has anyone done this using a layer of cheesecake cake in the middle baked in the same size pan? how does it hold up if you make it the day before and keep it chilled...I was thinking of a layer cake using maybe strawberry cake or chocolate with middle layer of a cheesecake? Any comments would be appreciated.

I did it a couple of times from an idea in a Paule Deen Mag, if you google Decadent Chocolate Cake paula deen, one of the 1st one that comes up is a forum post on her site from people who tried it. I basically did what she did, but put rasberry inbetween the layers.... and a little rasberry in the chocolate cake. Everyone loved it.

If you have a chance read thru her forum post, might give you some ideas...

thanks much...I will check it out.

Done this a few times and love cakes like that. Just make sure that you choose a firmer cake for top and bottom, not fluffy, otherwise it may not support the cheesecake layer. I normally make crustless cheesecake 1-2 days before assembly and freeze it at least overnight. The cake portion I make a night before and refrigerate. I set my cheesecake for about 10 minutes before assembly, then unmold and assemble. Freezing cheesecake beforehand prevents it from breaking. Once assembled, I let it sit for another 30 minutes or so before icing. If I put the icing too quickly, the icing sets up (due to cold cake and cheesecake) and it's almost impossible to smooth it. I do not seem to do any major decorating to those cakes, icing sets up much quicker than I normally work. I'm sure that one day I'll get it figured out, but for now these definitely taste better than they look. I usually let finished cakes sit in the fridge for at least 2 hours before serving to make sure that the cheesecake defrosted all the way.
Hope this helps, P