Quadruple Layer Brownie Cheesecake

It’s a March tradition to make cheesecake!  It’s a birthday month in my house and you’d think that as a hobby cake decorator, I would be making fantastic cake creations for Hubs and my birthdays.  But nope.  I pull out all the stops for the kids, but Hubs honestly prefers brownies or cheesecake and I, well…I usually get leftovers of Hubs’ cake or (like this year) ice cream!

Anyway, this cake was the third version of brownie cheesecake!  The first version was the simplest (and oh so delicious for its simplicity), the second was an amazing Brownie Tuxedo Cheesecake and while astoundingly delicious, that a wonky gelatin texture that became more pronounced after the first day.

So I decided to try for brownie cheesecake number 3 with a whopping 4 layers of deliciousness: brownie, chocolate cheesecake (it blends in with the brownie layer), regular cheesecake, and ganache!  AMAZING!

Hubs and I couldn’t get enough!  Spud found it a bit rich for his tastes, but he’s not a chocoholic like the rest of the family.  This is a definite crowd pleaser and sure to make an appearance at a future March birthday!

Quadruple Layer Brownie Cheesecake

Adapted from Delish

Brownie Layer

1 box brownies (plus eggs, oil, and water to prepare)

Cheesecake Layer

2 (8 ounce) blocks cream cheese, softened

½ cup sugar

2 eggs

2 tablespoons sour cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Chocolate Cheesecake Layer

½ cup semi sweet chocolate chips, melted

Ganache Layer

1/3 cup heavy cream

¾ cups semi sweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment and spray the bottom and sides with nonstick spray.  Wrap the bottom of the pan with aluminum foil.

Mix the brownies according to package instructions.  Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 30-40 minutes or until done.

Meanwhile, place the cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat until smooth.

Add the eggs, mix on low until fully incorporated.  Stir in the sour cream and vanilla.

Melt the ½ cup of chocolate.  Mix about half of the cheesecake batter into the melted chocolate.

Once the brownies are done, remove from oven.  Spread the chocolate cheesecake mixture over the brownies, followed by the plain cheesecake.

Place the pan on a rimmed baking sheet.  Add about 1-inch of water and place in the preheated oven.  Bake for 45 minutes or until the cheesecake is mostly set (it can be slightly jiggly in the middle).

Cool the cheesecake in the oven with the door propped open for 1 hour.  Then refrigerate for at least 5 hours or overnight.

To make the ganache, heat the cream almost to boiling.  Add the chocolate chips.  Set aside for 3 minutes, then whisk to form a smooth ganache.  Pour the ganache over the cooled cheesecake.  Return to the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

Unmold the cheesecake and transfer to a cake stand.  Cut and enjoy!