Zebra-Spider Cheesecake

Bring all the ingredients up to room temperature before proceeding to avoid clumping.

Preheat an oven to 350°F (180°C). Lightly coat an 8 1/2-inch (21-cm) springform pan with baking spray.

To prepare the cookie crust, in a medium bowl, combine the Oreos, sugar, black cocoa powder and melted butter. Mix with a fork until the texture becomes like wet sand. Pour three-fourths of the mixture into the prepared pan. Evenly press the crumbs against the walls of the pan about three-fourths of the way up. Use the bottom of a measuring cup to pack the crumbs in firmly. Add the rest of the crumbs and press them into the bottom of the pan. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes, then let it cool completely.

Meanwhile, prepare the cheesecake filling: Reduce the oven temperature to 305°F (150°C). In a large bowl, whisk the cream cheese, sugar, cornstarch, vanilla and lemon juice until smooth, about 30 seconds. Switch to a rubber spatula and add the eggs, one at a time, mixing slowly and thoroughly after each addition. Keep in mind that using a whisk or mixing vigorously at this point is not advised. It will incorporate too many air bubbles into the mixture, which will make the final product less attractive.

In a small cup or bowl, mix the sour cream and heavy cream. Gently fold it into the batter. Divide the batter evenly between two large bowls. Sift the black cocoa powder into one bowl and gently mix, just until thoroughly uniform in color, while trying not to overmix the batter.

Add the batter, about 1/4 cup (1 3/4 oz./50 g) at a time, to the center of the cooled cookie crust. Alternate the colors until all the batter is used up. Slightly shake the pan to even the batter out. Gradually use less batter as the rings begin to form into a target. As an option, add the batter to piping bags to get cleaner rounds on the cake. This option is messier to work with but yields a great result. Run a toothpick from the center of the cheesecake out to the edge to create a spiderweb pattern.

Boil a kettle of water. Open an oven bag and cut it in half to make it smaller. Carefully place the cheesecake inside and tie bakers’ twine around the rim of the pan to secure the bag to it. Fold the excess plastic down the sides of the pan. Securely cover the bottom and sides of the cheesecake pan with three layers of heavy-duty aluminum foil. This helps prevent water from seeping into the crust.

Place a kitchen towel on the bottom of a deep casserole dish. Make sure that the casserole dish is large enough to accommodate the size of the cheesecake pan. Place the cheesecake pan into the casserole dish. Pull the top oven rack out a bit and place the casserole dish with the cheesecake in the oven. Fill the casserole dish with enough boiling water until it reaches about halfway up the sides of the cheesecake pan to create a water bath.

Bake the cheesecake for 1 hour and 30 to 35 minutes. The cheesecake will have puffed up a bit and the center will slightly jiggle. At this point, turn off the oven, crack the oven door and leave the cheesecake to cool inside for 1 hour. Slowly cooling the cheesecake in the oven prevents the top from cracking, which happens due to a sudden change in temperature.

After 1 hour, remove the cheesecake from the water bath and take off the foil and oven bag. Cover the cheesecake with foil and place it in the refrigerator overnight to firm up. The next day, remove the cheesecake from the springform pan by placing it on a food can and sliding the walls of the springform pan down.

This treat is best served cold. To get clean slices, dip the knife in warm water and wipe it before and after each slice. Store covered in the fridge for up to 5 days. Makes one 8 1/2-inch (21-cm) cheesecake.

Reprinted with permission from Peculiar Baking by Nikk Alcaraz (Page Street Publishing Co., 2024). Photo credit: Weston St. James.