St. Patrick’s day is coming up and this weekend I started working on my meal plan. Normally I do not start with the dessert but when I came across this recipe for a Guinness chocolate cheesecake I knew that I would be making it immediately. Last year I made a Guinness chocolate cake and I discovered that the combination of Guinness and chocolate is a wonderful one and I could not resist using it in one of my favourite treats, a cheesecake!
This recipe for the Guinness chocolate cheesecake is a pretty basic chocolate cheesecake recipe with the addition of the Guinness but the similarities stop there. The addition of the Guinness changes the texture and properties of the cheesecake making it more souffle like. Normally you can tell when a cheesecake is done by shaking it a bit and if only the center wiggles it is done but the entire surface of this cheesecake will wiggle the whole time, even after 2 hours of baking. You pretty much just have to trust the recipe and the results are certainly worth it!
The Guinness chocolate cheesecake is a moist one as might be expected with all of the extra liquid provided by the Guinness but it is also nice and light and creamy. This cheesecake has a texture that seems to be like a cross between a souffle and fudge and it is simply amazing! The Guinness flavour is very subtle but it seems to enhance the overall chocolate flavour which is quite welcome. In all honesty, this cheese cake does not need any garnishes but feel free to top it with some Bailey’s whipped cream if you like.
Guinness Chocolate Cheesecake
One of the most decadent and creamy chocolate cheesecakes around with a hit of Guinness to enhance the chocolate flavour.
ingredients
- 1 cup graham cracker crumbs (gluten-free for gluten-free)
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 12 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 3 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup Guinness
directions
- Mix the graham cracker crumbs, cocoa powder, sugar, and butter and press into the bottom of a 9 inch spring form pan.
- Melt the chocolate in the cream in a double boiler.
- Cream the cream cheese.
- Mix in the sugar, chocolate, sour cream, eggs, vanilla, and Guinness.
- Pour the mixture into the spring form pan.
- Bake in a preheated 350F/180C oven for 60 minutes.
- Turn off heat and leave cheesecake in the oven with the door slightly ajar for 60 minutes.
- Let it cool completely.
- Chill the cheesecake in the fridge overnight.
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Wow, that cake looks totally decadent. Is it really as creamy as it looks? It's definitely going on my list of absolute must try. It's become a serious contender for my Easter indulgence!
Kevin, that's a fantastic looking cake…bookmarked to try Guinness in cheesecake.
now that is clever. did you think of this? heard of cake with guinness never cheesecake tho. brillant. so rich too
Stunning cheesecake!
Wow, Guinness, chocolate and cheesecake? My Irish husband would totally love this. Great job. The texture looks beautiful.
This looks Yummy!Inspiring to make it too!Thanks for the post!Happy St Patty's Day!
This cake sure looks yummy!Inspiring to make too!Happy St.Patty's Day!!!
Kevin, this cheesecake is brilliant! You are rocking my world! I'm heading to Facebook right now to tell everyone to make this cheesecake for St. Patrick's Day. 🙂 …Susan
Wow…to both the pie and that nice tall glass of Guinness! 😀
I trust your recommendation of the combination of choc/guinness. The actual cheesecake looks perfectly baked; so smooth and lush.
WOW! Yum!! If I wasn't eating healthy and trying to lose weight I would make this ASAP =)
Wow – this looks awesome! I love the idea of using beer in desserts! I've seen a guiness chocolate cake but this beats that! Thanks for sharing.
A delicious sounding and looking cheesecake! What great flavors.
Cheers,
Rosa
I see, It really seems amazing…
I don't like bear but you know, guiness is the only one I truly love…
that looks gorgeous! stout and chocolate hey..something for me to think about!
I've done the guinness and chocolate thing before with beautiful results in some car bomb cupcakes, but this cheesecake definitely looks infinitely more luscious!
Hi, Could you please tell me if I would be able to substitute Bailey's for the Guinness? If so, the sugar component would need to be adjusted wouldn't it?
Thanks so much, your blog is wonderful,
Angela
Heaven!!!
Esta receta me la llevo, que maravilla.
Saludos
OUTSTANDING !!! Decadent, mouth watering !!
Thanks for the tips! I think if you hadn't have mentioned it I would have been shaking this thinking the cake wasn't done! Yum!
foodobsessed: Yes, this is definitely one of the creamiest cheesecakes that I have ever had!
Oh wow. I don't think I ever let a cheesecake recipe pass by without bookmarking it, but this one looks especially spectacular! This would be a dangerous thing for me to have in my house for sure. Love those pics with the glass of Guinness alongside! I don't think that it can get any more perfect than that.
What a decadent looking cheesecake.
that cake looks divine, i want it now!! guiness cheesecake is an original idea, i am intrigued. Now i want a guiness too!
Oh Kevin, that looks absolutely amazing!!! I can't wait to try it. Stumbled 🙂
Love this. Happy St. Pati's Day.
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=201541153207255 never mind the cake what about biscuits
Looks super! Great motivation for those who are allergic to the kitchen 🙂 Thanks!
It looks great!! What size of spring-form pans did you use?
Oh my, this cheesecake looks so incredibly rich and chocolatey! Definitely my kind of dessert! 🙂
Wow! That cheesecake certainly looks amazing! c
LOVE this idea, what a fantastic blog too! If you're ever over our way on Vacation we have a great website http://www.theholidaycottages.co.uk which has loads of pretty places to stay in the UK, you can practice your yummy recipes in one of many thousands of kitchens!
I am going to have to make that, maybe for Easter. Lovely lovely photos and idea, thank you for sharing the recipe. BTW found it on google reader recs, lots of people had liked this there surely.
Holy cow! This sounds amazing. The color on your cheesecake is so beautiful.
Also fits in two pie shells. Great with Lagunita's Cappucino Stout instead of Guiness. Recipe is awesome. It's too chocolatey for me, I prefer more cheesey/tangey, but still freaking awesome. I made this for Pi day.
Oh wow, wow, wow! This is absolutely gorgeous.
crousemouse: I used a 9 inch spring form pan for this cheesecake.
Kevin – found your blog tonight and really enjoyed reading your recipes for today, The beer battered fish sandwich looked delicious but I was salivating over the Guinness chocolate cheesecake. Really made me smile – in 1968 I worked in Texas at HemisFair (the World's Fair) in the Irish pavilion. Every day for lunch I would run out and get some chocolate ice cream and come back to the Irish pavilion and make a Guinness float. For years everyone thought I was just a crazy lady for liking the combination of Guinness and chocolate. Glad to see I have company now – it is a great pairing.
This was so good that we couldn't wait for St. Patrick's Day. My friend is an Ire-talian chocoholic, and he adored this cake. Wonderful instructions, perfect to follow, and an amazing result. Thank you.
PS Thank you for telling me about the wiggle. I would have overbaked.
Decadent!! Great photo!!! Happy St. Paddy's Day.
This really was surprisingly easy, although mine had a weird consistency – like some tiny lumps of cream cheese maybe? Not sure I really know how to cream cream cheese. Was still a big hit at the office on St. Patty's Day!
Made this two days ago for a St. Patrick's party last night. It was such a hit! People would cut themselves a tiny slice but then go back for another two tiny slices, haha. Though to be honest I couldn't taste the Guinness much. But then again chocolate stouts always taste more like chocolate than stout to me, so it probably tastes like it should
Oops, I seem to have misunderstood the quantity of cream cheese. Kevin, is it total 24 ounces of cream cheese?
Anyway, the Cheesecake tasted fantastic! Thank you very much.
I've never even tried Guinness but you can be sure this cheesecake has put it on the radar. That looks totally decadent!
Yumm – made this for St. Patty's and it was a big hit! Really rich (I couldn't finish my piece) but the hubs was going back for seconds. Thank you!
Valentina: Yes, 24 ounces of cream cheese.
Fantastic Cake….
That looks so good! I must make it soon.
I made this last week and it was amazing. I used chocolate graham crackers though. I'm thinking about adding crushed pretzels the next time I make it… in a few weeks for a coworker's birthday. I loved that there was leftover beer to drink while waiting for the cheesecake to bake 😉
I made this on Saint Patrick's Day and it was definitely a hit! Thanks for sharing!
This looks absolutely devine! I am from Australia and not sure what the crackers are, can you suggest an alternative?? thanks!
I made this for my dearest friend for her birthday… and everyone loved it! Such a delight!
Thanks for sharing 🙂
Anonymous: Pretty much any plain cookie or cracker on the sweet side will work with the cocoa or you could use a chocolate cookies, like the tops of Oreos, without the cocoa.
The recipe you linked (as well as almost every other one for this cake) ask for a cup of sour cream and two teaspoons of vanilla with the same amount of the other ingredients. Is there a reason you decided to tweak this?
James: I just felt that there was already enough liquid in the recipe so I cut back on the amount of sour cream.
I made this last weekend and in spite of the fact that I didnt add enough cream cheese (I thought it needs 8 ounces) and guinness, it turned out pretty good. The bottom was a tad dry so more butter next time.
From Holland so get so confused with the cups and ounces…. 🙂
I made this and it was extraordinary! Creamy, rich, very easy to make, a total winner. Thanks for a great recipe
AMAZING!
just discovered your blog. Your friends must be so lucky to "have to sample" all this deliciousness
This recipe sounds like heaven to me: cheesecake (i love it) + chocolate (i love it) + guinness (always great in food) = awesomeness! It is definitely a must try on my to-do-list!
Oh my goodness this looks amazing! I love your blog. I made the roasted eggplant pasta recipe and it was delicious.
this recipe looks delicious so i included it on a St. Patty's Day blog post! I used one of your pics, gave you credit and linked it back to here. thanks! here's the post – http://wp.me/p1cn3Q-sQ
Wow. I'm not a great baker but attempted this last night for our St. Patrick's Day/baseball tailgate. It was easy to make and turned out so yummy. The only thing I was worry about was melting chocolate. I felt I needed to add a little more cream. Then I was worry about adding the hot chocolate into a cold batter so I tempered it before adding to the batter. It was such a hit at the tailgate. Definitely a year-round keeper. Thank you!
Ok, I made this for a St Patty's Day party we had last night. It was my first cheesecake ever and it was fabulous! It wasn't hard to make at all. Everyone loved it, even people who said they really didn't care for cheesecake said they could easily eat 4 slices of it.
I made this over the weekend and it turned out great. I added a Guinness syrup reduction to add a little punch. It was very rich and so yummy.
Hey Kevin,
Just wanted to say thanks for the amazing recipe! We had this for our March 17 wedding and it was fantastic and beautiful!
Mikah and Ian
Hi Kevin,
What kind of dark chocolate did you use? Bittersweet, Semi-Sweet or Sweet? Thanks!
Carol: Go with a bittersweet chocolate, preferably something with around 70% cocoa solids. Enjoy!
Not much of a cook/baker. Would love a recipe for the baileys whipped cream you mentioned.
This looks marvelous for any time, not just St. Pat's – awesome recipe, thank you for sharing it.
i made this following the recipe here. can i point out this was the first ever cheesecake i made and i found the recipe wasnt thought out very well. the sugar is not explained properly s it says in the ingrediants 1 tablespoon but then you are instructed to add sugar to the base and topping with no measurment. also the oven temp should probably be at the beginning so you can preheat in time. it was a nice cake but not one i will make again. also saying it takes 2hrs to make is incorret as it has to chill in a fridge over night, this should also be in the prep information not at the end of the recipe as it is miseading. i made mine on the morning that the cake was needed. a lesson i have learned the hard way! must read all recipe before attempting lol!!
amazing cake!!! but i have a question – can i use any other beer beside Guinness, any other dark beer ?? Because i can seem to find Guinness in a place I live right now 🙁 i know it sucks !!
ved.t: You could use another dark stout instead of the Guinness.
Its looks absolutely Decadent
I made this for a dinner party full of Guiness lovers yesterday and it was a huge hit. I, myself, hate beer but still loved this cheesecake! Made some homemade whipped cream to go on top and it was perfection. I was absolutely amazed with the results!
Anonymous: Glad you enjoyed it! Guinness brings out and enhances the flavour of chocolate in this cheesecake and helps give it an amazing texture!
All these St Patty's Day recipes look amazing! I'll be making the Guinness cheesecake and soda bread for a party next weekend 🙂 I have the feeling any extra bottles of Guinness will not go to waste (I don't like it on its own) as there are so many creative ideas on this site.
Actually, I do have a quick question- if I use a regular glass pie dish instead of a springform pan, should I modify the cooking time or technique at all? (I don't have a springform pan).
Name's Eric…
I did not use Guiness…it's pretty low on my list of good Stout, but I'm a beer snob! I used a Ninkasi "Otis" Oatmeal Stout, Eugene, Oregon. Very malt-forward with great "chewy-ness". Unlike most of the posters, I actually made this cheesecake.
The sweet-sour-bitter of this cheesecake is amazing (nevermind the texture)! Used Ghirardelli 86% for the chocolate, and made a ganache to pour over the top from the same with a touch of Planter's Punch (dark rum).
I will make this again, and again, and again, ad infinitum.
Thank you!
Holly: The pie plate is going to be a bit smaller so you may have extra batter and you can throw it into another small baking dish. The baking time will also be less and I would start checking for it being done at 45 minutes. Enjoy!
Is that 45 minutes total or 45 minutes with the oven off? I also do not have a spring pan on hand. So if I use two pie pans how long for cooking?
Is that 45 minutes total or 45 minutes with the oven off? I also do not have a spring pan on hand. So if I use two pie pans how long for cooking?
Melissa Giesfeldt: Two pie plates should work and I would say 45 minutes baking followed by 45 minutes in the oven.
I'm planning on making this for an Easter dinner party. BUT I live in Italy and the oven we have is a convection oven. What do you think would be the time adjustment/temperature adjustment?
Anonymous: I have not tried this in a convection oven but I would say reduce the temperature to 325F and bake for the same time but check it a little ahead of time.
I have had this recipe posted on the fridge for a month. Finally made it tonight and it was so simple and my taste test (before chilling overnight) was so yummy! Can wait to have a bit more with coffee tomorrow. Thanks!
Making this for the third time right now; thanks for the awesome recipe. I'm on my second time donating one to an auction "dessert dash" — the first time it was hotly-contested and raised lots of money! (Hint: it's almost as easy to make two at once, so I make one for home and one to donate)
I am glad that you like it and making two at once sounds like a great idea! 🙂
This is an awesome cheesecake. I put it in a 10" spring form pan (instead of the 9") and doubled the crust ingredients. I also baked it 10 to 15 minutes longer. definitely better the second day, but you know me I couldn't wait and had a piece the day I baked it
So, do you use a water bath for this cheesecake? i notice you don't mention it in your directions.
Time for my annual dark chocolate Guinness cheesecake 🙂
Lindsey: I don't normally use a water bath but you can use one.
Kevin,
I have made this over a dozen times…and it has become a demand item for Easter and Christmas It is always a major hit! I use half 70-72% and half 86-90+% high quality chocolate, such as Lindt or Ghirardelli. Like Eric, I to have found that many other great "chewy" stouts are better than Guinness. Thank you, Kyle Moppert
Bowfin47: I'm glad you like it!
Must try with Guinness chocolate whipped cream, absolute divinity!