Pastry chef adding liquid chocolate topping on chocolate dessert cheesecake close-up. Cheesecake is a dessert made with a soft fresh cheese , typically cottage cheese, cream cheese, quark or ricotta, eggs, and sugar. It may have a crust or base made from crushed cookies or digestive biscuits, graham crackers, pastry, or sometimes sponge cake. Chocolate cheesecake may be baked or unbaked, and is usually refrigerated.