Recipe: Copycat Celebration Cheesecake

Recipe courtesy of Taste of Home

Both of my children are born on the same day 5 years apart, so I like to make an elaborate dessert to celebrate the occasion. This 7 layered beauty really fits the bill. The baking and preparation is easy, but do set aside some time for the assembly. Everyone will be AMAZED when they see the final product.If you have extra time, freeze for half hour before adding cheesecake to top of pudding layer. —Kristyne Mcdougle, Lorain, Ohio

Time Callout: Prep: 1 hour + freezing Bake: 30 min. + cooling
Yield: 16 servings.
Serving Description: 1 piece

Ingredients:

• 4 cups cold 2% milk, divided
• 3 packages (3.4 ounces each) instant white chocolate pudding mix
• 1 package white cake mix (regular size)
• 1-1/3 cups rainbow sprinkles, divided
• 1 package (1 ounce) freeze-dried strawberries
• 3 to 12 drops blue food coloring
• 1/4 cup baking cocoa
• 2 cartons (24.3 ounces each) Philadelphia ready-to-serve cheesecake filling
• 2 cans (16 ounces each) cream cheese frosting
• 2 tablespoons rainbow sequin sprinkles

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°. In each of 3 small bowls, whisk 1-1/3 cups milk and 1 package pudding mix for 2 minutes. Refrigerate, covered, while baking cake layers.

2. Line bottoms of 2 greased 9-in. round baking pans with parchment; grease paper. Prepare cake mix batter according to package directions, folding 2/3 cup sprinkles into batter. Transfer to prepared pans. Bake and cool as package directs.

3. Using a long serrated knife, trim tops of cake layers to level; crumble trimmings. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake at 350° until crisp but not browned, about 5 minutes. Cool completely on pan on wire rack.

4. Line two 9-in. springform pans with plastic wrap, letting ends extend over sides. Place strawberries in a food processor; process until ground. Stir ground strawberries into 1 bowl of pudding. To another bowl of pudding, whisk in blue food coloring. To third bowl, whisk in cocoa; refrigerate chocolate pudding.

5. Place 1 cake layer in 1 prepared springform pan; spread with strawberry pudding. Place remaining cake layer in remaining prepared springform pan; spread with blue pudding. Freeze both pans at least 1 hour. Top each with 1 carton cheesecake filling. Freeze at least 1 hour.

6. Remove strawberry-layered pan from freezer; spread chocolate pudding over top. Return to freezer 3 hours longer. Meanwhile, stir remaining 2/3 cup sprinkles into cooled cake crumbs.

7. Remove rims from springform pans; discard plastic wrap. Place strawberry-layered cake on a serving plate; top with blue-layered cake. Frost top and sides with cream cheese frosting. Gently press crumb mixture into frosting on sides of cake; sprinkle with sequins. Freeze until ready to serve. Remove 10 minutes before cutting.

1 piece: 871 calories, 43g fat (19g saturated fat), 120mg cholesterol, 929mg sodium, 114g carbohydrate (90g sugars, 1g fiber), 9g protein.

Recipe Specific Tips:

For testing purposes only, we used Hershey’s White Chocolate Instant Pudding Mix