July 30th: Cheesecake Day.
Otherwise known as the day on which my daily obsession becomes a justified necessity. Oh cheesecake, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways…
If you’ve been following Wallflour Girl for any time, you’ll know that I have been writing and philosophizing and waxing poeticabout a bunch of abstract topicslately. So if you’re looking for really elegant expostulations on the state of the human race and our speckle of presence in the wide universe, you’ll want to read those posts I’ve cited.
There is nothing abstract about this post.
It is 100% pure chocolatey creamy cheesecake frosted tangible goodness, thank you very much.
When I found out about the #cheesecakeday round-up these wonderful bloggers were doing on Facebook, I was thrilled, hungry, busy–and extremely nervous. It was Thursday, and I had exactly 6 days to develop, make, photograph, edit, and write aboutthe perfect recipe. Six days. What’s a girl to do with six measly cheesecakey days, I ask you?
I hope you realize that question was a rhetorical one.
Make a damn good seven-layer fusion cheesecake…that’swhat. This may be my favorite cheesecake, ever. Period.
This cheesecake was born of an innocuous Friday night conversation over two plates of free Jewish diner cake. My friend and I had just watchedBoyhood in theaters,so by the time we sat through 180 minutes of angst-laden adolescent and walked outat 10:30 PM, of course we had a big bad case of the HANGRAYS.
Luckily, our movie tickets got us free dessert with the purchase of a meal, so we ordered up a storm from the menu and promptly terrorized the bakery manager by raiding the huge desserts display outside the restaurant. This place has everything–red velvet cake, blackout cake, decker cake–but most of all, it hadGerman chocolate cake,at which point I was all like “OH YEAH I LOVE THAT STUFF IT’S TOTALLY MY JAM Y’KNOW.”
Okay, soI had never tried German chocolate cake in my life. But it’s just one of those things you can’t imagine hating, ever, even if it kidnapped your pet turtle and gave you a massive wedgie. German chocolate cake is like a baby panda.
You don’t hate on something as epic and universally acclaimed as cake and baby pandas. You just don’t.
As we chatted, my friend asked me if I had ever heard of a chantilly cake: he described it as a classic Hawaiian dessert that resembled German chocolate cake, with a custardy frosting and fluffy chocolate base but without the coconut. And of course, this sweet conversation got us talking about what I was planning to make for Cheesecake Day, which is how this epic layer cheesecake cake was born.
This is a creamy seven-layer cake with
four layers of insanely fluffy moist chocolate chiffon cake,
three layers of perfectly creamy, smooth New York style cheesecake,
a generous coating of cool, not-too-sweet chocolate whipped cream frosting,
a custardy smooth chantilly frosting, and
nicely toasted crunchy sweet coconut.
This is, hands down, the best cheesecake layer cake I have ever made, and possibly in my top 5 desserts ever!
Sink your fork into absolute cheesecake indulgence today–or tomorrow, or the day after, or for all time eternal–and find out why we’re all SO excited to be celebrating Cheesecake Day over here today. Trust me, you NEED this recipe in your book!
Hawaiian Chantilly Layer Cheesecake Cake for #cheesecakeday
This creamy twist on a Hawaiian classic cake beats out any cheesecake I've ever tried! With a perfectly textured cheesecake sandwiched between layers of fluffy rich chocolate cake, tempered by a cool whipped chocolate cream & chantilly frosting, this cake only gets moister with time. Don't be daunted by the multiple steps--it only took me 4 hours from start to finish. An instant Wallflour Favorite!
Ingredients
New York Style Cheesecake Layer
- 3 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons white sugar
- 1/2 cup + tablespoon milk or soy milk
- 3 eggs, room temperature
- 3/4 cup 0% Greek yogurt (I used plain Chobani; may also sub higher-fat yogurt or sour cream)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Chocolate Chiffon Cake
- Adapted from Taste of Home
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 tablespoons instant coffee granules (optional)
- 3/4 cup boiling water
- 1 cup + 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1 3/4 cup white sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 7 eggs, separated, room temperature
- 1/2 cup oil
- 2 teaspoons vanhilla extract
Chantilly Frosting
- Original recipe from Guava Rose
- 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 3/4 cup evaporated milk
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 egg, room temperature
- 1 egg yolk, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Whipped Chocolate Frosting:
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon white sugar
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup sweetened coconut flakes
Instructions
For the cheesecake:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Fill a 9x13-inch baking pan with boiling water and place it on the bottom rack of your oven.
- Lightly grease an 8-inch springform pan and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together cream cheese and sugar until very light and fluffy, with no lumps remaining.
- Stir in milk.
- Add eggs one at a time, stirring in until just incorporated. Do not overbeat.
- Stir in yogurt, vanilla, and flour until mixture is just combined and smooth.
- Pour batter into prepared 8-inch pan and place it on the top rack, above the water bath. Bake in preheated oven for 55 minutes, then turn off oven. Do not open the oven door at this point. Allow cheesecake to sit inside oven for another hour before removing and transferring to refrigerator; the gradual cooling will prevent your cheesecake from cracking. (If your cheesecake does crack, there's nothing to worry about: it'll be stuffed inside scrumptious layers anyway!)
- Allow to chill completely (at least 3 hours) before slicing into 3 separate, even layers.
For the chocolate cake:
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly grease an 8-inch springform pan and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, stir cocoa powder and coffee granules into hot water until dissolved. Set aside and allow to cool completely.
- Using a colander, sift flour and cornstarch together into a large bowl. Mix in sugar, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together egg yolks, oil, and vanilla. Gently fold this mixture, along with the cooled cocoa mixture, into the dry ingredients until smooth.
- In another grease-free bowl, beat egg whites with a hand mixer until they form stiff peaks, about 3-4 minutes. You should be able to tip over the bowl without the meringue sliding out. Fold egg whites into batter.
- Pour 1/4 cake batter into prepared pan. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Allow cake to cool before removing to a cooling rack, then refill with another 1/4 batter and repeat until you have four prepared cake layers. (Alternatively, you may bake all your batter at once and then slice the resulting cake into four layers, but make sure you adjust baking time accordingly!)
- Wrap cooled cakes in cling wrap and place in freezer until ready to use.
For chantilly frosting:
- Combine all ingredients except cornstarch in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat.
- Allow mixture to come to come to a slow boil, then continue stirring occasionally and boil mixture for another 2 minutes before removing from heat.
- Quickly whisk in cornstarch, taking care to continue whisking until mixture is completely smooth. If lumps appear, strain your mixture through a sieve.
- Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before using.
For whipped chocolate frosting:
- Place all ingredients in a food processor. Blend for about 15 seconds, until frosting stiffens and becomes just spreadable.
For assembly:
- Spread coconut flakes on a baking sheet and bake in a preheated oven (at 250 degrees) for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until flakes become golden. Remove from oven and allow to cool as you assemble your cake.
- Remove all cake and cheesecake layers from refrigerator/freezer. You should have 4 chocolate cake layers and 3 cheesecake layers. (If you do not, use a serrated knife at this time to slice your cakes into the appropriate number of layers.)
- Place one chocolate cake layer onto a large serving plate. Carefully top with a cheesecake layer, then continue layering until you have seven alternating layers.
- Frost entire cake with whipped chocolate frosting using an offset spatula. If desired, frost a circle around the top of the cake to hold in the chantilly frosting, which may leak slightly.
- Gently spread chantilly frosting on top of frosted cake.
- Top with toasted coconut flakes.
- Store cake in fridge or slice immediately for instant creamy gratification! Happy cheesecake day!
Need your cheesecake kick on Cheesecake Day? Check out these awesome features from other #cheesecakeday bloggers!
Baked Cheesecakes:
- Blackberry Goat Cheese Cheesecake from Baking a Moment
- Blueberry Ricotta Cream Cheesecake from Hungry Couple
- Caramel Macchiato Cheesecake from Wishes and Dishes
- Chocolate Cheesecake w/ Whisky Toffee Shards from girlichef
- Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Cheesecake from Savvy Eats
- Coconut Cheesecake with Macadamia Crust from All Day I Dream About Food
- Hawaiian Chantilly Layer Cheesecake from Wallflour Girl
- Hawaiian Mini Cheesecakes from Pint Sized Baker
- Key Lime Pie Cheesecake from Love and Confections
- Lemon Cheesecake from Shugary Sweets
- Lemon Ginger Panna Cotta Cheesecake with Blueberry Sauce from Girl Versus Dough
- Lightened Up Apricot-Swirl Cheesecake from Take A Bite Out of Boca
- Lilikoi Cheesecake with Macadamia Nut Shortbread Crust from Dieter’s Downfall
- Mango Cheesecake (vegan) from Jessiker Bakes
- Mini cheesecakes with a toasted coconut crust (gluten free) from Quarter Life (Crisis) Cuisine
- Mini Mascarpone Cheesecakes with Strawberry Balsamic Topping from Boulder Locavore
- Mom’s Cheesecake from Magnolia Days
- New York Style Cheesecake from URBAN BAKES
- Oreo Cheesecake (vegan) from Namely Marly
- Oreo Ripple Cheesecake from Overtime Cook
- Peanut Butter Cheesecake with Nutella Ganache Topping from The Redhead Baker
- Pear cheesecake with gingersnap crust from Roxana’s Home Baking
- Pumpkin Cheesecake from Lady Behind The Curtain
- Rainbow Cheesecake from In Katrina’s Kitchen
- Raspberry Cheesecake with Oreo Crust from Hip Foodie Mom
- Ricotta Cheesecake from French Press
- Salted Caramel Apple Cheesecake from Jane’s Adventures in Dinner
- S’mores Cheesecake from The Gunny Sack
- Snickers Cheesecake from Life, Love and Sugar
- Sugar Cookie Cheesecake from Munchkin Munchies
- Vanilla Bean Cheesecake from Wine & Glue
- Very Berry Cheesecake with Chocolate Oreo Crust from JavaCupcake
- White Chocolate Cheesecake with Macadamia Nuts and Caramel from Taste and Tell
- White Chocolate Frangelico Cheesecake from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
- White Chocolate Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake from Will Cook For Smiles
No Bake Cheesecakes:
- Butter Pecan Caramel No-Bake Mini Cheesecakes from Simply Southern Baking
- Cherry and Pistachio No Bake Cheesecake with Animal Cracker Crust from Cravings of a Lunatic
- Mini No Bake Lime Cheesecakes from Miss in the Kitchen
- Neapolitan No Bake Cheesecake from Grandbaby Cakes
- No-Bake Berry Cheesecake from Food Lust People Love
- No Bake Blackberry Cheesecake from You Made That?
- No Bake Dulce de Leche Cheesecake with Caramelized Peaches from The Food Charlatan
- No-Bake Limoncello Cheesecake from Cake duch*ess
- No Bake Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake from White Lights on Wednesday
- No-Bake Peanut Butter Cheesecake from Crunchy Creamy Sweet
- No Bake Peanut Butter Cheesecake from Dinners, Dishes, and Desserts
Cheesecake Beverages:
- Black Raspberry Cheesecake Milkshake from Blahnik Baker
- Caramel Cheesecake Martini from Happy Food, Healthy Life
Cheesecake Cookies and Bars:
- Caramel Overload Cheesecake Bars from Crumbs and Chaos
- Cherry Cheesecake Brownies from Inside BruCrew Life
- Chocolate Brownie Cheesecake Cookies from Lemons for Lulu
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake Bars from Chez CateyLou
- Healthier Peanut Butter Cheesecake Brownie Bars from Texanerin Baking
- Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Bars from Cooking In Stilettos
- No Bake Coconut Lime Cheesecake Bars from Beyond Frosting
- No Bake Cookies and Cream Cheesecake Bars from Garnish with Lemon
- Strawberry Chocolate Ganache Cheesecake Bars from A Kitchen Addiction
Cheesecake Desserts and Treats:
- Banana Foster No Bake Cheesecake Shooters from Mind Over Batter
- Chocolate Nutella Cheesecake Cake from gotta get baked
- Key Lime Trifles from Hoosier Homemade
- Strawberry Cheesecake Pots from Barbara Bakes
- Triple Brigadeiro Cheesecake Tart from From Brazil To You
Frozen Cheesecakes and Treats:
- Blackberry Cheesecake Popsicles from The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen
- Chocolate Caramel Cheesecake Ice Cream from Chocolate Moosey
- Frozen PB&C Cheesecake from Noshing With The Nolands
- Frozen Peanut Butter Cheesecake with Nutter Butter Crust from Crazy for Crust
Hawaiian Chantilly Layer Cheesecake Cake for #cheesecakeday
This creamy twist on a Hawaiian classic cake beats out any cheesecake I've ever tried! With a perfectly textured cheesecake sandwiched between layers of fluffy rich chocolate cake, tempered by a cool whipped chocolate cream & chantilly frosting, this cake only gets moister with time. Don't be daunted by the multiple steps--it only took me 4 hours from start to finish. An instant Wallflour Favorite!
Ingredients
New York Style Cheesecake Layer
- 3 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons white sugar
- 1/2 cup + tablespoon milk or soy milk
- 3 eggs, room temperature
- 3/4 cup 0% Greek yogurt (I used plain Chobani; may also sub higher-fat yogurt or sour cream)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Chocolate Chiffon Cake
- Adapted from Taste of Home
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 tablespoons instant coffee granules (optional)
- 3/4 cup boiling water
- 1 cup + 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1 3/4 cup white sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 7 eggs, separated, room temperature
- 1/2 cup oil
- 2 teaspoons vanhilla extract
Chantilly Frosting
- Original recipe from Guava Rose
- 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 3/4 cup evaporated milk
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 egg, room temperature
- 1 egg yolk, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Whipped Chocolate Frosting:
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon white sugar
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup sweetened coconut flakes
Instructions
For the cheesecake:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Fill a 9x13-inch baking pan with boiling water and place it on the bottom rack of your oven.
- Lightly grease an 8-inch springform pan and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together cream cheese and sugar until very light and fluffy, with no lumps remaining.
- Stir in milk.
- Add eggs one at a time, stirring in until just incorporated. Do not overbeat.
- Stir in yogurt, vanilla, and flour until mixture is just combined and smooth.
- Pour batter into prepared 8-inch pan and place it on the top rack, above the water bath. Bake in preheated oven for 55 minutes, then turn off oven. Do not open the oven door at this point. Allow cheesecake to sit inside oven for another hour before removing and transferring to refrigerator; the gradual cooling will prevent your cheesecake from cracking. (If your cheesecake does crack, there's nothing to worry about: it'll be stuffed inside scrumptious layers anyway!)
- Allow to chill completely (at least 3 hours) before slicing into 3 separate, even layers.
For the chocolate cake:
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly grease an 8-inch springform pan and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, stir cocoa powder and coffee granules into hot water until dissolved. Set aside and allow to cool completely.
- Using a colander, sift flour and cornstarch together into a large bowl. Mix in sugar, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together egg yolks, oil, and vanilla. Gently fold this mixture, along with the cooled cocoa mixture, into the dry ingredients until smooth.
- In another grease-free bowl, beat egg whites with a hand mixer until they form stiff peaks, about 3-4 minutes. You should be able to tip over the bowl without the meringue sliding out. Fold egg whites into batter.
- Pour 1/4 cake batter into prepared pan. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Allow cake to cool before removing to a cooling rack, then refill with another 1/4 batter and repeat until you have four prepared cake layers. (Alternatively, you may bake all your batter at once and then slice the resulting cake into four layers, but make sure you adjust baking time accordingly!)
- Wrap cooled cakes in cling wrap and place in freezer until ready to use.
For chantilly frosting:
- Combine all ingredients except cornstarch in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat.
- Allow mixture to come to come to a slow boil, then continue stirring occasionally and boil mixture for another 2 minutes before removing from heat.
- Quickly whisk in cornstarch, taking care to continue whisking until mixture is completely smooth. If lumps appear, strain your mixture through a sieve.
- Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before using.
For whipped chocolate frosting:
- Place all ingredients in a food processor. Blend for about 15 seconds, until frosting stiffens and becomes just spreadable.
For assembly:
- Spread coconut flakes on a baking sheet and bake in a preheated oven (at 250 degrees) for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until flakes become golden. Remove from oven and allow to cool as you assemble your cake.
- Remove all cake and cheesecake layers from refrigerator/freezer. You should have 4 chocolate cake layers and 3 cheesecake layers. (If you do not, use a serrated knife at this time to slice your cakes into the appropriate number of layers.)
- Place one chocolate cake layer onto a large serving plate. Carefully top with a cheesecake layer, then continue layering until you have seven alternating layers.
- Frost entire cake with whipped chocolate frosting using an offset spatula. If desired, frost a circle around the top of the cake to hold in the chantilly frosting, which may leak slightly.
- Gently spread chantilly frosting on top of frosted cake.
- Top with toasted coconut flakes.
- Store cake in fridge or slice immediately for instant creamy gratification! Happy cheesecake day!