TRIPLE LAYER CHOCOLATE DIPPED STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE

This cake was made for my hubby's 40th birthday!  He is gluten free, so I used 2 layers of flourless chocolate cake and one crustless chocolate cheesecake.  In between the layers you find a delicious caramel layer!  The cake is coated in chocolate ganache and topped with chocolate dipped strawberries!!!

Flourless chocolate cake layers:
PREHEAT OVEN TO 375. LINE TWO 9-INCH ROUND CAKE PANS WITH NONSTICK FOIL.

IN MICROWAVE,  MELT:
8 OUNCES BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE CHIPS
2 STICKS BUTTER

ONCE MELTED, ADD:
1 1/2C. SUGAR
6 EGGS
WHISK WELL.

ADD 1C. UNSWEETENED COCOA POWDER AND WHISK TO COMBINE.  DIVIDE BETWEEN PANS. BAKE FOR 20-25 MINUTES. COOL COMPLETELY REMOVE FROM FOIL AND FREEZE THE LAYERS.  

CRUSTLESS CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE:

8 ounces dark chocolate chips, melted and cooled

3 eggs

24 ounces cream cheese, room temp

1 cup sugar

Heat oven to 325°F.
Line 9 inch cake pan with nonstick foil. 
Beat cream cheese and sugar until well blended. Add chocolate; mix well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, until blended.  Pour into pan and bake 45-55 mins.  Cool completely and freeze layer.

For the caramel filling, microwave:
1/2 can sweetened condensed milk
20 Kraft caramel squares
2 1/2 Tablespoons butter
Once smooth, let cool to room temp.

Assembly:
Lay a frozen flourless cake layer on a plate.  Top with half of the caramel sauce.  Next, put the cheesecake on top.  Add the rest of the caramel on top of the cheesecake.  Place your second flourless cake layer on next.  Chill while you make ganache.

Ganache:
Microwave together:
4 ounces dark chocolate chips
1/2c. heavy cream
Once smooth, add 2 tsp. light corn syrup and stir. Let thicken a bit as it cools.  Can speed this in the fridge for a few mins.

Strawberries:
Melt Dark chocolate chips and dip your berries.  Lay on wax paper to set up.

Pour cooled ganache over the cake and place in fridge just to set the chocolate.  Decorate with the strawberries on top! 

NUTTER BUTTER CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE BARS ON A CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE CRUST & TOPPED WITH A CHOCOLATE DIPPED NUTTER BUTTER!

START WITH 8 OUNCES OF COOKIE DOUGH (PILLSBURY IS WHAT I USED BUT HOMEMADE WOULD BE GREAT, TOO!)  PRESS IT INTO AN 8X8 PAN LINED WITH NONSTICK FOIL AND BAKE AT 350 FOR ABOUT 13 MINS UNTIL BROWNED.  TOP CRUST WITH 11 1/2 NUTTER BUTTER COOKIES TO BE EXACT! LOL  CAREFULLY, SPREAD ON THE CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE BATTER

CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE BATTER:
ELECTRIC MIX:
12 OUNCES ROOM TEMP CREAM CHEESE
1/3C. SUGAR
3/4C. HERSHEY'S COCOA POWDER
1 EGG
BAKE FOR ABOUT 30 MINUTES AND CHILL IN FREEZER.  CUT BARS.  DIP NUTTER BUTTERS IN MELTED CHOCOLATE AND ADHERE TO EACH BAR.

LINKING AT CHEF IN TRAINING

QUADRUPLE LAYER CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE KIT KAT BARS

THESE BARS NEED NO INTRODUCTION! THEY TASTE ABSOLUTELY AS GOOD AS THEY LOOK.   THEY HAVE A CLEARLY DEFINED WOW FACTOR. STOP READING AND GO PREHEAT YOUR OVEN!

Line 8×8 pan with nonstick foil and preheat oven to 350 degrees.

INGREDIENTS:
Crust

• 1 1/2 cups of graham cracker crumbs
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 8 tablespoons of butter  
• Melt butter in the microwave and stir in the crumbs and sugar.  Press into the bottom of the pan and bake 10 mins. Let cool.

Chocolate cheese cake layer

• 12 oz cream cheese, room temp
• ¾ cup cocoa powder
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 6 Kit Kat packages or lots of snack sized ones

Once crust is cool, line bottom of pan with Kit Kats.  Electric mix cream cheese and sugar until smooth.  Add cocoa.  Add egg.  Once smooth, spread carefully over kit kats with offset spatula.
Bake at 350 for approx. 35 mins.  Let cool.  Chill.

Make Chocolate layer by microwaving:
 10 ounces dark chocolate chips and 
8T. butter. 
When smooth, spread on cheesecake layer and chill.

For the White chocolate design, I melted white Merckens disks and piped straight lines from left to right.  Then, ran a toothpick vertically from top to bottom and switched to bottom/top, alternating the direction for each line.
Recipe adapted from Bakers Royale 

TRIPLE CHOCOLATE CAKE & CHEESECAKE WITH WHIPPED FUDGE FILLING, CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING AND TOPPED WITH CARAMEL MARSHMALLOW TOFFEE COOKIES DIPPED IN CHOCOLATE WITH A WHITE CHOCOLATE DECORATION!

INSTEAD OF WEIGHING THIS CAKE I AM CALLING IT THE 12 HOUR CAKE! LOL  IT WAS A LOT OF WORK BUT WELL WORTH IT!!!! 100% DELICIOUS!!!!!

FOR THE CHOCOLATE CAKE I USED THIS RECIPE BUT SUBSTITUTED BETTER BATTER FLOUR FOR THE ALL PURPOSE TO MAKE IT GLUTEN FREE. 
this cake layer  adapted from Chow
For the chocolate cake:
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon fine salt
2/3 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
2/3 cup boiling water
2/3 cup whole milk, at room temperature
12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), at room temperature, plus more as needed
2 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 large eggs, at room temperature 

1. Heat the oven to 350°F and line three 8 inch pans with nonstick foil.
2. Whisk together the measured flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl
3. Whisk together the cocoa and boiling water in a small bowl until combined. Slowly whisk in the milk; set aside.
4. Beat butter until fluffy.   Add the sugar and vanilla and continue to beat.
5. Add the eggs 1 at a time.
6. Add a flour alternating with cocoa mis and ending with flour. 
7. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake them 30-35 mins until done.
8. Cool and place into freezer.

 
For the chocolate cheesecake:
Crustless Cheesecake portion:

1 stick softened butter

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2- 8 oz packages cream cheese, softened

1 1/2 oz. package cook and serve vanilla pudding

2 eggs

1 tsp baking powder  
5 1/2 ounces milk chocolate chips, melted
1/2c. dark chocolate chips, melted


Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease ONE 8" pan with shortening, line the pan with parchment and then grease the parchment. Lightly butter the pan and Set aside.

Cream butter and sugar in a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Add cream cheese a little at a time until smooth. Scrape bowl down and beat again on medium speed, adding eggs one at a time. Add remaining ingredients. Mix again until smooth.

Pour in pan. Smooth batter with offset spatula and bake for 50-55 mins. Cheesecake will puff up during baking, then deflate when taken out.

Do not turn out cheesecake when finished baking. Put directly in the freezer, and leave until frozen solid. Remove for assembly.

For the whipped fudge filling:

• 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/3 cup light corn syrup 
• microwave chocolate and corn syrup until hot.  Pour over chocolate and stir until smooth.  chill in fridge uncovered 45-60 minutes.  Remove and whip in mixer 2 minutes. immediately assemble spreading generously between the cake and cheesecake layer.

  For the milk chocolate buttercream:

• 6 ounces milk chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 3 sticks (12 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons whole milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• Microwave the 2 chocolates until melted.
• Beat the butter about 3 minutes.
• Add the milk.  Pour in the chocolate until completely incorporated. Add the vanilla and salt and mix until incorporated.
• On low, add the powdered sugar until it’s incorporated and the mixture is creamy.  Frost top and sides of cake. 
•  
• For the white chocolate design, pipe melted bakers chocolate on wax paper, chill and peel off-carefully adhere to the sides!
• Click here for the cookies I placed on top!