Recipes Desserts Cake Cheesecakes Mudslide Cheesecake 5.0 (3) 3 Reviews The flavors of a classic Mudslide cocktail are transformed into a creamy marbled cheesecake. By Paige Grandjean Paige Grandjean Paige Grandjean is a food editor, recipe developer, and food stylist with over seven years of experience in food media. Her work has appeared in more than 15 nationally distributed publications, award-winning cookbooks, and digital platforms. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Published on August 12, 2026 Save Rate PRINT Share Close Credit: Morgan Hunt Ward / Food Styling by Julian Hensarling / Prop Styling by Christina Daley Active Time: 45 mins Chill Time: 6 hrs Total Time: 8 hrs 50 mins Servings: 12 Jump to recipe The marbled cheesecake filling captures the coffee, chocolate, and Irish cream flavors of the classic Mudslide cocktail.A salty-sweet cookie crust offers a crunchy contrast to the silky cheesecake filling.The cheesecake can be made in advance for an elegant company-worthy dessert. Vanilla cheesecake batter is swirled with a chocolate-espresso batter for a striking marbled filling inspired by the classic Mudslide cocktail. A combination of espresso powder and coffee liqueur gives the cheesecake a complex coffee flavor that’s balanced by rich cocoa and fragrant vanilla. Together, these flavors capture the creamy, boozy essence of the classic cocktail in dessert form. Instead of a traditional water bath, which can lead to a soggy, water-logged crust, this recipe uses a simple steam bath to create gentle humidity in the oven for even baking. The result is a silky-smooth cheesecake that blurs the line between dense and light. For an extra dose of coffee flavor, add a splash of Baileys Irish cream liqueur to the whipped cream topping just before serving. What is a steam bath? Most cheesecake recipes rely on the water bath technique to create humidity and encourage slow, even baking, which prevents the cheesecake top from cracking. This recipe replaces the water bath with a steam bath: A pan of boiling water is placed on the lowest rack, filling the oven with gentle humidity for even, crack-free baking. Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen Use the sides and bottom of a dry measuring cut to help form and compact the cookie crust. Mix the batter on low speed to prevent incorporating too much air, which can cause the cheesecake to crack. This recipe was developed by Melissa Gray-Streett; the text was written by Paige Grandjean. Keep Screen Awake Ingredients 1/2x 1x 2x Oops! Something went wrong. Our team is working on it. This recipe was developed at its original yield. Ingredient amounts are automatically adjusted, but cooking times and steps remain unchanged. Note that not all recipes scale perfectly. Original recipe (1X) yields 12 servings Cooking spray 28 cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies (such as Oreos) 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted 4 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 4 large eggs, at room temperature 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa 1/4 cup (2 ounces) coffee liqueur (such as Kahlúa) 2 teaspoons instant espresso powder 1/4 cup (2 ounces) Irish cream liqueur (such as Baileys) Boiling water Sweetened whipped cream, chocolate curls, and maraschino cherries, for garnish (optional) Directions Preheat oven to 300°F with racks in center and lowest positions. Lightly coat a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray; line bottom with parchment paper, and lightly coat parchment paper with cooking spray. Set aside. Place cookies and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a food processor; pulse until finely ground, 12 to 15 pulses. Add butter; pulse until well combined, 6 to 8 pulses. Pour cookie mixture into prepared pan, and firmly press into bottom and about 2 inches up sides of pan. Freeze crust while preparing filling. Beat cream cheese and sugar in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium-low speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Add flour, vanilla, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Beat on low speed until smooth, about 30 seconds. With mixer running on low speed, add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until just incorporated after each addition and stopping to scrape down sides of bowl as needed. Set batter aside. Whisk together cocoa, coffee liqueur, and espresso powder in a medium bowl until smooth. Spoon half of batter (about 3 cups) into cocoa mixture, leaving remaining half of batter in mixer bowl; stir until just combined with no streaks remaining. Stir Irish cream liqueur into remaining plain batter until just combined. Alternating between plain and chocolate batter, drop large spoonfuls (about 1/3 cup each) into crust until all batter is added. Gently tap pan on the counter to level the surface. Using a butter knife or wooden skewer, swirl batters together, ensuring knife reaches just above the bottom crust. Place pan on a large baking sheet. Place a large roasting pan on lowest oven rack; fill pan halfway with boiling water. Place baking sheet with cheesecake on center oven rack. Bake until edges of cheesecake pull away slightly from sides of pan and center wobbles slightly, 1 hour and 5 minutes to 1 hour and 15 minutes, tenting with foil after 45 minutes to prevent excess browning. Remove cheesecake from oven; let cool on a wire rack for 1 hour. Refrigerate, uncovered, at least 6 hours. To serve, carefully run a knife around edges of pan to release cheesecake. Remove sides of pan. Garnish cheesecake with whipped cream, chocolate curls, and cherries, if using. Morgan Hunt Ward / Food Styling by Julian Hensarling / Prop Styling by Christina Daley Make ahead Cheesecake can be prepared through step 7 up to three days in advance. To freeze, wrap the chilled cheesecake in plastic wrap, and freeze for up to one month; thaw the cheesecake overnight in the refrigerator. Garnish just before serving. Cook this recipe and more in the MyRecipes app. Get the App Save Rate Print Loading shell for RecipesUgcThreaded1 Vue component in Globe.