Seven Layer Bar Cheesecake

This cheesecake is yet another example of what happens when I let my mind wander in class. In my opinion, the cheesecake tasted just like a seven layer bar should and all the flavors worked very well together. However, I think I got a little over excited when I started using the cream of coconut and the sweetened condensed milk because I basically used the whole can and it just wouldn’t bake through. So as a result, the outside of the cheesecake was perfectly baked but the center was a bit too mushy. I need to learn to stick to the measurements!

Seven Layer Bar Cheesecake

Adapted from Hershey’s

Crust

• 1 cup walnuts
• 2 packages graham crackers, crushed (1/2 reserved for cheesecake)
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 cup sweetened, flaked coconut

Filling

• 3 packages (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup butterscotch chips, melted
• 1/2 (3/4 oz.) package butterscotch instant pudding
• 1 cup milk chocolate chips, melted
• 1/2 (3.4 oz.) package chocolate instant pudding
• 1/2 cup cream of coconut
• 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
• 1 1/2 cups sweetened, flaked coconut

1. Preheat oven to 350°F
2. Pulse graham crackers and walnuts in a food processor until they resemble fine crumbs. Add in melted butter, sugar, and coconut and pulse until the crust just holds together. Bake 10 minutes. Cool on wire rack
3. Beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl until smooth. Add eggs, sour cream, flour, vanilla and salt; beat until smooth. Stir together 1/4 of the batter with melted butterscotch chips and the butterscotch pudding mix in medium bowl; pour into prepared crust. Top with 1/2 cup coconut and graham cracker crumbs
4. In another medium bowl, stir together another 1/4 of the batter with melted chocolate chips and chocolate pudding mix; pour over butterscotch layer. Top with 1/2 cup coconut and graham cracker crumbs
5. Stir together 1/2 the remaining batter with cream of coconut; stir until smooth. Pour over chocolate layer. Top with 1/2 cup coconut and graham cracker crumbs
6. Stir together the last bit of the cheesecake batter with the sweetened condensed milk and pour over the the coconut layer
7. Bake 55 to 60 minutes or until center of cheesecake is almost set. Remove from oven to wire rack. With knife, immediately loosen cake from side of pan. Cool to room temperature. Refrigerate until cold, about 3 hours. Cover; refrigerate leftover cheesecake

The baked crust. I thought I had walnuts on hand but I didn’t so I didn’t use them in my crust but I encourage you to if you want all 7 layers of the magic bars!

The butterscotch layer. The melted butterscotch chips made it very thick and difficult to spread without ruining the crust so I just kind of let it settle in the middle like that

The chocolate layer. Much easier to spread

The in-between layer of coconut and graham cracker crumbs

The coconut layer

Finally the sweetened condensed milk layer

Fresh out of the oven! I was really impressed it didn’t crack at all. I’ve also learned my lesson as a result of wayyy too many oven fires to bake cheesecake on baking sheets just in case they spill over

Post-baked

Obviously my photography is nothing compared to her’s, but my good friend Kaleigh, who is an amazing photographer, made this cheesecake and let me upload one of her photos. Make sure you check out her flickr!