Chocolate Cheesecake Cake

Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Line eight-inch springform pan with enough foil to overhang side by two inches; coat with cooking spray. On medium speed, beat cream cheese, sugar and corn-starch until smooth. On low, beat in eggs one at a time, then vanilla until blended. Transfer to pan. Bake one hour or until almost set in center. Turn off oven; leave cake in oven with door closed, one hour. Remove from oven; run knife around edge of pan to loosen cheesecake. Cool.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Coat two (eight-inch) round cake pans with cook- ing spray. On low, beat cake mix, one cup water, eggs, pudding mix, and oil 30 seconds; on medium, beat two minutes. Divide between pans. Bake 28 to 30 minutes or until tooth- pick inserted into centers comes out clean. Cool 30 minutes. Transfer from pans to racks; cool.

On medium, beat butter until fluffy, two minutes. On low, gradually beat in confectioners’ sugar, then milk and vanilla until blended. On medium, beat until light and fluffy, two minutes. Transfer 1/3 cup frosting to pastry bag fitted with round tip (such as Wilton #10). Transfer 1/2 cup frosting to separate bowl; tint pink with food coloring. Transfer 1/4 cup frosting to separate bowl; tint green with food coloring. Transfer green frosting to pastry bag fitted with coupler and small round tip (such Wilton #3) and pink frosting to pastry bag fitted with round tip (such as Wilton #10).

Place one chocolate cake layer on serving plate; spread top with 1/2 cup un-tinted frosting. Place cheesecake on top and, if necessary, trim side to make even with cake layer. Spread 1/2 cup un-tinted frosting over cheesecake. Top with remaining cake layer. Spread top and side of cake with remaining un-tinted frosting.

Using green frosting, pipe vines over cake.

Using pink frosting, pipe on hearts, as shown. Switch tip on bag of green frosting to leaf tip (such as Wilton #69); pipe on leaves. Using bag of un-tinted frosting, pipe border along bottom of cake.