A white chocolate mocha in cheesecake form, with cozy gingerbread spices and a gingerbread meringue.
This post may contain affiliate links, please read the privacy policy for details. This post is sponsored by PapaNicholas Coffee, all opinions are my own.
gingerbread white chocolate mocha cheesecake
If you’re a fan of white chocolate mocha’s and cheesecake, you’re in for a great treat today! This cheesecake has a lot of delicious flavors going on so let me break it down –
- Gingerbread Coffee Shortbread Crust – the crust is a shortbread crust – which is essentially a delicious cookie on the bottom of your cheesecake. This shortbread is made with dark brown sugar, gingerbread spices and coffee grounds for the ultimate gingerbread coffee flavor experience.
- White Chocolate Mocha Cheesecake – we’re making a coffee-infused white chocolate ganache and pouring it straight into our cheesecake batter. The cheesecake itself is rich, creamy, and subtly white chocolate mocha flavored.
- Gingerbread Meringue – A huge pile of toasty brown sugar gingerbread meringue is going right on top of this cheesecake – the perfect compliment to tie all the lovely gingerbread white chocolate mocha flavors together!
If that doesn’t sound like a holiday coffee lover’s dream, I don’t know what will! Below you’ll find a bunch of tips and tricks that (I hope) are helpful for creating this delicious, perfectly rich and creamy cheesecake. Happy baking!
papanicholas coffee
I’ve partnered again with my all-time favorite coffee brand: papanicholas coffee for this gingerbread white chocolate mocha cheesecake. I use their coffee beans every day and am so happy to be able to partner with them to spread the love of their coffee. In this recipe I used their White Chocolate Mocha Coffee which has rich sweetness from the white chocolate with delicate notes of cocoa. I definitely highly recommend trying some of their coffee, they have so many delicious flavors and are always the coffee I use in my recipes (and for my daily caffeine dose!). You can find their website by clicking here. Also, if you do end up purchasing their coffee be sure to use code FRESH20 for 20% off your coffee order!
expert baking tips
Weigh your ingredients:
My recipes are all written in grams because it is the most accurate way to bake. When you use a kitchen scale, you ensure that your baked goods turn out as close to the written recipe as possible. Plus, the cleanup is way easier when using a scale! I will provide standard cup measurements but please note that I have not tested the recipe using cup measurements and therefore can not guarantee your recipe will come out how mine did. Here is my favorite kitchen scale.
Use room temperature ingredients:
It’s important that your ingredients are at room temperature so that they can easily incorporate with each other. Take out your cream cheese, egg, and heavy cream 1-2 hours before starting the cheesecake.
how to avoid cracks in a cheesecake
Here are my 4 best tips for avoiding cracks in your cheesecake –
- Mix the batter carefully – after adding in the eggs, you’ll want to make sure to only mix the batter until the eggs are fully incorporated. This will make sure we don’t add too much air into the batter, which will help keep the batter dense and avoid cracks forming on top.
- Tap the cheesecake on the counter – giving your cheesecake a few good taps on the counter prior to baking helps remove air bubbles that could cause cracks on top.
- Bake your cheesecake in a water bath – this helps to evenly bake the cheesecake from all sides.
- Cool your cheesecake in the oven – once your cheesecake is done baking, turn off the oven and leave the door of the oven just *slightly* ajar. Let the cheesecake sit like that for one hour before transferring it to the fridge. This process allows your cheesecake to slowly come down to room temperature rather than quickly going from 350F to room temperature, which makes it less likely that the top will crack.
how to tell when your cheesecake is done baking
Cheesecake is done baking when it’s only slightly wobbly in the center. I like to temp my cheesecake as a more accurate way to tell when it’s done. A thermometer stuck into the middle of the cheesecake should read 170 fahrenheit / 76 celsius.
A note on oven temperature:
Ovens vary and fluctuate in temperature and might not always actually be at the temperature they claim to be at. If you love to bake like I do, I highly recommend getting an oven thermometer. They are super helpful for letting you know when your oven might be lying to you! I use this one.
ingredients and substitutions
gingerbread shortbread crust:
- Unsalted butter: salted or your favorite non-dairy butter stick will work perfectly here as well.
- Dark brown sugar: for flavor and sweetness. Light brown sugar will work here as well.
- All purpose flour: for structure.
- Coffee grounds: for flavor! I recommend using a white chocolate flavored coffee. These do not add a weird texture so don’t worry – just think of how chocolate covered espresso beans exist (and are delicious!) I used Papanicholas White Chocolate Mocha Coffee Grounds.
- Gingerbread spice: use a blend of your favorite gingerbread spices here! I made a blend of 1 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon, 3/4 tsp. ground ginger and 1/2 tsp. ground cloves to distribute throughout the shortbread and gingerbread meringue.
White Chocolate Mocha Cheesecake:
- Cream cheese: the base of the cheesecake and what makes it tangy, rich, and creamy.
- Eggs: binds the batter together.
- Granulated sugar: for sweetness and helps lock in moisture.
- Corn starch: for thickening up the cheesecake. You can substitute in 2 tbsp. of flour in its place if needed.
- White chocolate: use your favorite white chocolate baking bar here. I wouldn’t recommend using white chocolate chips as they don’t have as good of a flavor, and may affect the texture of your cheesecake.
- Coffee grounds: we’ll use these for flavor for steeping into the heavy whipping cream! I recommend using a white chocolate flavored coffee. I used Papanicholas White Chocolate Mocha Coffee Grounds.
- Heavy whipping cream: for moisture and richness.
Gingerbread meringue:
- Egg whites: the base of the meringue, what makes it super light and airy.
- Dark brown sugar: for flavor. You can use light brown sugar here, just note that you’ll have less of a molasses-y flavor. You can also use granulated sugar but you will have no molasses-y flavor, the flavor would just come from the gingerbread spice.
- Salt: for flavor.
- Gingerbread spice: use a blend of your favorite gingerbread spices here! I made a blend of 1 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon, 3/4 tsp. ground ginger and 1/2 tsp. ground cloves to distribute throughout the shortbread and gingerbread meringue.
how to make gingerbread white chocolate mocha cheesecake
Here are some shots of making this cheesecake. You can find the full recipe at the end of this blog post!
- Heat the cream with the coffee grounds, then strain the mixture over the white chocolate and stir until smooth. Set aside.
- Combine all the chocolate shortbread crust ingredients in a small mixing bowl. Pat the crust down into a springform pan and bake for 10 minutes.
- Beat together the cream cheese, sugar, and cornstarch until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the eggs and vanilla, followed by the coffee-white chocolate mixture. Pour over the crust, then bake.
- Once you’re ready to serve the cheesecake, make the gingerbread meringue.
- Pile the meringue over the cheesecake, then use a culinary torch to torch it up. Serve and enjoy!
gingerbread white chocolate cheesecake recipe q&a
what size cake pan do I need?
You’ll need a 9″ springform pan for this cheesecake. You can use a 10″ springform, just note that your cheesecake will be thinner and will require a little less bake time. I wouldn’t recommend using a non-springform pan because it will be more difficult to get the cheesecake out of the pan, but if you’re okay with just serving the cheesecake from the pan, then a non-springform pan will work.
How should I store cheesecake?
The cheesecake should be out at room temperature for no more than 2 hours. Keep the cheesecake covered and stored in the fridge, where it will keep well for up to 5 days.
tools and ingredients:
You can find all my favorite tools and ingredients that I use on my Amazon Storefront page, here!
other recipes you might enjoy:
did you make this recipe?
I’d love to see and know your thoughts! please leave a comment and review below, and tag me on instagram @freshbeanbakery. #freshbeanbakery
Gingerbread White Chocolate Mocha Cheesecake
Ingredients
White Mocha Ganache
- 170 g heavy whipping cream (¾ c.)
- 55 g coffee grounds (¼ c.)
- 170 g white chocolate bar chopped (1 c.)
Gingerbread Shortbread Crust
- 90 g unsalted butter (6 ⅓ tbsp.)
- 100 g dark brown sugar (½ c.)
- 135 g all purpose flour (1 c. + 2 tbsp.)
- 1 tbsp. coffee grounds
- 1 ½ tsp. gingerbread spice*
White Chocolate Mocha Cheesecake
- 680 g cream cheese room temperature (three 8-oz bricks)
- 225 g dark brown sugar (1 c. + 2 tbsp.)
- 1 ½ tbsp. cornstarch
- 3 eggs room temperature
Gingerbread Meringue
- 4 egg whites
- 250 g dark brown sugar (1 ¼ c.)
- ¼ tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. gingerbread spice*
Instructions
White Mocha Ganache
- Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C. Line the bottom of a 9" springform pan with parchment paper by placing the paper on the base, then snapping the pan together
- Add the heavy cream and ¼ c. coffee grounds to a small saucepan set over medium heat. Stir occasionally until the mixture comes to a simmer, then remove it from the heat and let it sit for 10 minutes.
- In the meantime, chop up the white chocolate and place it into a small mixing bowl.
- Once the mixture has sat for 10 minutes, bring it back to a simmer. Place a fine mesh sieve over the white chocolate bowl, then pour the cream through the bowl, pressing out as much cream from the coffee grounds as you can. (Some of the grounds may go through the sieve into the chocolate – that’s perfectly fine and won’t affect the cheesecake texture!)
- Stir the cream and chocolate together until melted and smooth, then set aside.
Gingerbread Shortbread Crust
- In a small mixing bowl, melt the butter. Mix in the sugar, flour, coffee grounds, and gingerbread spice until you have a cohesive dough.
- Press the crust into the bottom of the springform pan, and bake for 10 minutes. In the meantime, start making the cheesecake filling.
White Chocolate Mocha Cheesecake
- Add the cream cheese, brown sugar and cornstarch to a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or to a large bowl with a hand mixer.) Beat the ingredients together on medium speed for 2 minutes, until smooth and fluffy.
- Add the three eggs into the cream cheese and beat the mixture on low speed until just incorporated.
- Add in the melted white chocolate mixture and mix again on low speed until just combined.
- Pour the cheesecake filling over the baked crust. Tap the pan on the counter a few times to get rid of air bubbles in the batter.
- Fill a 10×15" baking dish, or any larger pan that can reasonably fit the 9" springform inside of it, a third of the way with hot water. If desired, wrap tin foil around the bottom of your springform pan to avoid the possibility of water seeping into the springform.
- Place the springform pan into the larger pan, then place the whole thing into the oven. Bake for 70-80 minutes, or until the cheesecake only slightly wobbles and reaches an internal temperature of at least 170°F / 76°C. If the cheesecake starts to brown on top, gently place a piece of tinfoil over the top of the pan.
- Once the cheesecake is fully cooked, turn off the oven and leave the door slightly ajar with the cheesecake in it for 1 hr. before transferring it to the fridge to chill for at least 8 hours.
Gingerbread Meringue
- (Save this step until you're ready to serve the cheesecake!)
- Add the egg whites** and brown sugar to a medium sized saucepan set over medium heat. Whisk the mixture constantly until it reaches 160°F / 71°C.
- Transfer the mixture to a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk the mixture on medium speed until soft peaks form. Then, add in the salt and gingerbread spice and beat until stiff peaks form.
- Place all of the meringue on top of the cheesecake. If desired, use a culinary torch to torch the meringue.
- Slice, serve, and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Please note that the nutrition facts are only an estimate and may vary based on different brands of ingredients and any substitutions made.