Layered Chocolate Cake Cheesecake

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A whole crustless New York cheesecake sandwiched between two thin, dark chocolate cake layers and sealed in fudge frosting — the kind of $38 dessert-cart slice that looks impossible until you realize it's just two simple bakes stacked. The cheesecake is baked in a water bath and frozen solid so it lifts and stacks like a cake layer, and the cake layers are deliberately thin so every forkful gets equal parts tang and chocolate.

Ingredients

• 24 oz full-fat cream cheese (3 bricks), room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 cup sour cream, room temperature
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 large egg yolk

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp kosher salt
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 1/3 cup neutral oil
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup hot brewed coffee

• 6 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 3/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup heavy cream, plus more as needed

• 2 oz semisweet chocolate, for shaving into curls
• flaky sea salt (optional)

Instructions

1. DAY 1 — CHEESECAKE. Heat the oven to 325°F with a rack in the lower third. Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment, grease the sides lightly, then wrap the outside of the pan in two full sheets of heavy-duty foil, pressing tightly up the sides so no water can seep in. Skip any crust — a crustless cheesecake is what lets this stack like a cake layer.
2. Beat the room-temperature cream cheese in a stand mixer with the paddle on medium-low for 2 minutes, scraping down twice, until completely smooth with no lumps. Add the sugar, cornstarch, and salt and beat 1 more minute on low.
3. Mix in the sour cream and vanilla, then add the eggs and yolk one at a time on the lowest speed, scraping the bowl after each. Stop as soon as the last egg disappears — beating air into the batter is what causes cracks and a domed top.
4. Pour the batter into the springform and rap the pan firmly on the counter 5 or 6 times to release bubbles. Set the pan in a large roasting pan, slide it into the oven, and pour boiling water into the roasting pan until it comes 1 inch up the sides.
5. Bake 55 to 70 minutes, until the outer 2 inches are set and the center 3-inch circle still wobbles as one unit when nudged (an instant-read thermometer in the center should read 150°F). Turn the oven off, crack the door with a wooden spoon, and let it sit 1 hour.
6. Remove from the water bath, discard the foil, and cool on a rack to room temperature, about 2 hours. Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap and freeze at least 6 hours or overnight. It must be frozen solid to stack cleanly.
7. DAY 1 OR 2 — CAKE LAYERS. Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans, line each bottom with parchment, and grease again. Whisk the flour, cocoa, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl.
8. Whisk the eggs, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla in a second bowl. Pour the wet into the dry and whisk just until combined, then whisk in the hot coffee. The batter will be thin and pourable — that is correct.
9. Divide the batter evenly between the pans (about 1 3/4 cups each) and bake 18 to 22 minutes, until a toothpick in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool in the pans 10 minutes, then turn out onto racks, peel the parchment, and cool completely. These layers are meant to be thin, about 3/4 inch.
10. FROSTING. Melt the 6 oz chopped chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl in 20-second bursts, stirring between, then let it cool to barely warm, about 10 minutes. Beat the butter on medium-high for 3 minutes until pale and fluffy.
11. Add the powdered sugar, cocoa, and salt on low speed, then the vanilla and cooled melted chocolate. Stream in the heavy cream and beat on medium-high 2 minutes until glossy and spreadable; add cream 1 tablespoon at a time if it looks stiff. You want the texture of soft peanut butter.
12. ASSEMBLE. If the cake layers domed, shave them flat with a serrated knife. Place one layer on a cake board or serving plate and spread a thin 1/4-inch layer of frosting over it.
13. Run a thin knife around the frozen cheesecake, release the springform ring, slide an offset spatula under the parchment to free the base, and peel the parchment away. Center the frozen cheesecake on the frosted cake layer, spread another thin layer of frosting over its top, and set the second cake layer on top, cut side down. Press gently to level.
14. Crumb coat: spread a thin, see-through layer of frosting over the top and sides, sealing the seams between layers. Refrigerate 30 minutes until firm to the touch.
15. Spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides in a thick, even coat, smoothing the sides with a bench scraper or offset spatula held vertically against the cake. Press chocolate curls around the base or over the top and finish with flaky salt.
16. Refrigerate at least 4 hours (or overnight) so the cheesecake layer thaws all the way through to a creamy set. Slice with a long thin knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry between every cut, and let slices sit 15 minutes at room temperature before serving.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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