Orange Chocolate Swirl Cheesecake

Recipe View Preheat oven to 325°F (165°C). In a medium bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter until well blended. Press firmly into the bottom and 1 1/2 inches up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan. (5 minutes)

Recipe View Bake crust for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water (double boiler), melt chopped chocolate, stirring occasionally until smooth. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. (15 minutes)

Recipe View In a large bowl, beat softened cream cheese and 1 cup sugar until smooth and creamy. Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing on low speed or by hand to avoid incorporating too much air. Gradually stir in orange juice and orange zest. (10 minutes)

Recipe View Reserve 2 cups of the cream cheese batter. Pour the remaining batter over the pre-baked crust. Gently fold the melted chocolate into the reserved 2 cups of batter. (5 minutes)

Recipe View Drop spoonfuls of the chocolate batter onto the plain cheesecake batter. Use a knife or skewer to swirl the batters together, creating a marbled effect. Be careful not to overmix. (5 minutes)

Recipe View Bake for 60 minutes, or until the center is almost set but still has a slight jiggle. Turn off the oven and let the cheesecake sit inside with the door slightly ajar for 1 hour to prevent cracking. (1 hour 60 minutes)

Recipe View Carefully run a thin knife or spatula around the inside edge of the pan to loosen the cheesecake. Let cool completely at room temperature before removing the sides of the springform pan. (1 hour)

Recipe View Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight, to allow the cheesecake to fully set. (4 hours)