Cheesecake Layer

1. Preheat oven to 300°F (148°C). Line the entire inside of a 9-inch (23cm) cake pan with aluminum foil. Press it into the pan to get it as flat as you can. You’ll use the aluminum foil to lift the cheesecake out of the pan when it’s baked and cooled.
2. In a large mixer bowl, mix the cream cheese, sugar and flour until well combined (Use low speed to keep less air from getting into the batter, which can cause cracks). Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
3. Add the sour cream and extracts, mixing on low speed until well combined.
4. Add the eggs one at a time, beating slowly and scraping the sides of the bowl after each addition.
5. Gently fold in the sprinkles and pour the batter into the prepared cake pan.
6. Place the cake pan inside another larger pan. Fill the outside pan with enough warm water to go about halfway up the sides of the smaller pan.
7. Bake the cheesecake for about 1 hour. The center should be set, but still jiggly.
8. Turn off the oven and leave the door closed for 25 minutes. The cheesecake will continue to cook, but slowly begin to cool as well.
9. Crack the door of the oven for 30 minutes to allow the cheesecake to continue to cool slowly. This process helps prevent cracking.
10. Remove the cheesecake from the oven and water bath wrapping and refrigerate until firm, 5-6 hours or overnight.

Cake Layer:

1. Prepare a 9-inch cake pan with baking spray around the sides and parchment paper in the bottom and preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C).
2. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium sized bowl and set aside.
3. Add the egg whites to a large mixer bowl and set aside. Set aside the egg yolks for later use.
4. Add the butter, sugar, oil and vanilla extract to a large mixer bowl and cream together until light in color and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Do not skimp on the creaming time. You should be able to see a visible change in the color and texture of the mixture when it’s ready.
5. Add the egg yolks one at a time, mixing until combined after each. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to be sure all ingredients are well incorporated.
6. Add about a third of the dry ingredients to the batter and mix until mostly combined.
7. Add half of the milk and mix until well combined. The batter might look a little curdled, but that’s ok.
8.  Add another third of the dry ingredients and mix until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to be sure all ingredients are well incorporated.
9. Add the other half of the milk and mix until well combined.
10. Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to be sure all ingredients are well incorporated. Do not over mix the batter. Set aside.
11. Grab the egg whites and whip on high speed with the whisk attachment until soft peaks form.
12. Gently fold about half of the whipped egg whites into the cake batter and gently fold together until mostly combined.
13. Add the remaining egg whites and sprinkles and gently fold together until well combined.
14. Pour the cake batter into the prepared cake pan and spread evenly. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
15. Remove cake from oven and let cool for 2-3 minutes, then remove to cooling rack to finish cooling.

Funfetti Mousse:

1. In a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over the water and let stand for about 5 minutes.
2. Place the white chocolate chips in a medium bowl. Microwave 3/4 cup of heavy cream until it begins to boil.
3. Add the gelatin to the heavy whipping cream and stir until dissolved. Be careful – the cream will bubble up when the gelatin is added.
4. Pour cream over the white chocolate chips and let sit for about a minute.
5. Whisk until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Heat for a few more seconds, it needed to fully melt. Set aside, cooling for about 5-8 minutes until it’s closer to room temperature.
6. Add the remaining 1 ½ cups of heavy whipping cream and extracts to large mixer bowl and whip on high speed until stiff peaks form.
7. Gently fold about a third of the whipped cream into the white chocolate mixture.
8. Add remaining whipped cream and sprinkles to the white chocolate mixture and gently fold until well combined.
9. Now you’ll need to start building the cake by adding the mousse to the top of the cake layer. You have two options. One is to use a cake collar. The other is to use the same 9 inch cake pan you used for baking the cake. If using a cake pan, line it with two pieces of clear wrap going in opposite directions. You use the clear wrap to help lift everything out of the cake pan later. Next, place an 8 inch cardboard cake circle in the bottom of the cake pan. You don’t have to use the cake circle, but it does make everything more stable when you lift it out of the cake pan so that your cake and mousse layers don’t slip around. Next, place the cake layer in the cake pan. Finally, build a mock cake collar using parchment paper. You stick the parchment paper into the cake pan and use the sides of the pan and the cake layer to keep it held in place. You can refer to the image in the post to see what the set up looks like.
10. Once your cake layer is in place along with the cake collar, add your mousse and spread into an even layer. Refrigerate until firm, 4-6 hours or overnight.

To put the cake together:

1. Make the whipped cream frosting. Add all the ingredients to a large mixer bowl and whip on high speed until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
2. Remove the cheesecake from the springform pan and place it on a serving plate or cardboard cake circle.
3. Spread about ½ a cup or so of whipped cream frosting on top of the cheesecake.
4. Grab the cake and mousse layers and carefully lift them out of the cake pan. Peel off the clear wrap and remove the cardboard cake circle from under the cake layer. Gently place it on top of the cheesecake layer.
5. Frost the outside of the cake with the remaining whipped cream, then pipe shells around the top outer edge of the cake. Finish it off with additional sprinkles.
6. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Cake is best when stored well covered and eaten with 3-4 days.