Chocolate Julep Cheesecake

This cheesecake is a mint julep in dessert form. Bourbon and creme de menthe get beaten into a rich cream cheese and sour cream batter, then half gets mixed with melted semi-sweet chocolate. The two batters go into a chocolate cookie crust one after the other, creating a marbled swirl that looks stunning when you cut into it.

The swirling technique is what gives this cake its signature look. Pour the chocolate batter in first, then slowly pour the plain batter on top. The weight creates natural swirls, and you can drag a knife through lightly for a more pronounced marble pattern. Don’t overdo it or the batters blend together and you lose the contrast.

The center will look soft and jiggly when it comes out of the oven. That’s exactly right. The edges puff and set during baking, but the center firms up during the six-hour chill. Pull it too late trying to set the middle and the whole cake will be dry.

Chef Tips

• Soften the cream cheese fully at room temperature. Cold cream cheese creates lumps that won’t bake out.
• Beat eggs in one at a time on low speed. Overbeating incorporates too much air, which causes the surface to crack during baking.
• A splash of extra creme de menthe in the plain batter (as the recipe notes) makes the mint flavor more distinct against the chocolate.

Variations

• Kentucky Derby cheesecake: Garnish with bourbon-soaked cherries and fresh mint sprigs for a full julep presentation.
• All-chocolate version: Skip the two-batter swirl and fold all the chocolate into the full batch for a straight bourbon-mint chocolate cheesecake.