Let’s be honest. I created this next recipe so that everyone reading the blog has the best excuse to eat cheesecake for breakfast! This rich Mexican mocha cheesecake is packed with coffee flavor and a spicy kick that isn’t over the top, but gives you that warm tingly feeling with every bite.
A Mexican Mocha is my absolute favorite thing to order at a coffee shop. I’ve found that the spices can vary from place to place, but most versions that I have come across are made with cinnamon and cayenne. Something about that little bit of heat with the rich chocolate flavor gives me an extra burst of aliveness with my espresso!
I am by no means a coffee expert. Honestly, I’ve never really branched out that much. It has always been a regular coffee, a regular latte or a Mexican mocha. It is probably time to broaden my coffee horizons. Dylan and I recently bought this espresso machine, and have really been enjoying making lattes on the weekend. I hesitated to buy it because I thought it might be one of those things that seemed like a good idea, but didn’t ever get much use. I was definitely wrong about that. We use it ALL THE TIME. It has proven well worth the $60 we spent, and we have saved way more than that already by drinking lattes at home. We bought one for Dylan’s parents for Christmas last year and they are enjoying it just as much. Of course this is not a fancy espresso machine, and I assume the ones that cost hundreds of dollars turn out better espresso, but we have had ours for about a year and it still serves us well!
Making our own lattes has been really fun, but we still love going out for coffee, especially when it is just the two of us. Our favorite coffee shop in Asheville is BattleCat Coffee Bar hands down. If you are ever in the area you must go! Their Mexican mocha is incredible. Dynamite Roasting Co. in Black Mountain is our favorite coffee roaster, and they have an online store if you want to give it a try! Our favorite blend is the WNCW 88.7 FM Mountain Morning Blend.
Ok, back to the cheesecake! The water bath is critical for keeping the top of your cheesecake from cracking. I’m sure it has other benefits, but I am no expert baker! I remember the first time I looked at a recipe for cheesecake, it seemed like such a laborious, unnecessary step. False. It is super easy and absolutely necessary. All you do is boil some water and add it to a roasting pan with your cheesecake. As my idol and alter ego Ina would say, “How easy is that!?” I could write an entire post about how much I love Ina Garten, but I won’t do that today ????.
Chill the cheesecake in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours but preferably up to 24. I know it is nearly impossible to wait, but the closer you can make it to 24 hours the better it will be. Good luck!
This is my favorite recipe on the blog. I have no doubt that if you like coffee and you like cheesecake, you are going to fall in love with this dessert! I only wish I had come up with it sooner. You just have to make it.
I absolutely encourage you to enjoy it for breakfast! Post in the comments your favorite coffee drink!
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Most Amazing Mexican Mocha Cheesecake
Description
Rich coffee cheesecake in a chocolate cookie crust packed with cinnamon and a little cayenne for a spicy kick! Inspired by the Mexican mocha latte.
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 25 oreos, filling removed
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar
For the filling:
- 24 ounces cream cheese, softened (room temperature)
- 1 cup sour cream, room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 4 ounce bittersweet chocolate bar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
- 3/4 teaspoon cayenne
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup strongly brewed coffee
- 3 eggs, room temperature
Topping:
- whipped cream
- chocolate covered espresso beans
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Make the crust:
- Pulse the oreo cookies into crumbs using a food processor.
- Add the melted butter (cooled slightly) and confectioners’ sugar and pulse until combined.
- Add the crust mixture to a lightly greased 10 inch springform pan. Spread it evenly and pack tightly along the bottom of the pan and slightly up the sides using the round bottom of a drinking glass or the bottom of a measuring cup.
- Bake the crust by itself for 7 minutes.
- Remove and let cool while you are preparing the filling.
Melt the chocolate:
- Break each individual chocolate square in half and add to double boiler. You can set a metal or glass bowl inside a sauce pot filled with a little water. Heat the pot of water over low heat and stir chocolate with a whisk to avoid burning.
Prepare the cheesecake filling:
- Combine the cream cheese, sour cream, sugar, melted chocolate, and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Increase speed slowly to high and mix on high speed for one minute.
- Add espresso powder, cinnamon, cayenne and salt and mix on low speed until fully combined.
- Slowly add the coffee a small amount at a time to avoid splattering.
- When the coffee is evenly mixed into the batter, add the eggs one at a time until just incorporated. Do not overmix.
- Pour batter into the prebaked crust and spread the top layer evenly with a spatula. The filling should not come more than 3/4 the way up the sides of the pan.
- Wrap the springform pan underneath and on all sides with aluminum foil.
Prepare the water bath:
- Place the cheesecake inside the roasting pan.
- Add a teapot full of boiling water to the roasting pan. The water should be 1 to 1/2 inches deep.
Bake your cheesecake!
- Place pan in 350 degree oven and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour or until top of cheesecake is just set.
Finishing steps:
- Allow the cheesecake to cool on the counter for 2 hours.
- Chill the cheesecake in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours and up to 24.
- Top individual slices with a bit of whipped cream and a chocolate covered espresso bean if desired.
I hate I missed taste testing this one!
★★★★★
It’s THE BEST.