Recipes..Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake Cake

Ingredients

Chocolate Cake
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup Hershey�s Special Dark Cocoa powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk

1 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup boiling water

Pumpkin Cheesecake
3 8-ounce packages of cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
3 tbsp flour
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 cup canned pumpkin
4 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Pumpkin Icing
3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup shortening
6 cups powdered sugar
1/4 + 1/8 cup pumpkin puree
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
Hot fudge sauce, if desired (the one I used)

Chocolate Ganache
4 oz chocolate chips
1/3 cup heavy cream
Instructions

To make the chocolate cakes:
1. Prepare two 9 inch cake pans with parchment paper circles in the bottom, and grease the sides.
2. Add all dry ingredients to a large bowl and whisk together.
3. Add eggs, buttermilk and vegetable oil to the dry ingredients and mix well.
4. Add vanilla to boiling water and add to mixture. Mix well.
5. Pour into cakes pans and bake at 300 degrees for about 38-40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few crumbs.
6. Remove cakes from oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes, then remove to cooling racks to cool completely.

To make the pumpkin cheesecake:
1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line the entire inside of a 9 inch cake pan with aluminum foil. Press it into the pan to get it as flat as you can. You�ll use the aluminum foil to lift the cheesecake out of the pan when it�s baked and cooled.
2. In a large bowl, blend the cream cheese, sugar, flour and pumpkin pie spice with an electric mixer (Use low speed to keep less air from getting into the batter, which can cause cracks).
3. Add the pumpkin, eggs and vanilla extract. Beat until well combined.
4. Pour the filling into the pan. Drop onto the counter a few times to release any air bubbles.
5. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Turn off heat and leave in oven with door closed for 15 minutes. Crack door and allow to cool another 15 minutes
6. Remove from oven and chill until completely cool.

To make the pumpkin icing:
1. Beat together butter and shortening until smooth.
2. Slowly add 4 cups of powdered sugar and mix until smooth.
3. Add pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice and mix until smooth.
4. Add remaining 2 cups of powdered sugar and mix until smooth.

To assemble the cake:
1. First make the chocolate ganache. Place chocolate chips in a metal bowl.
2. Microwave the heavy cream until it starts to boil. Remove from microwave and pour over chocolate chips.
3. Cover bowl with saran wrap for 5-7 minutes.
4. Whisk chocolate and cream until smooth.
5. Remove domes from the tops of the two chocolate cakes.
6. Place first chocolate cake layer on a cake plate or stand. Spread half of chocolate ganache onto cake.
7. Remove the cheesecake from the pan and carefully peel off the aluminum foil. Place cheesecake on the first chocolate cake layer. It may be a bit bigger than your cake, depending on your cake pans. Use a large serrated knife to trim edges, if desired.
8. Spread remaining chocolate ganache on top of cheesecake.
9. Place second layer of chocolate cake on top of cheesecake.
10. Ice cake with pumpkin icing.
11. Drizzle edges of cake with hot fudge and add sprinkles, if desired.

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