Toni Michael Chef
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№ 001 · Dessert · overnight · serves 2

Orange Cheesecake with Chocolate Crust

I'm not super crazy about baking, thus desserts aren't really my forte - but for whatever reason, cheesecake isn't "baking" to me - it feels more like cooking/taste testing - less accurate measuring and science. I've made many cheesecakes trying different crusts and fillings, but this mix has become my go-to. The cayenne in the crust adds a little bit of a bite to the end and the goat cheese in the filling adds a lovely tang.

— Toni · 21 July · 2026
Ingredients

Crust

  • ½ cup graham cracker crumbs
  • 1 tbsp cocoa powder
  • 2 tbsp pistachios, shelled & crushed
  • 2 tbsp butter, melted
  • Pinch cayenne pepper
  • Salt to taste

Filling

  • 4 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 4 oz goat cheese, softened
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 1 egg
  • Zest of 1 orange
  • ½ tsp vanilla
  • Salt to taste

Topping

  • Honey
  • Pistachios
  • Pomegranate seeds

Method

  1. 01 Preheat oven to 325 F
  2. 02 Mix crust ingredients together until evenly combined
  3. 03 Press firmly into bottom of greased 4” cake pan
  4. 04 Par-bake for 8-10 mins
  5. 05 Cool crust completely
  6. 06 Beat filling ingredients until smooth
  7. 07 Pour over cooled crust
  8. 08 Cook at 300 F until just set, but slightly jiggly in center (about 45 mins)
  9. 09 Turn off oven, crack door, and let cool slowly for 1 hour
  10. 10 Continue to cool on counter for another 30 minutes
  11. 11 Chill in fridge overnight
  12. 12 Remove from fridge and plate
  13. 13 Drizzle with honey and top with crushed pistachios and pomegranate seeds
  14. 14 Dig in!
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