Make the filling. Combine the heavy cream and chocolate in a small saucepan or in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat, stirring frequently, until the chips melt and the mixture is smooth. If doing this in the microwave, heat for 30 seconds at 50% power, stirring in between.
Beat cream cheese and sugar. In a large mixing bowl (I like to use my stand mixer with my paddle attachment) beat together the cream cheese and sugar at low speed, until thoroughly combined. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl with a spatula and beat until smooth. You don’t want to continue to mix the cream cheese at this point or it will incorporate too much air and cause your cheesecake to crack so mix briefly.
Add eggs. Add the eggs one at a time, beating to combine. Scrape down the bowl as needed.
Add vanilla and cocoa. Stir in the vanilla, then the cocoa powder and beat to combine.
Add melted chocolate mixture. Add the chocolate/cream mixture, beating on low speed until thoroughly combined. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bow with a spatula; and beat to combine briefly, just until smooth.
Pour the batter into the crust. Place the pan on a baking sheet. Bake the cake (at 350oF) for 45 to 50 minutes. The center may not look set quite yet but will continue to bake up as it cools.
Cool the cheesecake. Turn off the oven, crack the oven door open several inches, and allow the cheesecake to cool in the oven for 1 hour. Remove the cheesecake from the oven, and set it on a rack to finish cooling. You can refrigerate it to cool as well, just cover with a paper towel to prevent condensation then cover with another layer of plastic wrap or tinfoil. When ready to serve, top with cherry topping and serve with fresh whipped cream.