Neapolitan Cheesecake Cake
Remember the cake from my first fondant adventure? I promised I’d provide details about the inside, so here we are. And, I have the winner of the giveaway. But first, let’s talk cake.
I came up with the idea for this cake a couple months ago. After the Carrot Cake Cheesecake Cake got posted, I started thinking about other cakes that would go well with cheesecake. I brainstormed a bunch of ideas – the possibilities are endless!
Hubby and I really enjoyed this cake, although it probably wasn’t the best choice for my first fondant adventure. Since I was making the layers for my cake and Megan’s cake, I made these layers about a week early and wrapped them up and put them in the freezer. As my layers were defrosting, there was moisture on the outside of the fondant, which made things a bit sticky.
You can also see in the pictures that my cheesecake wasn’t firm enough to hold up the top layer. As the cheesecake layer came to room temperature, it kind of flattened out a bit. I think this happened because it was a bit undercooked. Lesson learned. Even with the imperfections in my execution of this cake, I highly recommend giving it a shot.
I almost forgot. I had Random.org choose a number for the fondant giveaway. Congratulations Angela Wilkinson!! Please email me to claim your prize!
One Year Ago: Caramelized Apple Grilled Cheese
Neapolitan Cheesecake Cake
Ingredients:
1 layer chocolate cake
1 raspberry cheesecake, recipe below
1 layer yellow cake
For the Raspberry Cheesecake
1 1/4 pounds bar cream cheese (20 oz), room temperature
3/4 cups sugar
1/2 tsp finely grated lemon zest, plus 1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp coarse salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup raspberries, mashed or pureed
Directions:
Bake the cake layers. Remember that one 9" round layer uses the same amount of batter as 12 cupcakes. One 6" round layer uses the same amount of batter as 6 cupcakes. Be sure to scale your recipes accordingly.
The layers can be made in advance and frozen if necessary.
Plate the chocolate layer on a cake round. Add the raspberry cheesecake layer. Top with the yellow cake. Frost with your favorite frosting. I would recommend a cream cheese frosting for this cake.
For the Raspberry Cheesecake
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Set a kettle of water to boil. Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese on medium until fluffy, scraping down side of bowl. Gradually add sugar, beating until fluffy. Beat in lemon zest and juice, and salt. Beat in eggs, one at a time, scraping down side of bowl after each addition. Beat in sour cream. Stir in pureed raspberries.
Cut parchment paper in a circle and line the bottom of the cheesecake pan. Wrap bottom half of pan in foil. Pour in filling; place in a roasting pan. Pour in boiling water to come halfway up side of springform. Bake until just set in center, about 45 minutes. Remove pan from water; let cool 20 minutes. Run a paring knife around edge; let cool completely. Cover; chill overnight, then wrap in plastic wrap and freeze.
Raspberry Cheesecake recipe adapted from Martha Stewart
I am Jen the Beantown Baker. Engineer by day and baking maven by night. Hubby serves as my #1 fan and official taste tester. We got hitched back in 2006. Barefoot. In the sand. With the waves crashing behind us. It was one of the best decisions we’ve ever made. 
I love freezing dough but somehow most ends up in my tummy unbaked when I do that 🙂
What a great gift! I’m thinking that would be wonderful for all sorts of occasions. Thanks for the idea!
These are adorable and I love that idea! Two questions, though: 1) Were these as good as the cookies from the other recipes? and 2) When you freeze them, do you bake right from frozen?
Great questions Carly – As far as comparing them to the other cookies. I enjoyed the chocolate M&M cookies the best, but they were REALLY chocolatey. The other non-chocolate M&M cookies were a bit more chewy and they had nuts in them, so they had a different vibe. This recipe was more of a classic M&M cookie for sure.
As far as baking from frozen, you can def just go straight from freezer to oven. Bake them ~13 minutes instead of ~11 and take them out when they look done.
these were delicious!
they look so cute all frozen up 🙂
I love the pink and red M&Ms. Thanks for the idea of freezing the cookie dough.
I was going to ask you the same thing as Carly, well the first question. These cookies are cute. Your freezing method reminded me that I have a bunch of sugar cookies still in the freezer! Do you know how long cookies can stay in the freezer?
I don’t know how long they will last in the freezer. I have a tendency to forget about things in my freezer… I’d guess a couple months? Anyone have ideas?
What festive little cookies 🙂 I love them! I also like the fact that you froze them. I bet they were delicious. Make sure to enter the All Through the Year Cheer event for Valentine’s Day 🙂
I think that sounds like a great way to spend valentine’s day. It can be intimidating the way it’s so hyped up. The cookies look very festive, love ’em!
We don’t do “valentine’s day” either since my MIL was born on the 14th and daughter’s birthday is the 15th – besides, its more important to say you love someone everyday, not just one day out of the year. Love the idea about freezing the cookie dough in preshaped form and giving that away. Wonderful idea!
I am looking for cookies that travel well for my soldier adopted through Soldier’s Angels and these look like a winner!!
Mmm, these were so tasty! Happy Valentine’s Day!
These are just too cute!! I love M&M cookies too!!
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Just had to add my two cents on the idea of giving cookie dough frozen and ready to be baked – genius! For some reason, I’ve never thought of that, even though I’ve given cookies frozen to people to be defrosted when they’re ready to eat. I love the dough idea!
YUM-these look absolutely delicious! I love the pink and red M&Ms!