Contests

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 - 250 g - Philadelphia Brick Cream Cheese at room temperature (this is important)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 5 teaspoons all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 eggs
• 9 peanut butter cups, chopped – approximately one cup
• 1/2 cup Philadelphia Soft Cream Cheese regular
• 2 tablespoons butter - softened
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon egg
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 8 ounces butter
• 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate – 70% cocoa is best
• 2 cups sugar - divided
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup 35% (whipping) cream
• 1/2 cup salted peanuts - chopped
• 10 ounces semi sweet chocolate (chips or chopped bars)
• 1 cup 35% (whipping) cream
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 4 tablespoons Philadelphia Soft Cream Cheese
• 1 cup icing sugar
• 1 giant peanut butter cup
• 9 peanut butter cups - divided

Directions

1. Day One
2. Cheesecake Layer
3. Line bottom and side of 9-inch cake pan with parchment and spray with non-stick spray – very important as the cheese cake has no base/crust
4. Heat oven to 325⁰
5. Beat cream cheese in a large bowl with electric mixer until smooth (six minutes)
6. Add ½ cup sugar, 5 tsp flour and 2 tsp vanilla and continue to mix on medium until well blended
7. Add sour cream and mix well
8. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition just until blended
9. Fold in 9 chopped peanut butter cups
10. Pour into prepared pan
11. Bake 45 minutes or until centre is just set
12. Run knife or metal spatula around rim of pan to loosen cake and cool completely before removing from pan
13. Remove carefully from pan and then line pan with plastic wrap – draping three inches of excess over the sides – this requires two strips of plastic wrap
14. Return cheese cake (having removed all parchment) to the cake pan – same side up. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze
15. Cheesecake-brownie Layer
16. Line bottom of 9-inch cake pan with parchment and spray with non-stick spray
17. Heat oven to 350⁰
18. Whisk Philadelphia Soft Cream Cheese with 2 tbsp room-temperature butter. Incorporate ¼ cup sugar, 1 egg and 2 tbsp flour and set aside
19. Mix 1 ¼ cup flour and 1/2 tsp salt together and set aside
20. Melt 8 oz butter and 6 oz bittersweet chocolate in large saucepan (you will make the brownies in this pan)
21. When melted add 1 cup sugar and stir to combine
22. Mix 4 eggs in a bowl with 1 cup sugar
23. Add half of this mixture to the chocolate mixture
24. With a mixer, beat the remaining egg and sugar mixture until pale in colour and doubled in volume
25. Fold whipped eggs into chocolate until just combined
26. Add flour mixture (from step 19) and mix until combined
27. Pour into prepared pan
28. Drop cream cheese mixture (from step 18) by tablespoon, into brownie mixture and swirl with a knife to marble
29. Bake – checking at 23/25 minutes – they should be just barely set
30. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, remove and cool completely – remove parchment
31. Line same cake pan with plastic wrap – draping three inches of excess over the sides – this requires two strips of plastic wrap
32. Return brownie layer to pan – same side up - wrap in plastic wrap and then freeze
33. Day Two
34. Caramel Sauce
35. Combine 1 cup sugar with ¼ cup water in heavy bottom saucepan
36. Heat on medium/high heat - allow to come to a boil BUT DO NOT STIR
37. When a soft amber colour – do not let it get too dark – remove from heat and add 2 tbsp butter and then 1 cup whipping cream – IT MAY BUBBLE UP – be careful
38. If caramel stiffens, return to heat and stir until a sauce consistency is achieved
39. Remove cheese cake and brownie layers from freezer and open the wrapping to expose the top of each
40. Top each with up to half of the caramel sauce - do not let it pour over the sides of cakes.
41. Sprinkle each with ¼ cup of chopped peanuts
42. When caramel is thickened from the chill of the cakes, cover back up and return to freezer
43. Chocolate Ganache and Icing
44. Heat 1 cup cream to a simmer (do not boil)
45. Remove from heat and add 10 oz chocolate
46. Let sit covered for 5 minutes then whisk mixture to a glossy sauce
47. Peanut Butter Icing Garnish
48. Whip 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter, 4 tbsp Philadelphia Soft Cream Cheese, 1 cup icing sugar with a mixer on high until light and fluffy
49. Place icing in a piping bag with a desired piping tip - I used a large open star
50. Assemble the cake
51. Pick a beautiful plate for your creation and place two pieces of parchment on plate
52. Place a 9 inch cake round over parchment
53. Place brownie layer on cake round then cheesecake layer
54. Use ½ cup of chocolate ganache, pour over top of cake – taking careful not to drip over onto the side
55. Return to freezer uncovered
56. Whip the remaining chocolate ganache with mixer on high until light and stiff peaks are formed
57. cut 4 peanut butter cups in half
58. chop remaining 5 peanut butter cups and put in the freezer
59. Remove cake from freezer
60. Frost sides and top with chocolate ganache icing, smoothing top and side with long spatula
61. Place large peanut butter cup on top of cake and top with a peanut butter icing swirl
62. Pipe 8 swirls around top edge of the cake and top all swirls with half a peanut butter cup
63. gently remove parchment paper from cake and edge with chopped chilled peanut butter cups
64. refridgerate until serving - cake should served chilled