Peppermint Cheesecake Cake

As I FINALLY sit down to write this post I'm thinking, I should make another cake. I really like this cake. It's really good. But I shouldn't, because then I'd eat it. I mean I would share with the people around here but still. I'd be eating this goodness. It's so good. There are two tender vanilla cake layers, a layer of  peppermint cheesecake studded with Hershey's Candy Cane Kisses in this cake, then it's covered with Peppermint Cream Cheese Frosting. Oh my.

Hello, Sweetie.

I think this may be the cake we make for Christmas this year. Maybe New Year when Sherlock is on. Anyone else watch Sherlock BBC?

Give Peas A Chance Peppermint Cheesecake Cake

2 layers of vanilla cake links to recipes below
1 layer of Peppermint Candycane  Cheesecake- recipe below
Peppermint Cream Cheese Frosting
Hershey's Candy Cane Kisses for decoration

Peppermint Candy Cane Cheesecake

3 packages of cream cheese- 8 ounces each, softened
4 eggs
1/4 - 1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 cup sour cream, or plain thick Greek Yogurt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
2/3- 1 cup chopped Hershey's Candy Cane Kisses
1 tablespoon flour

Bake your favorite vanilla cake, add 1/2 teaspoon of peppermint extract to the recipe. Bake two cake layers and let them cool. Wrap well and place in the freezer while you bake the cheesecake. It's best to line the bottoms of the pans with parchment, this is the easiest way to cut parchment to fit HERE.

For the cheesecake-
Prepare the same pan you used to bake the cakes by lining it with foil or parchment. Spray with cooking spray.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Whip/beat the cream cheese until light and fluffy in a mixer. Beat in the eggs until incorporated. Add the sugar, butter, sour cream, and extracts to the cream cheese mixture. Beat well.
Toss the candies in the flour and fold them into the cream cheese mixture.
Pour batter into the prepared cake pan.
Bake the cheesecake for 20-25 minutes- depending on the size of your pan. An 8 inch pan will take longer to cook. It will wiggle in the middle, that's okay, it will set up once cooled.
Let the cheesecake cool completely.

To assemble the cake-
Once cooled loosen the foil around the cheesecake, especially the sides carefully.
Place the cheesecake layer in between the two cake layers. 

At this point you can wrap the cake well and place in the freezer until you are ready to frost the cake.
Add a thin layer of frosting to the cake, it doesn't have to be pretty. It just prepares the surface of the cake and holds in the crumbs. Place this in the freezer for about 20 minutes.
Frost the cake with the remaining icing.
Decorate the cake with chopped Hershey's Candy Cane Kisses.

* I use Philadelphia cream cheese, full fat for the cheesecake.
* I use less sugar for the cheesecake, but I don't like things too sweet.

*Use your favorite vanilla cake, make sure it has butter, lots of butter if possible :) Or in a pinch use the Doctored Box method below.

Doctored Box Cake

1 box of cake mix
Add one extra egg
Substitute milk for the water
Substitute butter for the oil, an 1 and 1/2 the amount
Mix and bake as directed.