🍫 Moist Chocolate Cake with a Cheesecake Center (Sweetened with Maple Sugar!)
Albert Wood
🍫 Moist Chocolate Cake with a Cheesecake Center (Sweetened with Maple Sugar!)
Al Wood
8
24 hours
963
American
Dessert
Ingredients
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- ¾ cup white sugar & ¾ cup Wood’s Vermont Maple Sugar or 1 ½ cups Wood's Vermont Maple Sugar (See Note)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ⅔ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (See Note)
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs separated
- 1 ½ cups cold water
- ½ cup shortening
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 (12-ounce) jar hot caramel topping, divided (See Note)
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- 3 (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 (16 ounces) sour cream
- 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
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- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 (8 ounce) cream cheese, softened
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder
- 1 tablespoon hot water
- ¾ cup special dark unsweetened cocoa
- 5 cups powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons buttermilk
Directions
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- THE DAY BEFORE YOU WANT TO SERVE THIS CAKE:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F° (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two nine-inch round pans.
- In a small bowl, beat the egg whites till stiff peaks form. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, stir together the sugar, flour, cocoa, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. Add the egg yolks, water, shortening, and vanilla, mix for 2 minutes on medium speed of mixer. The batter will be thin. Fold in the egg whites. Pour evenly into the prepared 9-inch pans or fluted tube pan.
- Bake 30 to 35 minutes in the preheated oven, until the cake tests done with a toothpick. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Wrap in plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator.
- IMPORTANT: 2 HOURS BEFORE PUTTING THE CAKE TOGETHER, PLACE IT IN THE FREEZER. This makes for a sturdier cake while decorating.
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- Wrap the outside of a 9-inch springform pan with foil, place in a deep baking pan, and set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whip the cream cheese until fluffy, add the sugar, and combine.
- Add the eggs, sour cream, and vanilla; continue mixing until all lumps are gone and the mixture is smooth.
- Pour cream cheese mixture into prepared pan.
- Place in the oven; pour hot water into the outer pan, about 2 inches up the sides.
- Bake 1½ hours, cool on a wire rack, cover, and refrigerate overnight. NOTE: The cheesecake will get tall during the baking; once the cake cools, it will deflate to the correct size.
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- In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and cream cheese.
- In a small bowl, stir together the espresso powder and water, pour into the cream cheese mixture, and whip until combined.
- Add the cocoa and powdered sugar (only 1 cup at a time) to the creamed mixture, along with the buttermilk.
- Continue whipping the frosting 3 to 5 minutes.
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- If needed, trim the top off the cake (this will create a flat surface).
- Place one of the layers onto the cake stand.
- Pour ⅓ cup of the hot caramel sauce (DO NOT HEAT) on the top of the cake, evenly spread.
- Release the sides of the cheesecake and place it on top of the layer of cake.
- If your cheesecake is a little larger than your cake (mine was), place the cheesecake on top of the cake, then use a knife to trim the cheesecake to an equal size.
- Pour an additional ⅓ cup of the hot caramel sauce onto the cheesecake and spread evenly.
- Add the remaining cake layer on top of the cheesecake.
- Spread a generous amount of frosting on the sides of the cake and a thin layer on top.
- Add optional topping of the remaining hot caramel and chocolate sprinkles to the top of the cake on top of the frosting.
- Add more chocolate sprinkles