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Note: the cheesecake and the cake layers need to be frozen for several hours so start those early!
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For the cheesecake layer:
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Preheat oven to 325 F. Put a large roasting pan on the lower 2/3 of the oven and preheat the pan too!
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Prepare a 9-inch springform pan by wrapping the outside of the pan with a double layer of aluminum foil. Spray the inside of the pan with nonstick baking spray and line the bottom of the pan with a circle of parchment paper. Meanwhile, boil a kettle of water to use later.
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In a large bowl beat cream cheese with granulated sugar for 2-3 minutes until creamy. Add in salt and eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in sour cream, heavy cream and vanilla. Pour into the prepared 9-inch springform pan. Place pan in the center of the preheated roasting pan in the oven. Pour boiling water slowly into the roasting pan, until there is about an inch of water coming up the sides of the springform pan.
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Bake cheesecake for 45 minutes. Then turn oven off and let cheesecake sit in oven for an additional 30 minutes. Remove cheesecake from the oven and cool completely on the counter.
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When cooled, transfer the entire springform pan into the freezer for several hours or overnight. I put it in freezer for about 2 hours.
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For the cake layers:
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Preheat oven to 350 F. Prepare two 9-inch round cake pans by spraying them generously with baking spray. Line the bottom of each pan with a circle of parchment paper. Set aside.
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In a large bowl using a mixer, beat pumpkin, sugars, applesauce and eggs until fully blended. Add in flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and seasonings and mix until combined. Pour batter into prepared pans.
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Bake cakes for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick poked into the center of the cakes comes out clean. Remove cakes from the oven. Cool in pans for 15 minutes. Flip cakes out of the pans onto a wire rack and cool completely. When cooled. Wrap each layer in plastic wrap and freeze for two hours, or overnight.
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For the frosting:
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In a large bowl beat butter and cream cheese for 3 minutes until smooth and creamy. Beat in vanilla, powdered sugar and heavy cream.
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To assemble cake, lay one frozen layer of pumpkin cake on a cake plate. Top with frozen cheesecake and the second layer of pumpkin cake. Frost sides and top with a thin layer of frosting to apply a crumb coat. Refrigerate 30 minutes to an hour. Remove the chilled cake from the refrigerator and frost the cake again, decorating using a tip if deisred. Sprinkle walnuts on top of cake and drizzle with caramel sauce (I used Hershey's caramel ice cream topping).
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Keep the cake covered in the refrigerator until ready to eat. Remove it from the fridge and allow to sit about 15 minutes before slicing. ENJOY!
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Cheesecake layer recipe from RecipeGirl.
