Let the Good Times Roll!

Chocolate Cheesecake Truffle Cake

Ingredients

Cake
• 1 cup butter - melted
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1/2 cup cocoa
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 cups all purpose flour
Topping
• 1 cup Bahlsen Waffeletten – crushed
• 1 cup chocolate chips
Cheesecake
• 3 8 oz. packages cream cheese – softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 cup chocolate chips
Cream Cheese Truffles
• 4 oz. cream cheese
• 2 oz. unsweetened chocolate - broken into squares
• 1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/2 package Waffeletten cookies – crushed
Chocolate Frosting
• 1 1/3 cup cocoa
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 1 cup butter
• pinch of salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 8 cups confectioners sugar

Instructions

1. Cake Instructions
2. Add the cocoa and boiling water to a mixing bowl. Stir until combined. Add sugar and butter, mix in until the sugar starts to dissolve.
3. Add the eggs, vanilla and sour cream. Blend in.
4. Add the salt, baking soda, flour. Blend until thoroughly mixed. Cake batter will be runny.
5. Grease and flour 2 8 inch cake pans cookie sheet. Pour cake batter into pan. Set timer for 10 minutes. Then carefully sprinkle the cake topping between both cakes over the tops.
6. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. Cool.
7. Cheesecake Instructions
8. Combine sugar and cream cheese in a mixer bowl fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat until sugar is thoroughly incorporated. Add the vanilla and almond extract. Add the eggs one at a time and mix until thoroughly combined.
9. Using one of the same pans you baked the cakes in, trace a circle around the pan on parchment paper. Place inside of pan, pressing the edges up so it fits tightly to the bottom. Pour batter in pan.
10. Bake at 325 degrees for 30 – 35 minutes. Cheesecake will puff slightly in the center when done. When the cheesecake isdone run a sharp knife around the edge of the cheesecake in the pan to loosen it from the sides. (this will help to prevent the cheesecake from cracking) Leave the cheesecake in the oven with the door cracked to cool.
11. Truffle Instructions
12. Soften cream cheese. Melt the broken chocolate pieces for up to 1 minute in the microwave. Let cool.
13. Add the cream cheese, powdered sugar, almond extract and chocolate to your mixer bowl. Beat until thoroughly mixed together. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or until you can easily roll into balls.
14. Crush the Waffeletten cookies on a piece of waxed paper.
15. Roll the cream cheese into balls a little bigger than sweet cherries and then roll into the crushed cookies. Refrigerate, covered until ready to use.
16. Frosting Instructions
17. Heat whipping cream to a boil. Add cocoa to your mixing bowl and pour whipped cream over it. Stir well to blend. Let the mixture cool.
18. Add butter a tablespoon at a time. Add vanilla and salt.
19. Add confectioners sugar and whip until the desired consistency. (about 5 minutes)
20. To assemble Cake
21. Place one of the cakes on the cake plate with the cookies up. Spread a layer of frosting over the top.
22. Add the cheesecake layer on top of the frosting.
23. Add the remaining cake layer.
24. Spread a thin layer of frosting around the outside of the cake to crumb coat it. Refrigerate cake for 30 minutes.
25. Spread frosting on the cake sides. I did not frost the top because the Waffeletten cookies were so pretty, I went with that look.
26. Pipe an edge around the bottom using a star tip.
27. Pipe stars around the top edge and place a truffle on each one.
28. Refrigerate cake until ready to serve, but I would take it out at least 45 minutes before serving.