Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Dark Chocolate Cheesecake Stuffed Cake

This is my version of a recipe in this year's Southern Living Christmas book. It is a little time consuming to make but it truly worth the effort. It's a HUGE, heavy cake that is truly amazing!

Cake:
1 package devil's food cake mix
1 (3.4 ounce) chocolate instant pudding mix
3 large eggs
1 1/4 cups milk
1 cup cooking oil
1 T vanilla extract
1 t almond extract
3 (1.55 ounce) Hershey's milk chocolate bars, chopped
3 batches of cream cheese frosting (recipe below)
1 small turtle cheesecake, chopped into small pieces
1 jar dulce de leche caramel sauce

Frosting: (to make 3 bathes of frosting)
3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
3 boxes powdered sugar
milk, as needed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and dust with cocoa 2 round cake pans. Beat cake mix and next 7 ingredients at low speed with electric mixer for 1 minute, then beat for 2 minutes at medium speed. Fold in chopped Hershey bars. Pour into prepared pans. Bake for 35 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove from pans and cool completely. Wrap and chill for at least one hour. Using a serrated knife, slice cake layers in half horizontally to make 4 layers. Place one cake layer on cake plate and spread with 1/2 cup cream cheese frosting. Spread with 2 T dulce de leche caramel. Sprinkle with one fourth of the cheesecake pieces. Press cheesecake pieces down into frosting. Repeat with other layers, omitting the cheesecake pieces and dulce de leche on top of last layer. Frost sides and top of cake with remaining frosting. Drizzle with dulce de leche and decorate top with remaining cheesecake pieces. Cover and chill until ready to serve.

Frosting: Mix together cream cheese and powdered sugar.

TIP OF THE DAY: The original recipe called for Sara Lee cheesecake bites but since they do not sell them ANYWHERE in this town, I use a small turtle cheesecake. The recipe also called for canned frosting but I prefer to make my own. In order to spread the dulce de leche, I heated it in the microwave for about 10 seconds before spreading it.

Tomorrow's Daily Special: Butterfinger Balls