The chocolate cake was simple to make. The chocolate pieces that sunk to the bottom, did stick in the cake pans, but that meant the cook got to try some of the cake.
I really don't know if I would cut the cake in half when I make it again, because it made the cake VERY flimsy.
I didn't use store-bought icing. I made my own (5TBSP Butter, 8 oz Cream Cheese, 2C powdered sugar, sifted--mix). I used 3 batches. I ran out of frosting, so next time use 4.
Sara Lee doesn't sell Cheesecake Bites anymore. So I bought 2 Sara Lee Cheescakes and cut them into bites.
This is where things got dicey...The cakes were flimsy and the Cheesecake bites were a lot of weight. So the cakes cracked, after the first round of frosting. Then the cakes weren't level, so that was an issue. After the final round of icing, I was very upset about the look of my cake because no amount of "glue" would hold the crack together. D told me to drink a lot of Guinness (it was St. Patrick's Day, after all), and that it would look perfect. I drizzled the caramel over the cake and put it back in the fridge (I skipped the cookies). That all ran together, so it was more of a glaze...
Now you're thinking, with all that, why would she ever make this cake again?
This cake served 20 people including 7 kids. My friend C asked me to send the recipe to her mom, because she wants it for her birthday. It was rich. The crunch of the Hershey Bars mixed with the creaminess of the frosting, mixed with the cheesecake...OMG!
So next time I'll skip the 4 layers of cake so it is a little stronger. But I will make again.
UPDATE: Missed the coarsely chopped direction of the cheesecake ingredient...this would have made that part MUCH easier.
Cheesecake-Stuffed Dark Chocolate Cake
YIELD: 12 servings
COOK TIME:32 Minutes
PREP TIME:26 Minutes
OTHER:1 Hour, 10 Minutes
COURSE: Desserts, Cakes/Frostings
Ingredients
Unsweetened cocoa (didn't use...but used PAM)
1 (18.25-oz.) package devil's food cake mix
1 (3.4-oz.) package chocolate instant pudding mix
3 large eggs
1 cup canola oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons chocolate extract (optional)...didn't use
1 teaspoon almond extract
3 (1.55-oz.) milk chocolate bars, chopped (we tested with Hershey's)
3 (16-oz.) cans homestyle cream cheese frosting (made my own...recipe above)
3 (7.75-oz.) boxes frozen cheesecake bites, coarsely chopped (we tested with Sara Lee)...used 2 Regular SL Cheesecakes
1 (12-oz.) jar dulce de leche caramel sauce (we tested with Smucker's)
Double chocolate rolled wafer cookies, coarsely broken (we tested with Pirouline)...didn't use
Chocolate fudge rolled wafer cookies, coarsely broken (we tested with Pepperidge Farm)...didn't use
Preparation
Grease 2 (9") round cakepans, and dust with cocoa.
Beat cake mix and next 7 ingredients at low speed with an electric mixer 1 minute; then beat at medium speed 2 minutes. Fold in chopped milk chocolate bars. Pour batter into prepared pans.
Bake at 350° for 32 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Cool cake in pans on wire racks 10 minutes; remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks. Wrap and chill cake layers at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours. (This step enables you to split cake layers with ease.)
Using a serrated knife, slice cake layers in half horizontally to make 4 layers. Place 1 layer, cut side up, on a cake plate. Spread with 1/2 cup cream cheese frosting; sprinkle with one-fourth of chopped cheesecake bites. Repeat procedure with remaining 3 layers, frosting, and cheesecake bites, omitting cheesecake bites on top of last layer. Frost sides and top of cake with remaining frosting. Drizzle desired amount of caramel sauce over cake, letting it drip down sides. Chill until ready to serve. Decorate cake with rolled wafer cookies and remaining chopped cheesecake bites. Store in refrigerator.
Oxmoor House JUNE 2007
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