Chocolate Peppermint Cheesecake Cake

 A delicious and impressive cake with two layers of chocolate cake around one layer of peppermint cheesecake. Frost the cake with peppermint buttercream! 

For the Chocolate Cake Layers:
1 3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup unsweetened dark chocolate cocoa powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup brewed coffee, cooled
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs

For the Cheesecake Layer:
2 pkg (8oz each) cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup granulated sugar
pinch of salt
2 eggs
1/4 cup sour cream
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp peppermint extract
1 bag (10oz) Andes Peppermint Crunch baking chips

For the Frosting:
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
5 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 bag (10oz) Andes Peppermint Crunch baking chips

• Preheat oven 350
• In a small bowl, mix flour, cocoa, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Set aside.
• In a measuring cup, mix together cooled coffee and milk. Set aside.
• Grease 2- 9inch round baking pans and line the bottom with parchment paper. Set aside.
• In mixer, beat butter and sugar for 5 minutes, until smooth. 
• Add eggs, one at a time. 
• Slowly add in dry ingredients alternating with the coffee and milk mixture, about 3 additions of each.
• Pour cake batter evenly into the 2 prepared pans. 
• Bake for 25 minutes. Remove and cool on wire rack. 
• When completely cooled, you can wrap each layer in plastic wrap and put in the freezer for later assembly!

For the Cheesecake Layer:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. 
• Using a large roasting pan on the lower 2/3 of the oven, preheat the pan too!
• Prepare springform pan by wrapping bottom of pan (outside) with double layer of foil. 
• Spray pan with nonstick baking spray and line bottom (inside) with a circle of parchment paper. 
• Meanwhile, boil a kettle of water to use later.
• Beat cream cheese with granulated sugar for 2-3 minutes until creamy. 
• Add in salt and eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. 
• Beat in sour cream, heavy cream and peppermint extract. 
• Fold in baking chips. 
• Pour into prepared 9inch springform pan. 
• Place pan in center of preheated roasting pan in the oven. 
• Pour boiling water slowly into the roasting pan, until there is about an inch of water coming up the sides of the springform pan.
• Bake cheesecake for 45 minutes. 
• Turn oven off and let cheesecake sit in oven for an additional 30 minutes. 
• Remove and cool completely on counter.
• When cooled, transfer entire springform pan into the freezer for several hours or overnight.
• Remove cheesecake and wrap in plastic wrap and return to freezer, or assemble cake.

For the frosting, 

• Beat butter for 3 minutes. 
• Add powdered sugar and heavy cream and beat an additional 3-5 minutes until fluffy. 
• Add baking chips.
• To assemble the cake, lay one frozen layer of chocolate cake on cake plate. 
• Top with frozen cheesecake and second layer of chocolate cake. 
• Frost sides and top with a thin layer of frosting to apply a crumb coat. 
• Refrigerate 30 minutes to an hour. 
• Remove from refrigerator and frost remaining cake. 
• Keep the cake covered in the refrigerator until ready to eat. 
• Remove and allow to sit about 15 minutes before slicing. 

Recipe: Shugary Sweets