STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE TORTE

Strawberry Cheesecake Torte image

The best cake you will ever taste in your life. It's heaven in cake form :-)

Provided by Linn Campbell

Number Of Ingredients 11

Ingredients

1 pkg 16oz pound cake mix (plus ingredients to make the cake)
1/2 c water
1 pkg 3oz strawberry jello
1/4 c strawberry jam, seedless
1 lemon
1 pkg 8oz cream cheese, softened
1/3 c cold milk
1 pkg 12oz cool whip, thawed
1 pkg 3.4oz cheesecake instant pudding and pie filling
1 kiwi, peeled, sliced and halved
1 c strawberris, hulled and sliced

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 400. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. (I have a Pampered Chef Stoneware Bar Pan I use) Prepare cake mmix according to package directions; pour onto cookie sheet and spread evely. Bake 15-18 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Lift cake onto a cooling rack and cool completely.
2. In a small microwave safe bowl microwave water on high 1-2 minutes or until boiling. Add jello and stir until dissolved. Add jam and whisk until smooth.
3. Turn cake over and remove the parchment paper. Prick the cake all over with a fork (like you would a potatoe to bake it). Brush cake evenly with all but 2tbsp of jello mixture. Trim 1/4 inch around the edge of the cake (this isn't used for anything so I normally snack on it)Now cut cake crosswise into 3 equal pieces.
4. Zest the lemon and set zest aside. Juice the lemon to measure 2tbsps of juice. In a mixing bowl combine softened cream cheese and lemon juice. Whisk until smooth. Add milk and whisk again.
5. Spoon cool whip over cream cheese mixture but DO NOT MIX. Sprinkle with the pudding mix first then mix well. Mixture will be very thick.
6. Place one cake piece on desired serving plate, dry side down,then spread cream cheese mixture over moist side. (I use a cake decorator for this part) Repeat with two remaining cake pieces making to border look nice.
7. Slice kiwi; cut slices in half and arrange on top of cake. Place strawberries and reserved jello mixture in a small bowl and mix gently. (If jello mixture has set you can microwave it 5-10 seconds or until softened) Spoon strawberries over cake top and sprinkle with reserved lemon zest.
8. I know it sounds like a lot of work but the end result is more then worth it.