Black Forest Cheesecake Cake

Ingredients:

Cheesecake layer:

2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
Pinch of salt
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/3 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup cherry pie filling

Chocolate Cake Layers:

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

Cream Cheese Frosting:

2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup cherry pie filling
grated chocolate, optional

Directions:

Cheesecake layer:

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 stand or electric mixer, beat cream cheese, sugar, and salt until well combined. Add in eggs one at a time, beating at low speed until smooth. Beat in the vanilla and sour cream. Pour the batter into the prepared springform pan. Put dollops of cherry pie filling scattered across the top of the cheesecake batter. Use a butter knife to hide the cherries and swirl the pie filling in to the batter.
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 or 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 for several hours, or overnight.

Cake layers:

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.

Frosting:

In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla with an electric mixer until blended. Add powder sugar and beat until smooth.

Assemble the cake:

Place one cake layer in the center of a cake plate or platter. Remove the cheesecake from the springform pan, layer the cheesecake layer on top of the bottom cake layer. (I had to let my springform pan warm up a bit before it would open.) If your cheesecake layer is not the same size as your cake layer, you may need to trim it before adding it. Peel off the parchment. Place the 2nd cake layer on top of the cheesecake.

Frost the cake:

Apply a thin layer of frosting to the top and sides of the cake to create a crumb coat. Put the cake in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, apply a second layer of frosting to the sides. Pipe a decorate edge on top of the cake. Add the remaining cherry pie filling to the top of the cake and carefully spread it up to the decorated edge. Sprinkle grated chocolate on decorated edge and sides of the cake. Keep cake refrigerated until ready to serve.

Source: ittybittyhomestead