Kahlua Coffee Brownie Cheesecake

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This Kahlua Coffee Brownie Cheesecake is made with a dense brownie on the bottom, kahlua and coffee cheesecake in the middle, and a layer of homemade chocolate ganache and kahlua whipped cream on top. I am so in love with the flavors!

Easy Brownie Cheesecake Recipe

Homemade Cheesecake Factory Cheesecake Recipe

Looking for a more traditional cheesecake? Try this awesome Classic Cheesecake Recipe or this easy Perfect No Bake Cheesecake Recipe.

This cheesecake has been a long time coming. I have been wanting to make it forever. You could say it’s a copycat of the Kahlua Cocoa Coffee Cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory. That was certainly the inspiration. But given my issues finding a springform pan that doesn’t leak, I was delayed in finding a springform pan I could bake a brownie in. I finally found one at Target a few weeks ago and this was the first thing I made.

There were many versions of this cheesecake before I had it just the way I wanted it. First, the brownie. To bake first, or not to bake first? I tried it both ways. The bottom line is the brownie ends up super fudgy either way, but pre-baking is preferred. The brownie is better for slicing and serving if pre-baked. It really is fudgy, so the extra baking time is good.

How to Make The Best Cheesecake

While the brownie bakes, put together the cheesecake filling. It’s a fairly straightforward filling. For the coffee and Kahlua flavoring, I used some instant coffee granules and Kahlua to get a good strong coffee flavor without having to add a ton of liquid. Works like a charm! I played around with more or less of both the coffee and the Kahlua and I love the final version. Just enough of both!

Easy Coffee Cheesecake Recipe
Easy Kahlua Cheesecake Recipe

When the brownie is done baking, add the cheesecake filling on top and prepare the pan for a water bath. The pan will be warm from the oven, so do be careful. I am often asked if the water bath is necessary and in my opinion the answer is yes. Will the cheesecake bake without it? Sure. But you’ll want to bake it for less time and expect it to be a little drier, to crack and to sink in the middle when it cools. If you want it to look like mine, the water bath is necessary. 🙂

Easy Chocolate Ganache Recipe

After the cheesecake is baked and cooled, it’s time for the topping! First up is the chocolate ganache. I added some Kahlua to it to add to the Kahlua flavor and it’s wonderful. Spread it on top and let it cool for a few minutes while you make the whipped cream.

Easy Homemade Whipped Cream

The whipped cream also has Kahlua in it because more Kahlua is more better. 🙂 The powdered sugar in the whipped cream is the stabilizer so that it holds up well, so don’t be tempted to reduce the amount. Pipe the whipped cream on top, sprinkle on a little cocoa powder if you’d like and you’re ready to dig in!

I was so in love with this cheesecake! Smooth, creamy and just the right flavor! So totally dangerous to have in the house, but so worth it too! 🙂

Homemade Brownie Cheesecake
Best Brownie Cheesecake Recipe

Watch How To Make It

Read Transcript

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slice of Kahlua Coffee Brownie Cheesecake
Recipe

Kahlua Coffee Brownie Cheesecake

  • Author: Lindsay
  • Prep Time: 40 minutes
  • Cook Time: 2 hours
  • Total Time: 2 hours 40 minutes
  • Yield: 12-14 Slices
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: American

Description

This Kahlua Coffee Brownie Cheesecake is made with a dense brownie on the bottom, kahlua and coffee cheesecake in the middle, and a layer of homemade chocolate ganache and kahlua whipped cream on top. I am so in love with the flavors!


Ingredients

BROWNIE BOTTOM

  • 10 tbsp (140g) unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 cup (207g) sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 eggs
  • 3/4 cup (98g) all purpose flour
  • 6 tbsp (43g) natural unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt

KAHLUA COFFEE CHEESECAKE

  • 24 ounces (678g) cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1 cup (207g) sugar
  • 3 tbsp (24g) all purpose flour
  • 1 cup (230g) sour cream, room temperature
  • 2 tbsp instant coffee granules
  • 2 tbsp (30ml) Kahlua, warm
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3 large eggs, room temperature

CHOCOLATE GANACHE

  • 8 oz (227g) semi sweet chocolate chips
  • 5 tbsp (75ml) Kahlua
  • 5 tbsp (75ml) heavy whipping cream

KAHLUA WHIPPED CREAM

  • 1/2 cup (120ml) heavy whipping cream
  • 2 tbsp (30ml) Kahlua
  • 6 tbsp (43g) powdered sugar

Instructions

TO MAKE THE BROWNIE:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C). Line a 9-inch (23cm) springform pan with parchment paper in the bottom and grease the sides.
2. Combine the butter, sugar and vanilla extract in a medium sized bowl.
3. Add the eggs and mix until well combined.
4. In another medium sized bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt.
5. Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture and mix until well combined.
6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly.
7. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.

TO MAKE THE CHEESECAKE FILLING:

1. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar and flour on low speed until well completely combined and smooth. Be sure to use low speed to reduce the amount of air added to the batter, which can cause cracks. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
2. Add the sour cream and mix on low speed until well combined.
3. In a small bowl, combine the Kahlua and coffee granules and stir until the granules are dissolved.
4. Add Kahlua mixture and vanilla extract to the cream cheese mixture and mix on low speed until well combined.
5. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing slowly to combine after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to make sure everything is well combined.
6. When the brownie is done baking, reduce the oven temperature to 300°F (148°C). Remove the brownie from the oven and pour the cheesecake batter evenly over the brownie.
7. Wrap the outside of the pan with aluminum foil, then place the springform pan inside another larger pan. (See my tutorial for preventing springform pans from leaking.) Fill the outside pan with enough warm water to go about halfway up the sides of the springform pan. The water should not go above the top edge of the aluminum foil on the springform pan.
8. Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes. The center should be set, but still jiggly.
9. Turn off the oven and leave the door closed for 30 minutes. The cheesecake will continue to cook, but slowly begin to cool as well.
10. Crack the door of the oven for 30 minutes to allow the cheesecake to continue to cool slowly. This process helps prevent cracking.
11. Remove the cheesecake from the oven and water bath wrapping and refrigerate until firm, 5-6 hours or overnight. Once completely cool and firm, remove from the springform pan.

TO FINISH OFF THE CHEESECAKE:

1. To make the ganache, place the chocolate chips in a small heat proof bowl.
2. Combine the heavy whipping cream and Kahlua in a glass measuring cup heat just until it begins to boil.
3. Pour the hot liquid over the chocolate chips and allow to sit for 2-3 minutes, then whisk until smooth.
4. Pour the chocolate ganache onto the top of the cheesecake and spread evenly.
5. To make the whipped cream, add the heavy whipping cream, Kahlua and powdered sugar to a large mixer bowl. Whip on high speed until stiff peaks form.
6. Pipe the whipped cream onto the top of the cheesecake. I used Ateco tip 844.
7. Sprinkle the top of the cheesecake with cocoa powder, if desired.
8. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Cheesecake is best for 3-5 days.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 Slice
  • Calories: 555
  • Sugar: 48.9 g
  • Sodium: 260 mg
  • Fat: 29.7 g
  • Carbohydrates: 61.5 g
  • Protein: 10.2 g
  • Cholesterol: 135.9 mg

Categories

Enjoy!

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Kahlua Coffee Brownie Cheesecake Recipe
Kahlua Coffee Brownie Cheesecake - a dense brownie bottom, kahlua coffee cheesecake, kahlua chocolate ganache and kahlua whipped cream! Such a rich, creamy and delicious cheesecake!

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228 Comments
    1. Lindsay

      After the full cheesecake has cooled completely in the fridge. I added a little sentence to the recipe to help with that. Thanks Ken!

      1. Ken

        Thank you Lindsay, I’m going to make it today I can’t wait to try it. It looks great. today. 🙂 

  1. Jeanna

    I made this wonderful cheesecake for our wine & dine dinner tonight. Everyone raved that it was the
    best dessert I have ever made, and I ALWAYS MAKE THE DESSERTS for our get together. The only problem I had was the whipped piping. I made it exactly as called for on the recipe, but it just wouldn’t stiffen up and peak for me. It still tasted great, but it ended up getting alittle flat and running down the sides of the cheesecake. BUT IT WAS THE BEST CHEESECAKE I HAVE EVER EATEN OR MADE!!! 5 stars!!!!

    1. Tesee

      Whip about 4 ounces of mascarpone into your whipped cream. It acts as a stabilizer and makes the whipped cream a little more firm so you can pipe it. It also prevents the whipped cream from “deflating” and it’ll keep the texture for a few days. And don’t worry, you can’t taste it at all, just tastes like delicious pure whipped cream!

    2. Dawn

      A great little tip for stiffening cream is to put the mixing bowl & the beaters in the freezer for 10-15 minutes before you want to prepare it.  The cream stiffens much faster & you won’t over whip it with the very cold equipment.

    1. Lindsay

      Hmmm, it shouldn’t. Once it’s cooled, it should be nice and firm. I’ve never had a cheesecake crack after cooling.

  2. Monique

    I just made this cake. The problem I had was it cracked right in the centre. I  followed  recipe to the tee. It still cracked.what cholédoque I have done wrong  

  3. Renee

    You can skip putting the pan IN water, and put a pan (thin 9×13) of boiling water on the shelf directly below the cheesecake. You get the same results, and no worries about water leakage. My sister has been doing this for years. She makes wonderful cheesecakes, so I had never made one until recently. After the baking time was up, I left the oven closed for an hour. Turned out beautiful!

  4. Mary Kay

    This recipe looks excellent ! I was wondering if you can freeze the cheesecake  if you should have any leftovers?

  5. Eugeny Siepje

    Hi Lindsay,
    Thank you so much for this recipe. i tried it over the weekend and it was simply delicious. it was my very first time that I made a cheesecake and it come out wonderful not like yours.☺

    I have made your chocolate cake for my daughters birthday and that was awesome. I actually made two cakes one I took to her and the other one stayed at home for me and my husband.
    I was searching a very long time for a moist chocolate cake and finally I found one.

    Thanks for all your recipes i can’t wait to try them all.

    Greetings from South Africa
    Eugeny 

    1. Lindsay

      I’m so glad you enjoyed the cheesecake and chocolate cake! Thanks Eugeny! And hello in South Africa – that’s where my husband is from. Such a beautiful country! 🙂

  6. Kali Moore

    I am by no means a baker or cook for that matter. However, I was feeling adventurous and wanted to bring in something awesome for our teacher’s St. Patrick’s Day Potluck. This cheesecake was awesome! Thanks for your attention to detail in your recipe. I am so out of my zone in the kitchen, but as a science teacher, I know how to follow a proper procedure! Great job, everyone at school was impressed and now I’m hooked on your website. Perhaps I can be a baker after all.

  7. Lola

    This looks so amazing! I bought your book and just received it in the mail today! I’m so excited! You are sooo baking goals! 

  8. Joanna

    That is my favorite CF dessert. Yours looks gorgeous, delicious and I really want that layer of fudge on top right now.

  9. Lisa Travis

    Lindsay, I’m not a huge Kahlua fan, so could you please, please please replicate the Cheesecake Factory’s “Chris’ Outrageous Cheesecake”?? It used to be called German Chocolate Cheesecake I believe. It is my FAVORITE and I’m dying to make something like it!

  10. Lisa Darling

    The cheesecake looks wonderful, however, I don’t like coffee. I like a little Kahlua, but not a lot. Can I use something in place of the Kahlua – perhaps Bailey’s Irish Cream or Amaretto and just add a little Kahlua and eliminate the coffee? I would appreciate it if you would kindly email me and let me know. Love your new cookbook. My husband gave it to me as a gift. Lisa

    1. Lindsay

      The coffee is relatively strong in this because of the granules. You can leave them out of the cheesecake filling and use something else – or leave it out altogether. The flavor just won’t be as strong. For the ganache, replace it with more heavy cream if you like. You can simply leave it out of the whipped cream. I hope that helps!

      So glad to hear you enjoy the cookbook! 🙂

    1. Lindsay

      They have a “Bake Shop” brand at Target and it was that one. I tried to find it on their website for you, but couldn’t. I had to buy two though and test that at home. One was good, one was returned.

Lindsay
About Lindsay

I’m the baker, recipe developer and photographer behind Life, Love and Sugar. I love sharing trusted recipes with helpful tips to give you great results.

Scripture I’m Loving

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:28-29