white chocolate, divided 22 oz.
heavy cream, divided 26 oz. (3-1/4 cups)
PHILADELPHIA Original Cream Cheese, cubed, softened 1 lb.
Red velvet cake batter 4 lb.
Chop 1 lb. chocolate finely. (Or, finely chop 8 oz. chocolate for trial recipe.) Bring 2 cups heavy cream (or 1 cup cream for trial recipe) and cream cheese to boil in medium saucepan on medium heat, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. Add chopped chocolate; whisk until completely melted. Refrigerate overnight.
Meanwhile, pour cake batter into parchment paper-lined and sprayed full-sheet pan (or into lined half-sheet pan for trial recipe); bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool overnight.
Beat remaining cream in 6-qt. mixer on high speed until soft peaks form. Spoon white chocolate ganache into separate 6-qt. mixer bowl. Beat 1 min. or until mixture holds a peak. Fold in 1/4 of the whipped cream until well blended; fold in remaining whipped cream.
Cut cake into 36 (3-inch) rounds (or into 18 [3-inch] rounds for trial recipe). Discard trimmings or reserve for another use. Place 1 cake round in each of 18 (3-inch) cake rings (or in each of 9 cake rings for trial recipe); cover each with 1-1/2 oz. ganache. Repeat layers. Refrigerate 1 to 2 hours or until ganache is firm. Shave remaining white chocolate.
Dip paring knife in warm water; run around edge of each cake. Carefully remove cakes from rings. Top each cake with 3 Tbsp. shaved chocolate. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
NOTE:
White chocolate ganache can be stored in refrigerator up to 2 days before using as directed. Cakes can be also be baked ahead of time. Cool, then wrap tightly and freeze up to 2 weeks. Thaw in refrigerator before cutting into rounds and using as directed.
Yield: 18 mini layer cakes or 36 servings, 1/2 cake each