Chocolate Caramel Peanut Butter Cheesecake Cake

I'm very excited about this cake. I took two layers of chocolate cake and put a layer of creamy, rich caramel cheesecake in between them. Then I frosted the whole thing with peanut butter French buttercream, and topped it off with a chocolate ganache glaze and caramel drizzle.

Chocolate, caramel, and peanut butter!

Cheesecake in a Cake

2 9-inch cake layers, in your flavor of choice, baked and cooled

4 cups buttercream frosting, in your flavor of choice

1 crustless 9-inch cheesecake layer, very cold, recipe below

1 pound cream cheese

2/3 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1/2 teaspoon lemon zest from 1 small lemon, minced

1 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 tablespoons heavy cream

2 tablespoons sour cream

INSTRUCTIONS

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Line bottom of 9-inch springform pan with foil, tuck foil underneath pan bottom, assemble pan, then pull foil around side of pan, spray with cooking spray. Set pan inside a turkey roasting oven bag, rolling down the top of the bag to be flush with the top of the pan, and set in a 12-inch cake pan. Bring 4 cups of water to boil for water bath.

Meanwhile, beat cream cheese in bowl of electric mixer on medium speed with wire whip attachment until smooth. Gradually add sugar and beat on medium speed until sugar dissolves, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until just incorporated and scraping down after each addition. (If you don't scrape down the bowl after each egg, cream cheese that sticks to the bowl will ultimately show up as lumps in the batter.) Add zest, vanilla, cream, and sour cream, beating just until incorporated.

Pour batter into prepared pan. Set roasting pan on oven rack and pour enough boiling water to come about halfway up side of springform pan. Bake until perimeter of cake is set, but center jiggles like Jell-O when pan is tapped, 40-45 minutes. Internal temperature should measure 170. Turn off heat and leave oven door ajar, using a long-handled kitchen fork or spoon to hold it open for 1 hour longer. Remove springform pan from water bath and set on wire rack; cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate at least 24 hours. (Can be refrigerated up to 4 days.)

Place one 9-inch cake round on a cardboard round and spread with one cup of buttercream. Remove the chilled cheesecake layer from the fridge, pop off the pan sides and invert the cheesecake onto the frosted cake layer. Remove the bottom of the pan and then carefully peel off the foil. Spread with one cup of buttercream, and add the second 9-inch cake layer. Frost the outside of the cake with the remaining buttercream. Serve immediately. Refrigerate leftovers.