A layer of smooth, creamy cheesecake sandwiched between layers of rich, moist chocolate cake covered in a luscious cream cheese frosting. A spectacular cake for a fun celebration.
Have you had cake with a cheesecake layer in the middle? If you haven’t you’ve been missing out. Cheesecake Factory makes a Red Velvet Cheesecake Cake that is one of their most popular. My daughter saw Recipe Girl’s gorgeous Red Velvet Cheesecake Cake and asked if I would make a chocolate cake version for my grandson’s birthday party.
I decided to use the Hershey’s Perfect Chocolate Cake that I adapted for high altitude and also adapted the cheesecake layer slightly for high altitude baking. I used the high altitude baking guide in Chocolate Snowball and the tips on Elevated Kitchen for the cheesecake layer.
My husband thought I should add a caramel layer on top of the cheesecake, but the caramel was too hard to cut through, so I’m omitting it from the recipe. I think next time I’d just drizzle a little caramel over the top or on the plate before serving. My daughter suggested using caramel ice cream topping.
Dispite the problems I had with the caramel layer, this cake was fantastic. One of those desserts where you just can’t help but say mmmmmm while you’re eating it.
Ingredients
- Two (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
- 2/3 cup granulated white sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- 1 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup Hershey’s cocoa
- 1-1/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1-1/4 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup boiling water
- 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted lightly to remove any lumps
- Two (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Directions
- Preheat oven to 325ºF. Put a kettle of water on the stove to boil. Spray a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick spray and line the bottom with a round of parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese with an electric mixer until it's smooth. Mix in sugar and salt and blend until it's creamy, stopping to scrape down sides of the bowl several times.
- Add eggs, one at a time, blending after each addition. Do not beat too much. Mix in sour cream, whipping cream and vanilla. Pour the batter into the prepared springform pan.
- Set a metal broiler tray on the bottom oven rack. Carefully pour the hot water from your kettle into the broiler tray. Place the springform pan in the oven on the rack above the boiler tray.
- Bake the cheesecake for 45 - 55 minutes. It should be set to the touch and not jiggly. Remove the cheesecake and let it cool on a wire rack for about 10-15 minutes, run a butter knife spatula around the edge to help prevent cracking. Cool for at least an hour, then place the pan into the freezer and let the cheesecake freeze completely. This can be done in several hours- or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans. Set aside.
- Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; With a mixer, beat on medium speed for about 2 minutes. Carefully, stir in boiling water. The batter will be very thin. Pour batter into prepared cake pans.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat powdered sugar, cream cheese, butter and vanilla with an electric mixer until it's smooth.
- Place one cake layer into the center of a cake plate or platter. Remove the cheesecake from the freezer, take off the sides of the pan, and slide a knife under the parchment to remove the cheesecake from the pan. ( I had to let my springform pan warm up a bit before it would open. )Peel off the parchment. Measure your cheesecake layer against the cake layers. If the cheesecake layer turns out to be a slightly larger round than your cake, move it to a cutting board and gently shave off some of the exterior of the cheesecake to get it to the same size as your cake layers. Place the cheesecake layer on top of the first cake layer. Place the 2nd cake layer on top of the cheesecake.
- Apply a crumb coat layer to the cake- use a long, thin spatula to cover the cake completely with a thin and even layer of frosting. Be sure to wipe off your spatula before you dip it back into the bowl to get more frosting (you don't want any crumbs to get into the bowl of frosting). When your cake has a thin layer of frosting all over it, place it into the refrigerator for 30 minutes to "set" the frosting.
- Once the first layer of frosting is set, apply the 2nd layer. Start by adding a large scoop of frosting onto the top of the cake. Use a long, thin spatula to spread the frosting evenly across the top and then spread it down the sides of the cake too. Keep cake refrigerated.
- I garnished the cake with shave white chocolate on top. I used a potato peeler and a bar of Ghirardelli White Chocolate.
More Cheesecake Cakes you might like:
Strawberry Cheesecake Cake, Recipe Girl
Peanut Butter Cup Chocolate Cake Cheesecake, Sprinkle Bakes
Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Cake, Bird on A Cake
Oreo Cheesecake Cake, Erin’s Food Files
Some of the links in my posts may be “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Thank you for supporting Barbara Bakes when you shop!
I love to bake, especially cookies, cakes, and pies. I’ll post my adventures in the kitchen, my favorite new recipes, as well as our family favorites.
Terrific! That cake looks sinfully good.
Cheers,
Rosa
The cake looks delicious. Your tips are so helpful and make the presentation look beautiful.
This is SO mine. I haven’t seen this at our Cheesecake Factory but maybe I haven’t looked closely enough. I don’t need them with you around! Thanks heaps for this one.
Decadent…always decadent here
Deliciously decadent, just the way birthday cake should be! Looks beautiful with the white chocolate on top!
Thanks Meghan – I baked up a quick version of your lemon pull apart bread yesterday. So delicious! Will post on Monday.
Yay!! Everyone always asks me how to adapt for high altitude. It must be so hard to figure it out!! Looks delicious!
btw, here’s my version of the chocolate cheesecake cake- I did all chocolate! http://www.recipegirl.com/2012/01/05/chocolate-cheesecake-cake/
It looks fantastic too. Perfect for a chocoholic. Thanks!
This is lovely! I love all things chocolate and cheesecake is one of my favorite cakes of all time so this has my name written all over it!
I love cheesecake cakes! I did the red velvet version awhile ago and totally fell in love. I love this chocolate version and would love a big slice right now!
This sounds so fabulous!
Looks incredible! Fantastic job.
D R O O L I N G !!!!!
Beautiful and looks soooo yummy!
My birthday is Sunday. This can be my virtual cake. Splendid. Everything about it.
This has my entire families name written ALL OVER IT…I am definitely making this for our next family gathering. Rich chocolate cake AND cheesecake? I’m in heaven, thank you!!
I want to try this so bad. YUM! It’s gorgeous.
This is so awesome! I am so impressed, the cake is beautiful, reading the ingredients I can just taste it, you are a ‘Baker’! I am looking forward to making this for my next dinner party and sharing that I found the recipe on your web site.
Thank you so much for creating these beautiful taste sensations!
Debbie from the Northwest
Thanks Debbie! Stop back by and let me know how your guest liked the cake.
Wow what a scrumptious cake… I am way too tempted. Will try it soon, thanks for sharing.
A cheesecake sandwiched between two layers of chocolate cakes…this is just scrumptious!
Cake & Cake? Wow is all I can say
Wow!!! That looks incredible!! Great job
Simply decadent!
Oh my. You know how I loved the Hershey cake. Cheesecake in the center would be even better. How about some dulce de leche instead of the caramel?
That’s a great idea. Thanks!
This cake sounds marvelous. Love the cheesecake middle and love the idea of drizzling the caramel over the top. Perfect!!!
this looks SO amazing, i love those layers!
That’s quite a dessert, Barbara. With the ratios you’re using for the frosting, it has to taste like cream, so yummm.
I’ve seen Lori’s red velvet version and have been so tempted to attempt this – your chocolate cake is gorgeous! Love that top pic, so festive and fun
omgosh! and here I was, totally serious, thinking, ‘is it too late to get started on a chocolate cheesecake tonight …?’ ….and I click on over from ohsweetbasil and wham! there’s your post, right in the kisser. Whoa, that cake sounds divine! Ok, it is definitely not too late!
Haha …I read your sentence, “My husband thought I should add a caramel layer on top of the cheesecake …” as …
“”My husband thought I should add a criminal layer on top of the cheesecake …”
and I thought heck yeah, why not! lolol!
Oh my! What a sinfully delicious cake! The best of two worlds in one truly decadent cake.
what a lucky lucky boy! Wow, it just looks out of this world and better than any cheesecake you can get at Cheesecake Factory. You have them running scared my friend. Happy b-day to your adorable grandson.!
My birthday is the 26th of this month–are you busy and do you want another older child–like older than you!
I’ve just been ‘introduced’ to you by Carrian from Oh Sweet Basil and I love what I see so far! I just started a blog a few weeks ago and it’s nice to have a place like yours to look to for inspiration. I’ll be back!
Oh my…this cake looks so good!
Thanks so much for sharing the recipe!
What a beautiful cake! It makes me very hungry.
Mum that looks amazing! How did I miss this post? I love tiered cakes and this one has an awesome surprise
xxx
I definitely need to give this idea a try! Perhaps for my birthday in December:)
Phenomenal! Making one for New Year’s party (it’s setting in the fridge right now).
What a fantastic way to ring in the new year! Enjoy!