Black Forest Cheesecake — The Sweet Ending to a Long Summer Evening

July 2024. Memphis summer, 65 years old, and the heat wraps around Orange Mound like a wet blanket that nobody asked for but everybody wears because that is the deal you make when you live in the South. The smoker calls louder in summer — something about the heat amplifying the smoke, the way humidity amplifies everything in Memphis — and I answer, because answering is what pitmasters do.

Tyrone came over for dominoes, bringing his competitive spirit and his inability to play without cheating, and the evening was full of the brotherly banter that is our love language.

I made smoked chicken this week — a simple cook that belies its depth. Rubbed with salt, pepper, garlic, and paprika, smoked at 275 over hickory for three hours. The skin was mahogany, the meat juicy, and the first bite carried the kind of flavor that makes you close your eyes, which is the highest compliment food can earn: the involuntary closing of the eyes, the body's admission that what it's tasting is too good to see.

Another week in the book. Another seven days of tending fires — the one in the smoker, the one in the marriage, the one in the family, the one in the church. Each fire needs something different: wood, attention, food, faith. But the tending is the same for all of them: show up, add what's needed, wait patiently, trust the process. Low and slow. Always. Low and slow.

The smoked chicken was long gone by the time Tyrone finally admitted he’d been cheating at dominoes — which he did, eventually, the way men admit things: sideways and with a grin. I’d made this Black Forest Cheesecake earlier in the week because my wife had been asking for it, and it sat in the refrigerator like a quiet reward for anybody patient enough to wait for it. After all that talk about low and slow, about tending fires and trusting the process, it felt right to finish the evening with something that had required the same kind of patience — chilled overnight, layered with intention, worth every hour it took.

Black Forest Cheesecake

Prep Time: 30 minutes | Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes | Total Time: 6 hours (includes chilling) | Servings: 12

Ingredients

• Crust:
• 1 1/2 cups chocolate graham cracker crumbs
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• Cheesecake Filling:
• 24 oz (3 blocks) cream cheese, softened to room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 6 oz dark chocolate (60–70% cacao), melted and slightly cooled
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• Cherry Topping:
• 1 can (21 oz) cherry pie filling
• 1 tablespoon kirsch or cherry juice (optional)
• Whipped Cream:
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream, cold
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Garnish:
• Dark chocolate shavings or curls
• Fresh or maraschino cherries

Instructions

1. Prepare the pan. Preheat oven to 325°F. Wrap the outside of a 9-inch springform pan tightly with two layers of heavy-duty aluminum foil to prevent water from seeping in during the water bath.
2. Make the crust. Combine chocolate graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter in a bowl and stir until the mixture resembles wet sand. Press firmly and evenly into the bottom of the prepared springform pan. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove and let cool while you prepare the filling.
3. Beat the cream cheese. Using a stand mixer or hand mixer on medium speed, beat the softened cream cheese until completely smooth and free of lumps, about 3–4 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
4. Add sugar and flavoring. Add the granulated sugar and beat on medium until fully incorporated, about 2 minutes. Add the vanilla extract, sour cream, and heavy cream and mix until just combined. Do not overmix at this stage.
5. Incorporate eggs. Add the eggs one at a time on low speed, mixing just until each egg disappears into the batter. Overmixing after adding eggs introduces air and can cause cracking.
6. Add chocolate. Fold in the melted dark chocolate and the cocoa powder with a rubber spatula until the batter is uniformly deep brown and silky.
7. Fill and bake in water bath. Pour the filling over the cooled crust. Place the foil-wrapped springform pan into a large roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into the roasting pan to reach about 1 inch up the side of the springform pan. Carefully transfer to the oven and bake for 55–65 minutes, until the edges are set but the center has a slight wobble (about a 2-inch jiggle zone in the middle).
8. Cool gradually. Turn the oven off and crack the door open. Let the cheesecake sit inside the oven for 1 hour — this slow cool prevents cracking. Then remove from the water bath, run a thin knife around the edge of the pan, and let cool completely at room temperature.
9. Chill overnight. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 5 hours, preferably overnight. Low and slow. Trust the process.
10. Make the whipped cream. Just before serving, beat the cold heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla with a hand mixer on high until stiff peaks form. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a star tip, or simply spoon it on.
11. Top and garnish. If desired, stir the kirsch or cherry juice into the cherry pie filling. Spoon the cherry topping evenly over the chilled cheesecake. Pipe or dollop whipped cream around the border. Finish with chocolate shavings and a few cherries on top.
12. Slice and serve. Run a sharp knife under hot water, wipe dry, and slice cleanly. Repeat between each cut for clean edges. Serve chilled.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 520 | Protein: 8g | Fat: 34g | Carbs: 46g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 310mg