Triple Chocolate Cheesecake with Chocolate Malt Frosting

O.k., first off, if you love chocolate and you are on a diet, I am so very, very sorry.  Because you will have to cheat and make and eat this cake. I made this for my husband's 40th birthday party, and it was pure chocoalte, creamy, decadent heaven.  This cake starts with a cake mix which I love using, because you can really spruce up the flavor of cake mixes so easily!  And added in are layers of chocolate malt frosting, which is dangerously addictive.  And don't worry if your not a huge malt fan, you can't really taste the malt flavoring all that strongly, it just makes the frosting so yummy that you can't stop eating it!  And sandwiched in there is a creamy cheesecake from the famous Junior's Cheesecake cookbook.  I actually got this cake idea from that book, it was called Devils Food Cake Cheesecake.  However after reading lukewarm reviews on the cake portion of the cake, I decided to start with my trusty favorite cake mix, add in their cheesecake, and spread on my favorite chocolate frosting of all time.  This cake defininately requires some advance planning, you will need to start very early in the day or the day before, but it's worth it!! 

These pictures are courtesy of my awesome friend Beckie!!

Triple Chocolate Cheesecake with Chocolate Malt Frosting 

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Cake:

1 Betty Crocker Triple Chocolate Fudge Cake Mix

1 cup Buttermilk

1/4 cup Heavy Whipping Cream

1/3 cup Vegetable Oil

3 Eggs

Heat oven to 350.  Generously spray three 9 inch cake pans with cooking spray, getting the sides sprayed well too.  Place parchment paper on the bottoms of all 3 pans.  Beat all ingredients together in a large bowl for on low for 30 seconds. Increase speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes.  Divide cake mix evenly between the 3 pans.  Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean.  Cool in pans for 15 minutes, then invert onto cooling racks. Gently peel off parchment paper.  Let sit until completely cooled, about 2 hours.  Wrap cakes in plastic wrap and refrigerate (or freeze if starting a day or more ahead) until ready to use. 

Cheesecake,  recipe from Junior's Cheesecake Cookbook: 50 To-Die-For Recipes for New York-Style Cheesecake:

3 (8-ounce) packages Cream Cheese, (use only full fat), at room temperature

1 1/3 cups Sugar

3 Tablespoons Cornstarch

1 tablespoon Vanilla 

2 Extra-Large eggs

2/3 cup Heavy Whipping Cream

Heat oven to 350.  Generously butter the bottom and sides of one 9-inch springform pan (preferably a nonstick one).  Line the bottom of your pan with parchment paper, but do not let the paper come up the sides.  You will be baking your cheesecake in a water bath. You can follow my tip from the white chocolate pumpkin praline cheesecake  post where you use an oven bag, or do the following: Wrap the outside with aluminum foil, covering the bottom and extending all the way up the sides.  To make the cheesecake layer, put one package of the cream cheese, 1/3 cup of the sugar, and the  cornstarch in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer on low until creamy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the bowl a couple of times. Blend in the remaining cream cheese, one package at a time, scraping down the bowl after each. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat in the remaining 1 cup sugar, then the vanilla. Blend in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after adding each. Beat in the cream just until it's completely blended. Be careful not to overmix!

Gently spoon the batter into the foil-wrapped springform and place it in a large roasting pan containing hot water that comes about 1-1/2  inches up the sides of the springform.  Bake the cake at 350 degrees F until the edges are light golden brown and the top is slightly golden tan, about 1 - 1 1/4 hours.  Note: the Juniors cookbook says to cook your cheesecake 1 1/4 hours, but this was too long for my cheesecake. Mine was done at 1 hour so I suggest checking at 1 hour.  Remove the cake from the water bath, transfer to a wire rack, and cool in the pan for 2 hours, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate (while still in the pan) until it's completely cold, about 4 hours. Place in the freezer until ready to assemble the cake.

Creamy Chocolate Malt Frosting (from the whopper's malt cake): Note: this makes a lot of frosting, if you have any leftover it freezes super well and you can use it on brownies, another cake, cookies, pretzels, or anything that would taste good with chocolate!!

1 1/2 cups butter, softened
2 teaspoons Vanilla
1 cup unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 cup Mallted Milk Powder
32 oz.. Powdered Sugar

In large mixing bowl, beat butter and vanilla. In separate bowl, stir together malt powder and cocoa. Add to butter, beat on medium speed. Add whipping cream and beat on low til mixed in well. Add powdered sugar, mix well to combine.

Chocolate Curls for Garnish:
Jessica actually came to my husband's party a little early and made chocolate curls for me!! I had actually never made them before but she made it easy!!  Just take 1 dark chocolate bar (like hershey's special dark chocolate, get the large one).  Hold it upright and take a vegetable peeler, and start peeling from the corner of the bar.  Continue til you have the desired amount of chocolate.

To assemble the cake:

To assemble the cake, remove the cheesecake from the freezer and let stand at room temperature about 10 minutes. Place one layer of chcolate cake, top side down, on a cake plate and spread with some of the frosting. Release and remove the ring of the springform, then remove the frozen cheesecake from the bottom of the pan. Tip: if you are having a hard time getting your cheesecake off the bottom of the pan, simply place your cheesecke (while still on the bottom of the springform) over a burner on your stove turned up to low-medium for about 30-40 seconds.  It should release very well after that, I use a large metal spatula to help get it off.   Place top side down on the frosted cake layer, and remove parchment paper.  Spread with some frosting. Top with the second cake layer, top side down. Spread with more frosting and cover with the third cake  layer, top side up. Brush away any crumbs from the sides and top of the cake layers. Frost the sides and top of the cake with the remaining frosting, spreading the top with frosting about 1/2 inch deep. Place dark chocolate curls on the top and sides of cake. Let the cake sit on the counter for a while or refrigerate for about 2 hours to allow the cheesecake to thaw enough to easily slice. Use a sharp straight-edge knife, not a serrated one, to cut it. Cover any leftover cake with plastic wrap and refrigerate, or wrap and freeze for up to 1 month.