A Fork and A Whisk..

A tale of two lovers, trying to find each other in a big giant kitchen. Finally meeting one another in a mixing bowl. Okay guys, I swear I haven't gone crazy. I've just been thinking a lot about how without the fork, the whisk wouldn't have done nearly as good of a job, those two.. I tell ya! I don't know why this always happens to me. I'm always down to make a cheesecake, Jason says all the time how I can make a cheesecake out of anything and with just a fork, some foil, and a rubber band, lol. Well, low and behold this is the second time in about 3 weeks that I've had to make a cheesecake with a fork. But lucky me, I had a whisk this time, SCORE!! My friends, I give you the fork and whisk love child - Triple Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake!





The cheesecake has very good flavor, not too sweet, just perfect. It was actually adapted from a Boston cream pie cheesecake recipe I found on All Recipes and my own love for cream cheese frosting. I mean, come on pumpkin and cream cheese, don't they go together like a fork and whisk? I had our bedroom door slammed open and yelled at me 'THIS IS THE BEST CHEESECAKE I'VE EVER HAD IN MY LIFE'... So I'm thinking you and yours should like it too ;)





Triple Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake

Crust:
1 box spice cake mix - I used Betty Crocker
1 stick unsalted butter, room temp
4 eggs
1 TS pure vanilla
1 1/4 C buttermilk - I used reduced fat
1 15oz can pure pumpkin, divided in half - USE HALF IN CRUST MIXTURE AND OTHER HALF IN CHEESECAKE MIXTURE
*Please see notes at bottom!

Filling:
2 8 oz packages cream cheese, room temp
3 eggs
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 can sweetened condensed milk
Remaining half of pumpkin
1 TB pure vanilla

Topping:
1 8oz package cream cheese, room temp
1 stick unsalted butter, room temp
1-3 C powdered sugar
1 TS pure vanilla

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a 10 inch spring form pan, set aside. In large mixing bowl combine all ingredients for crust, beat until mix through and well combined. Pour into pan and bake at 325 for 25 minutes. While that is cooking, combine in another large bowl the 2 packages of cream cheese and the brown sugar, beat until light and fluffy, add in the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Gently mix in sweetened condensed milk, remaining pumpkin, and vanilla. Mix until combined. Pour over crust and bake at 325 for 50-60 minutes or until center is almost set. Once you take it out of the oven, run a knife along the edges to loosen the cake. Let cool on wire rack for 1 hour. Then transfer to the fridge to chill 4 hours. I let mine chill overnight. I was tired :P To make the frosting, beat together the cream cheese and butter until smooth and creamy, add in 1 cup of powdered sugar, beat until combined. Stir in vanilla, add more powdered sugar in by the cup until you have reached your desired sweetness. Viola!!

And if your cheesecake is anything like mine, he might be feeling a little manly... If your cheesecake grows a mustache, please dispose of properly, but if it's a sweet pumpkin cake stache like this one, no worries just take that sucker and bite into the pumpkin goodness!!






Now go show that cheesecake who's the boss!!!



WE DID!



*You'll only need half of the batter mixture for your crust, I cooked the other half, cut out cute mustaches and had a good ol' time. You can do the same, cut out cute shapes, make cupcakes, whatever you want! Your choice :)

For the pumpkin, I used one 15 oz can that I divided in half, one part in the crust mixture, the other in the filling.


Happy Baking!