Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Strawberry French Vanilla Cheesecake Cake

                                           Photo by KPC Photography

A dear friend of my sister and I was having a birthday get-together with friends and had an odd request for a birthday cake. And me, who LOVES to make odd recipes up was ready for the challenge. She wanted cheesecake, strawberries and cream filling, and cake, all wrapped into one birthday dessert. This is what my mind created...

Ingredients:
1 French vanilla cake mix (plus the ingredients to make the cake mix)
Strawberry preserves (10 oz. jar)
2 (8 oz.) blocks cream cheese, room temperature
3/4 c. sugar
1 egg

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Follow the cake mix directions. Right before you put it in the oven, melt 5 oz. strawberry preserves in the microwave. Let cool slightly and drizzle on top of each cake round. Bake according to the directions. Take out and let cool on wire rack.

In a mixer, combine the cream cheese, 3/4 c. sugar and the egg on medium speed until well combined. Depending on your mixer, you may have to scrape down the edges because you want the filling as smooth as possible. Spray a 9 inch springform pan with non stick spray, and pour the cheesecake mixture into the pan. Melt the rest of the preserves in the microwave and drizzle on top of the cheesecake. Place tinfoil underneath in case of any spills. Bake in the oven (still at 350 degrees) for 50-55 minutes. Let cool fully.

Filling:
1 1/2 c. diced strawberries
1/2 (3 oz.) pkg. French vanilla pudding mix
8 oz. lite cool whip

Mix the pudding mix with the cool whip, then fold in the strawberries.

To assemble:
Spread the filling mixture on top of the cheesecake in an even layer. Add 1 of the cake rounds on top of the filling. I frosted the cake with another container of cool whip mixed with some pink food coloring, and added sprinkles :-) (You will only need 1 of the 2 cake rounds for this recipe, although you could add the second one with another layer of filling on top.)

                                         Photo by KPC Photography

No comments: