The Best Red Velvet Cheesecake Recipe You Will Ever Make.
There are few desserts that feel as special as this one. It’s a rich, creamy, velvety cake with a sweet cream cheese frosting that melts in your mouth.
What is Red Velvet Cheesecake
Red Velvet cake is a type of chocolate cake with a white cream cheese frosting. The cake is light, fluffy, and moist. It’s often made with red food dye (hence the name red velvet), but other versions may use cocoa powder in place of some or all of the flour to achieve a deeper brown color. The cake was invented by Walter Hiers Sr., who owned a hotel in Georgia during the late 1800s. He created this sweet treat for his wife as an alternative to traditional German chocolate cakes because she didn’t like coconut and nuts in her desserts! Sadly, I’m not sure if he ever knew how famous his creation would become!
Today, Red Velvet Cheesecake is popular in bakeries across America! It’s still considered an elegant dessert that many people save for special occasions like birthdays or anniversaries.
Ingredients
- 1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons all, purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease bottom only of 9 inch springform pan; set aside. In a large bowl mix together cream cheese, sugar, flour and baking powder until smooth; add egg yolks one at a time mixing well after each addition. Add lemon juice, vanilla extract and sour cream; beat until light and fluffy. Pour into prepared pan; bake 60 minutes or until center is almost set when gently shaken.* Cool completely on wire rack.* Cover loosely with foil wrap if frosting will be used immediately as it will keep cheesecake moist while you prepare the frosting.* Chill in refrigerator 6 hours before serving garnished with berries if desired.
Directions
To begin, prepare the crust:
- Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C).
- In a food processor or blender, grind cookies until fine crumbs form; transfer to a bowl and stir in sugar and melted butter until fully combined into a dough, like consistency. Press mixture into bottom of prepared pan and bake for 7–9 minutes, or until edges are lightly golden browned.
- Let cool completely before filling recipe with cheesecake batter as directed below.
Cooking Notes
- This recipe will take a long time to bake.
- Baking at a low temperature (325°F) is key for making sure the cake doesn’t crack.
- Bake until the cake is firm and edges are slightly browned, about 1 hour and 15 minutes; then turn off the oven and let it cool in there for an additional hour.
- Cooling is important, but only if you want to add decorative topping like I did! Once your cheesecake has been in the oven for one hour, remove it from the baking pan and set on a wire rack to cool while still in its baking pan. Then take out of the pan using two large spoons or spatulas and place onto another cooling rack set over a sheet pan lined with parchment paper (so when you apply your topping you don’t have to worry about getting messy). Let cool completely before applying any toppings—at least two hours if possible so they really stick well! You could also chill overnight or freeze briefly if needed so that these decorations stay put well enough not fall off during slicing later on, just make sure whatever container/container lid type thingy goes back into freezer after decorating.
Add ins and Variations
- For a little extra decadence, you can add in chocolate chips to the batter before baking.
- You can make this cheesecake even more indulgent by adding peanut butter to the filling, too! If you’re feeling really indulgent, try making an extra thick layer of peanut butter on top.
- The filling is also delicious if you add a layer of cherry jam before topping with ganache and chocolate chips. This recipe would be perfect for company or as a gift—it will brighten anyone’s day! Try this out at your next party!
- The blackberry cheesecake is my favorite—it has just enough tartness to balance out all that sweetness from the chocolate (and peanut butter). I love it when blackberries are in season so I can use fresh ones instead of frozen ones.
The cake tastes just as good as it looks.
This cake is delicious! It tastes just as good as it looks. The cake is easy to make and will please guests at a party or family get, together. If you are looking for an impressive dessert for a special occasion, this recipe is perfect!
The best thing about this recipe is that it’s so easy to make and can be made in just a few minutes. The hardest part of this whole process is waiting for the cake to chill before you eat it!
