Cheesecake Stuffed Dark Chocolate Cake

As if my week hasn't been busy enough, I decided to make good on a promise to a co-worker last night by baking this fabulous four-layer cake from Southern Living's 2007 Christmas Book. In all honesty, sometimes cooking is therapeutic for me and my Addie girl loves cooking with me, so it was well worth the time spent. I had a great time decorating it and was so pleased with the final product. Unfortunately, I forgot to snap a picture of it before I had Colin deliver it this morning, so I've attached the photo from the front of the book. Here's the recipe if any of you want to give it a whirl...don't even think about counting the calories! :)

Cheesecake-Stuffed Dark Chocolate Cake
From Christmas with Southern Living, Editor's Favorite
Though it isn’t ready in 30 minutes, there’s a lot that is express about this grand cake. It’s even better once you’ve chilled it.
Prep: 26 min.
Cook: 32 min.
Other: 1 hr., 10 min

Ingredients:
Unsweetened cocoa
1 (18.25-oz.) package devil’s food cake mix
1 (3.4-oz.) package chocolate instant pudding mix
3 large eggs
1 1⁄4 cups milk
1 cup canola oil
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
1 1⁄2 tsp. chocolate extract (optional--I couldn't find this at the grocery store, so left it out)
1 tsp. almond extract
3 (1.55-oz.) milk chocolate bars, chopped (we tested with Hershey’s)
3 (16-oz.) cans homestyle cream cheese frosting
3 (7.75-oz.) boxes frozen cheesecake bites, coarsely chopped (Sara Lee)
1 (12-oz.) jar dulce de leche caramel sauce (we tested with Smucker’s)
Double chocolate rolled wafer cookies, coarsely broken (we tested with Pirouline)
Chocolate fudge rolled wafer cookies, coarsely broken (we tested with Pepperidge Farm)

Preparation:
Grease 2 (9") round cakepans, and dust with cocoa. Beat cake mix and next 7 ingredients at low speed with an electric mixer 1 minute; then beat at medium speed 2 minutes. Fold in chopped milk chocolate bars. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake at 350° for 32 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Cool cake in pans on wire racks 10 minutes; remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks. Wrap and chill cake layers at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours. (This step enables you to split cake layers with ease.) Using a serrated knife, slice cake layers in half horizontally to make 4 layers. Place 1 layer, cut side up, on a cake plate. Spread with 1⁄2 cup cream cheese frosting; sprinkle with one-fourth of chopped cheesecake bites. Repeat procedure with remaining 3 layers and cheesecake bites, omitting cheesecake bites on top of last layer. Frost sides and top of cake with remaining frosting. Drizzle desired amount of caramel sauce over cake, letting it drip down sides. Chill until ready to serve. Decorate cake with rolled wafer cookies and remaining chopped cheesecake bites. Store in refrigerator. Yield: 12 servings.