Boston Cream Cheesecake

Boston Cream Cheesecake

Have you tried Betty Crocker’s gluten free cake mixes yet? 

I've tried both their devil’s food and yellow cake varieties and feel that the latter leaves much to be desired.  Compared to most basic yellow cake mixes from my days prior to being gluten free, this cake mix is a bit on the heavy side with a texture almost reminiscent of cornbread.  Their gluten free devil’s food mix doesn't share these negative textural traits and gets much higher marks.

Now here’s where both varieties fail in my book.  Each mix costs approximately 2-3 times the price of a regular cake mix but they each only make a single 8-9” layer or a dozen cupcakes. 

That’s a travesty in my book.  A single layer cake isn't going to impress anyone.  Can't we have a full sized cake after paying so much more?   

Between the single cake layer situation and mediocre mix itself which I had previously tested as basic cupcakes, I tried to make a dessert that would raise this mediocre mix to epic heights of deliciousness.

And so the Boston Cream Cheesecake was born.

And it doesn't get any simpler than using a cake mix on the bottom layer then topping it with a thick rich no-bake cheesecake before crowning the whole thing with a two ingredient chocolate ganache.   

The end result was delicious indeed. 

Note to self …  I gotta do a basic yellow cake for my readers.

Boston Cream Cheesecake

Prep time: 20 min

Bake time: 40-40 min

Servings: 8-12

Ingredients

• 1 box Betty Crocker gluten free yellow cake mix (prepared with instructions on the box)
• For the mix you’ll need: 2/3 cup water, 1 stick butter, 2 tsp vanilla, 3 eggs
• (3) 8 oz blocks of cream cheese, very well softened
• 3 tbsp sugar
• (2) 3.4 oz boxes of instant French vanilla pudding
• 2 ½ cups milk
• 6 oz of mini semisweet chocolate chips
• 4 oz of heavy cream

Video Tutorial: 

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (or 175 °C) and line the bottom of a 9 inch spring form pan with parchment.
2. Prepare the cake mix according to the package instructions, pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
3. Cool the cake for 5 minutes, remove the sides of the pan and insert strips of parchment around the edges of the cake that come up about an inch higher than the pan edges then put the collar back onto the pan.
4. For the vanilla cheesecake layer, mix or beat the cream cheese and sugar together until well combined and smooth.
5. In another bowl whisk together the milk and pudding mix until well combined and smooth then add it to the bowl with the cream cheese mixture and mix or beat until you have a well combined homogenous mixture.  Use a rubber spatula periodically to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl ensuring that it is well mixed.
6. Add the cheesecake mixture on top of the yellow cake and use the back of a spoon or spatula to carefully spread it to the edges of the pan without disrupting the parchment.
7. Chill for 2 hours, remove from the pan and peel away the parchment.
8. To make the ganache, in a microwave safe bowl combine the semisweet chocolate and heavy cream then microwave in 30 second increments stirring after each session until you've got a smooth glossy ganache.
9. Let the ganache cool for a few minutes before pouring into the center of the cake then use the back of a spoon or spatula spread it to the edges of the cake.  Serve immediately or return to the fridge for two hours for a more solidified ganache layer.