do know that today 30 will feel like getting pampered at the spa with a manicure/pedicure and a haircut. I’m pretty sure that I should have started doing this years ago. I mean, taking the day off from work and enjoying some relaxation? It’s a no-brainer. I think I may need to do this every year from now on, make it a tradition of sorts. Speaking of traditions…
I have created quite a tradition of baking myself a birthday cake over the last handful of years. The first year I did it I made an Oreo cheesecake, then I did an orange and cream cheese icing twist on Dorie Greenspan’s Perfect Party Cake, and now this beauty. Hmm, there seems to be a theme of cream cheese. I do love my cheesecake. And my cream cheese icings. And peanut butter. And chocolate. And, well, so many other things (pizza, burgers, popcorn, soft pretzels, pizza… oh, I said pizza already). But today I decided to celebrate not only my birthday, but my love of cheesecake, chocolate and peanut butter. And what a delicious celebration it is!
The inspiration for this dessert came from a couple of different places. First, let’s go back to an old-school favorite – the Dairy Queen ice cream cake. For the better part of 10 years, whenever my mom would ask what kind of birthday cake I wanted the reply was always the same: a Dairy Queen ice cream cake. Truthfully, I could do without the ice cream or the whipped topping. I was in it for the fudge and chocolate crunchies in the middle. It was totally the best part. I always saved it for last, eating around it, and then savored each forkful. And so, I started off this dessert with that in mind. Being absolutely insane for chocolate and peanut butter together and loving peanut butter cups, I decided that chopped peanut butter cups would take the place of crunchies on top of the fudge layer.
The rest of the cheesecake took shape quite naturally. There needed to be an Oreo crust because I believe they make the best cheesecake crusts. Especially if peanut butter or other chocolate is involved. (In any other case, this shortbread crust is my go-to.) Given my love for cheesecake and my love for peanut butter (especially when sitting on top of a layer of fudge), I put together a peanut butter cheesecake. Finally, after making the Chocolate Peanut Butter Torte again for my husband’s birthday back in February, I realized how much I love the idea of a chocolate ganache on top of a cheesecake-style dessert. It gives it a smooth and finished look and provides a great canvas on which to decorate!
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And so there you have it: my decadent, rich and wonderfully chocolate-and-peanut-buttery 30th birthday cake.
It’s for the little girl in me that cherished a peanut butter and jelly sleeping bag more than anything when she was a kid. And for the slightly more grown-up girl that managed to grow out of a peanut allergy that reared its ugly head when she was 24. And that Reese’s Big Cup on top? My husband bought me a whole bag of them the weekend after I learned I was no longer allergic last year. I have a soft spot for them now.
Don’t wait for your birthday to make this; it’s much too good to keep filed away. Bake it, to celebrate all of the wonderful little things that happen between the birthday cakes.
More Favorite Cheesecake Recipes
Peanut Butter-Fudge Cheesecake
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 32 Oreo cookies, finely crushed or ground in a food processor
- 5½ Tablespoons (5.5 Tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
- Pinch of salt
For the Fudge:
- 8 ounces (226.8 g) bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
- ½ cup (119 ml) heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 20 miniature peanut butter cup candies, unwrapped and roughly chopped
For the Cheesecake:
- 24 ounces (680.39 g) cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 cup (258 g) creamy peanut butter
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 eggs
For the Ganache Topping:
- 4 ounces (113.4 g) bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
- ½ cup (119 ml) heavy cream
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (300 degrees F if you are using a dark or non-stick pan). Butter a 9″ springform pan and set aside.
- 2. To make the crust, stir the Oreo crumbs, melted butter and salt in a small bowl with a fork until the crumbs are moistened. Press the crumbs evenly over the bottom and up the sides of the springform pan. (I like to use the bottom a measuring cup to press the crumbs around the pan. I’ve found that they get evenly distributed that way and end up looking neater around the sides.) Freeze the crust for 10 minutes.
- 3. Bake the crust for 10 minutes, then transfer it to a rack and let cool.
- 4. To make the fudge, put the chopped chocolate in a bowl. Heat the cream to a simmer over medium heat. Immediately pour the simmering cream over the chopped chocolate. Let stand for 1-2 minutes, then add the vanilla extract and stir with a whisk or rubber spatula until smooth and combined. Pour the fudge into the cooled crust and spread evenly over the bottom. Place in freezer for 10 minutes. Remove from freezer and sprinkle surface with the chopped peanut butter cups. Return to freezer for 10 more minutes.
- 5. Meanwhile, prepare the cheesecake filling. Beat the cream cheese and peanut butter together on medium speed until smooth. Add the sugar and vanilla extract and continue to beat on medium speed until thoroughly combined. Reduce the speed to low and add the eggs one at a time, beating until combined after each addition. Scrape the bowl and mix on low for another 20 seconds.
- 6. Remove the pan from the freezer and pour the cheesecake filling over the fudge and peanut butter cups. Bake until the sides of the cheesecake are set and the middle just slightly jiggles, about 1 hour. Transfer to a wire cooling rack and cool to room temperature (at least 1 hour). Refrigerate the cheesecake at least 4 hours or overnight, until thoroughly chilled. To unmold the cheesecake, wrap a warm towel around the outside of the springform pan to loosen the crust from the sides. Carefully remove the sides from the springform pan.
- 7. Before serving, prepare the ganache topping. Place the chopped chocolate in a small bowl. Bring the heavy cream to a simmer over medium heat. Immediately pour the simmering cream over the chopped chocolate. Let sit for 1-2 minutes and then stir with a whisk or rubber spatula until smooth. Pour the ganache on the top of the cheese and, using an offset spatula, spread evenly over the top of the cheesecake. Return to the refrigerator to set the ganache, about 20 minutes. Garnish as desired (I had some leftover peanut butter icing from filling a customer cake, so I piped that around the border).
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
The link didn’t post, so I’m trying it again differently.
http://yohopiratediva.blogspot.com/2011/08/cheeeeeeeesecake.html
This cheesecake was amazing!!! Thank you so much for posting it. Here is a link to my blog and a picture of my rendition of this cake.
I made this yesterday and had my family over for dessert. (I just found your web site). My husband re-fell in love with me and my parents finally decided I was the favorite child! My boys loved it too! My 7 year old went on and on about the textures and announced his mom was the best cook ever! Thanks for this great forever recipe for me!
Made this for a best friend’s birthday and it was absolutely amazing! Everyone loved it and thought it was absolutely delicious! And it wasn’t complicated at all! Thank you!
My husband sends his infinite thanks for sharing this recipe. I made it for his bday last year but forgot to come back and comment. He also said it rivals his favorite cake at Cheesecake Factory and has requested it for every birthday from this point forward. Thanks!
http://christineskitchenchronicles.blogspot.com/2010/11/peanut-butter-fudge-cheesekcake.html
I just have to say I have been reading your blog for a couple of months now, ya I know I’m a little late on the up-take! But I just had to leave a comment and say that I made this decadent cheesecake and I was blown away! It is by far my favorite cheesecake recipe now! I like it more than the peanut-butter cheesecake I buy from Cheesecake Factory, which is saying something!! Thank you for all of your hard work and thanks for sharing!!!
Wow, better than the Cheesecake Factory is definitely saying something! Thank you for the wonderful compliment!
Oh my gosh! I made this cheesecake this past weekend for a couple of peanut butter and chocolate lovers and it was amazing! So decadant and delicious! Thanks for all the great recipes! I love your blog!
Aw, you are very welcome! I’m glad you have loved what I love! This cheesecake being no exception :)
I fell in love with the cake the moment i saw it… i was drooling over the pictures for a long time before i actualy got to baking it. i had a slight problem though.. the centre didnt get set.. when i took it out of the oven the top started browing and i checked if the ckae was fully cooked completely.. my knife came out clean.. but after refridgerating and cutting a slice the next day.. i had a slight runny centre.. could you tell me what i might have done wrong.. but it tasted absolutely divine… i want to perfect this recipe… help please!!!
Hi Veena, Hmmm I have never experienced a cheesecake with a runny center. A couple of thoughts… #1 Is your springform pan nonstick? If so, you should bake it at 25 degrees F lower than the recipe calls for. The nonstick coating will cause the outside (and top) to brown faster than the inside cooks. #2 Cheesecake doneness isn’t necessarily determined the same way it is for a cake (a knife inserted in center comes out clean) – you want to bake it until the edges are set and the middle still jiggles a bit when moved slightly. If the top starts to brown before then, you can tent it with foil. #3 Cooling is very important – it needs to cool to room temperature before going into the refrigerator, and then chilled for at least 4 hours (preferably overnight) in the refrigerator – this all helps it set up properly.
I hope that all helps and maybe gives you some ideas about the cheesecake. Let me know if you have any other questions!
I saw this recipe a few months ago and bookmarked it as “Holy COW.” I made it last weekend for my sweetheart’s 30th birthday. It is the perfect cheesecake! I had never made one before but it wasn’t difficult at all. Thanks for posting such thorough and easy to follow directions. He says he’s obsessed with it – lol. Actually, it’s 3pm right now and he’s having his second piece of the day. That’s really sayin’ somethin’! Not for the faint of heart with respects to richness, but it’s amazing. Thanks again!
Made this last night for my brother’s birthday today. It cracked alot in the middle, atleast I can cover that with ganache! Can’t wait to try it. Thanks for the recipe!
I made this Saturday for my fiancee’s birthday. He loved it and said I think this is the first dessert you’ve made that I don’t think I can have sceonds of! Wonderfully delicious and VERY rich.
Your cake is a work of art – I love that flavor combination too. And I love your blog!
It looks like it came straight from a fancy shmancy bakery! Verryyy nice!
can any parts of this be made ahead and frozen? or put in the fridge for a few days?
Hi Sarah,
Yes, you can freeze this after baking the crust, as well as after pouring the fudge filling over the peanut butter cups. Once baked you can cover it and keep it in the refrigerator for, I would say, 2 days. If you refrigerate it, I would hold off on adding the ganache topping until the day you serve it.
I made this for my mother for this Mothers day! :)
That is flippin’ amazing looking!! Happy belated birthday!
oh! I almost forgot, here’s a picture!
http://hphotos-sjc1.fbcdn.net/hs263.snc3/27832_410676843085_636168085_5236827_4961841_n.jpg
Hello! Another successful recipe from you! I made this for two of my employees whose birthdays were yesterday. Everyone LOVED it! It was really pretty as well. Two thumbs way up!
p.s. Happy VERY belated birthday!
Happy belated birthday!
I don’t dare make this cheesecake. While I didn’t hibernate like a bear this past winter, I put on enough weight to do so…it’s going away, but this cheesecake would put be back about 2 months (or more) in the weight loss department.
Will definitely keep this recipe handy though, as this combines some of my favorite things…peanut butter, chocolate, and cheesecake.
My kids and I had fun making this yesterday. I just layed the ganache topping. Hoping we can wait for Easter dessert before digging in. Looks amazing. Thank you for the recipe. The icing is delicious as well, had to dig into that:)
Happy birthday!
That is one GORGEOUS cheesecake!
About how long does this take to make from start to finish?
Hi Amy,
Generally speaking, this takes about 3 hours of prep and cooking time. In addition to that, at least 4 hours of chill time in the refrigerator. So you’re looking at at least 7 hours. You could also chill overnight once the cheesecake is baked and cooled to room temperature.
Ommnomnom! I’m making this for my son for his birthday and shipping it to him. He’ll be delighted!
Love this recipe! I think I will make it for my 30th birthday this saturday.
Are you my Dairy Queen twin? I wish they would create a cake made solely of the fudge/cookie crunch! Happy Birthday!
That is ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS!!! Oh my goodness!!! I loved my 30’s…just entered the 40’s in October and they’re not too shabby, either! :)
Happy belated birthday!
I think I’ve fallen in love with your cake! Absolutely beautiful in every way: ingredients, photos, and how you wrote it up. And, BTW, happy birthday (Oh to be 30 again!).
Happy Birthday (a bit late but no less heartfelt)! And, no, you don’t look a day over 29, even these few days into the big 3-0! (The 30s are great. Enjoy it!)
The cake looks amazing, like a delicious work of art.
I too share your obsession with both peanut butter/chocolate AND cheesecake! This looks so good! I keep meaning to tell you that I made the cheesecake truffles…except I put a couple of spoonfulls of peanut butter into the chocolate before I dipped them. Oh my…you should try it. They were fab. Happy Birthday! 30’s aren’t so bad :)
congratulations! :D you have an award. please feel free to check it out here. :D thank you! http://blissfulnibbles.blogspot.com/2010/03/my-first-award.html