Devil’s Food Cake with Ricotta Cheesecake and Vanilla Bean Buttercream
This was a totally decadent dessert!
A three layer cake, with a layer of cheesecake in the middle, has got to be one of the most calorie dense desserts that I’ve made so far here. If Cheesecake Factory doesn’t already have something like this, they should! (But I know they have some crazy decadent cheesecakes already!)
The ricotta cheesecake was new to me. I was a little nervous of the light lemon flavor pairing with the dark chocolate cake, but it worked out very well. I was tempted to make a strawberry cake, but I was glad that I stuck to my plan. I think that the color just looks stunning!
Speaking of stunning, this cake frosting looks amazing and it’s so easy to do. I put my frosting into a large piping bag and cut off the tip. I didn’t add a tip, I just cut a hole in the end of the bag that was about 1 inch round. Then, I made three dots of frosting and smushed and dragged it with the back of a spoon. Then I added three more dots where the dragged frosting was and then repeated the process all the way around.
It takes a bit longer to do, but this petal technique is just so stunning.
I’ve done it with ombre designed cakes and it looks amazing! I’ve seen it done with rainbow effects and it is stunning! I think it’s a great frosting finish that both men and ladies enjoy.
I hope that you can just dig into this cake.
If you don’t want to do the cheesecake center, this cake recipe makes a full three layer cake. I just baked two of them and used the remainder for cupcakes.
My Mom has been in town this past week and she got to enjoy a slice (or two) of this. She enjoys my desserts when I remove all the calories from them.
I’d do almost anything for my Mom.
Find the Ricotta Cheesecake Recipe HERE.
Find the Vanilla Bean Buttercream Frosting HERE.
Chocolate Cake and Cheesecake
Two layers of Devil’s Food Cake surrounding a Ricotta Cheesecake and then covered with Vanilla Bean Buttercream!
Ingredients
- 4 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped
- 1/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa
- 1 1/4 cup boiling water
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup cake flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 sticks butter
- 1 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- For the Ricotta Cheesecake
- For the Vanilla Bean Buttercream
Instructions
For the Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease three 8-inch round cake pans and add parchment to the bottom of each pan.
- Combine the chopped chocolate, cocoa, and boiling water and whisk until smooth.
- Combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl and set aside.
- Beat the butter on a medium-high speed until creamy and then add in the brown sugar. Beat on high for three minutes until light and fluffy.
- Reduce the speed to medium and add in one egg at a time. Finally add in the sour cream and vanilla and beat until no more white remains.
- Reduce the mixer to low and add in 1/3 of the flour mixture followed by 1/2 of the chocolate mixture. Repeat the additions ending with flour. Do not overbeat the cake batter.
- Divide the cake into the three prepared cake pans and bake for 20 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean.
- Let the cakes cool in their pans for 20 minutes before removing them and cooling them on a cooling rack.
To Decorate the Cake
- Allow the Vanilla Bean Buttercream to come to room temperature. You may want to re-whip it to get it fluffy again.
- Place one chocolate cake on a cake platter and add a thin layer of frosting. Place the cheesecake upside down on the cake. If you baked a 9-inch cheesecake (like I did), trim off the edges of the cheesecake so that it’s flush with the chocolate cake. Add a thin layer of frosting. Top with a second layer of chocolate cake and add a thin crumb coat to the cake.
- Place the cake into the fridge for an hour.
- Put the remaining frosting into a piping bag and cut off the tip so that there is a 1 inch hole.
- Remove the cake from the fridge and pipe three vertical dots on the side of the cake. Using the back of a spoon or offset spatula, press the center of the dot and pull the frosting to the right. This will be the back of the cake. Add another column of dots over the pulled frosting and repeat the process all the way around the cake. You won’t be able to pull your last row of dots at the back of the cake.
- To decorate the top of the cake, start at the same spot for the “back” and go around one row at a time. Work your way to the center.
- Refrigerate your cake until you are ready to serve it.
Notes
Devil’s Food Cake Recipe from Baking Illustrated
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Images, text and all other content Copyrighted©Karyn Granrud, Susanne Queck and Wunderlander Verlag LLC, or ©Pro Stock Media via Canva.com. Unlicensed republishing permitted. As an Amazon affiliate, we earn on qualified purchases.
