Oreo Explosion Cheesecake

Prep time: 30 minutes 

Bake time: 1 and 1/2 hours 

Cool time: 1 Hour + In the Refrigerator Overnight 

Ingredients (Makes a 9" Round Cake)

* 30 Oreo Cookies Crushed 

* 4-6tbsp Melted Unsalted Butter

* 4 (8oz) Packages of Cream Cheese at room temperature 

* 1 and 1/4cup Granulated Sugar

* 3 Eggs at room temperature 

* 1/4cup Sour Cream 

* 1tsp Vanilla Extract 

* 2tbsp Flour 

* 1/2tsp Salt 

* 12-15 Oreo Cookies chopped into small bits 

* 1cup Whipping cream 

* 1cup Confectioners Sugar

* 1tsp Vanilla Extract 

* 1/2tsp Lemon juice (Fresh lemon is best)

* 8 Oreos cut in halves for garnish 

* 4-6 Oreos Chopped/ crumbled coarsely for garnish 

Directions:

1. Combine the crumbled Oreo with the melted butter, in a bowl, until well combined. You may need as little as 4tbsps of butter, or as much as 6tbsp, depending on the dryness of the cookie crumble. 

2. Using a 9" springform pan (non-stick), place the mixture at the bottom of the pan, and press it down with the back of a spoon, or a flat utensil. Ensure the mixture is packed in and comes up the sides about a 1/4inch. If you do not have a non-stick pan, remember to us cooking spray and grease the bottom and sides of the pan, prior to adding the cookie crumble mix.  

3. Pre-heat oven to 325degrees. Add the cream cheese (must be softened to room temperature) and granulated sugar, and beat with an electric hand whisk, or stand mixer with paddle attachment. I prefer the electric hand whisk for this recipe. Beat on medium speed for a minute and then beat on high for another minute and half. The Cream cheese and sugar will be well combined at this point, and look like a very thick cream. Do not overbeat. 

4. Add in the eggs one at a time beating on medium. Whisk just enough to incorporate the eggs into the mixture. Add in the sour cream at this time and the vanilla extract. Beat on high to incorporate. 

5. Add in the salt and the flour and beat until just combined. Do not over beat, but ensure you scrape the sides and the bottom of the bowl to ensure all the ingredients have been incorporated (using rubber spatula). 

6. At this time add the chopped Oreo cookies into the mixture and gently mix using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula. 

7. Pour the mixture into the prepared springform pan. Wrap the pan (the bottom of the pan) in foil. Place the wrapped pan on a cookie sheet and add boiling water around the wrapped pan (Water Bath). Take care not to pour too much, and not to get any water in the cake batter. 

8. Carefully place the cookie sheet in the oven, and bake at 325degrees for 1 and 1/2hours. Around the 1.15 hour mark, put the light on in the oven and check the cake (do not open the door). Depending on the heat of the oven, the cake maybe ready earlier than the allotted 1.5hours. 

9. When ready, turn the oven off, and open the oven door slightly. Leaving the door ajar slightly, leave cake to cool for 1 hour inside the oven. 

10. After an hour take the cake out and leave to cool (sitting in springform pan). Then, cool cake in refrigerator for 5-6 hours or overnight (do not remove cake from springform pan). 

11. When ready to decorate, chill a aluminum bowl in the refrigerator for about 1/2hour. To make the whipped topping, add the whipping cream to the chilled bowl, and using electric beater, whisk the cream on high until soft peaks start to form. At this point, add in the confectioners sugar and beat on medium until incorporated, and then on high, for about 2 minutes. Now add in the vanilla and lemon juice, and continue beating on high, until stiff peaks form (approximately another 1 minute). 

12. Using a piping bag, fill the whipped cream into a piping bag, and leave it in the refrigerator to chill for 15 minutes. 

13. Once chilled (hold the consistency of the whipped cream), pipe the topping onto the cake (I used a Wilton 2D tip). Turning the cake around pipe a dollop until the perimeter of the cake has been decorated. Then place the Oreos cut in halves, in between the whipped topping. Add the coarsely chopped Oreos to the middle of the cake. Chill the cake for another 30 minutes, prior to serving. 

14. Best left at room temperature for 10 minutes before cutting. Enjoy! 

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