Chocolate Cheesecake Cake
Ingredients
For the Chocolate Cookie Crust
- 25 Oreo cookies finely ground
- 4 tablespoons (56.5 g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 teaspoon (3 g) salt
For the Dark Chocolate Cake
- 2 cups (240 g) all purpose flour
- 1 3/4 cups (350 g) granulated sugar
- 3/4 cups (88.5 g) dark cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons (8 g) baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon (3 g) baking powder
- 1 teaspoon (6 g) salt
- 1 cup (240 g) buttermilk, room temperature
- 1/2 cup (109 g) vegetable oil
- 3 eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon (4.2 g) pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup (236.6 g) hot water
For the Cheesecake Filling
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon (7.5 g) cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon (15.13 g) milk
- 1 whole egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 1/2 cup (85.5 g) mini chocolate chips
For the Fudge Buttercream
- 1 1/4 cups (282.5 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup (125 g) powdered sugar, measured then sifted
- 3/4 cup (75 g) dark cocoa powder
- 3/4 cup (276 g) light corn syrup
- 2 teaspoons (8.4 g) vanilla extract
- 10 ounces (283 g) dark or semi-sweet chocolate, melted and cooled slightly
- 1/2 teaspoons (3 g) salt
Instructions
For the Chocolate Cookie Crust
- Spray three 8-inch round cake pans with nonstick spray, line the bottom with parchment paper, and spray again. Set aside.
- Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor and pulse to combine. Mixture should resemble wet sand.
- Evenly divide the crumbs between the three pans and firmly pat into an even crust.
- Set aside while you make the chocolate cake batter.
For the Dark Chocolate Cake
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, stir together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt on low speed until combined.
- In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, water, and vanilla.
- With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a spatula.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pans (about 16 ounces in each pan), over the chocolate cookie crusts, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs on it.
- Remove the cake pans from the oven and let the layers cool in pans for 15 minutes before inverting onto cooling racks to cool completely.
For the Cheesecake Filling
- Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. Spray an 8”x8” baking pan with nonstick spray and set aside.
- In a medium sized mixing bowl, beat the sugar and cream cheese until smooth, about 2 minutes.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the milk, cornstarch, and salt.
- Add the milk mixture to the sugar mixture and stir until combined.
- Stir in the egg and egg yolk. Beat on medium speed or by hand for a couple minutes.
- Pour the mixture into your prepared baking pan.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the mixture is slightly set around the edges but still soft in the middle.
- Let the cheesecake filling cool completely before adding the chocolate chips.
- You can make this element ahead of time and store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to a week.
For the Fudge Buttercream
- In a microwave safe bowl, heat the chocolate chips in the microwave for about a minute. Stir until smooth and silky.
- In food processor, combine the butter, powdered sugar, cocoa, and salt. Mix until smooth, about 30 to 60 seconds, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl about half way through.
- Add corn syrup and vanilla and mix until just combined, about 20 to 30 seconds.
- Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and then add the melted chocolate. Pulse until the mixture is smooth and creamy, about 30 seconds.
- This frosting will get darker as it sets.
Assembly
- Place the first cake layer, top side up, in the middle of your cake board or cake plate.
- Pipe a rim of the buttercream around the edge of the cake.
- Evenly spread about 1 cup of cheesecake filling over the cake layer, getting eye level with the cake to ensure the filling is level.
- Place the second cake layer on top, pipe a rim of buttercream around the edge and spread another cup of filling over the cake layer.
- Place the final cake layer, top side down, on the second layer of filling.
- Apply a thin coat of frosting around the entire cake to lock in the crumbs. Freeze for about 10 to 15 minutes.
- After the crumb coat is set, continue frosting and decorating the cake with remaining buttercream