Red Velvet + Cheesecake = Wow!
Last night was another installment of our Supper Club Dinner parties. It was our friend’s turn to host. Since one of the member couples was celebrating their wedding anniversary and several of us have taken cruises together…the host couple settled on the dinner theme of “The Love Boat.” When the “love” theme was brought up, I immediately asked to bring the dessert (recipes for both the red velvet cake, cheesecake and frosting found at the bottom of the page).
My husband and sons have always been big fans of red velvet cake as well as cheesecake. About 10 years ago I was hosting some family members for the holidays. I wanted to create a festive dessert that would wow them. That’s when I came up with the idea of combining 2 cakes that I had made many, many times into one decadent masterpiece. It was the perfect touch of red for the holiday season. Now I understand that this combination is a featured dessert at a famous cheesecake factory, which I’ve not been to for many years.
Nothing represents love better than a red dessert filled with decadence like white chocolate, cream cheese and silky icing. So why not occasionally go over the top and put together a memorable slice of heaven.
First slice of heaven.
Of course my contribution to the meal was only part of the deliciousness. The menu for the evening began with signature cocktails, followed by baked brie appetizers. The main course feature beef tenderloin, french potato casserole, bacon-maple brussel sprouts and a fresh caprese salad. All kinds of traditional, romantic foods on one plate.
My husband and I are proud to say that the supper club we began 33 years ago as newlyweds, in a new town has continued all these years. While we have moved, couples have come and gone, we continue to enjoy celebrating friendship and good food with our friends on a regular basis. Bon Appetit!
One of several specialty cocktails our host served.
Creamy baked brie topped with walnuts, cranberries and chutney.
A lovely, romantic plate filled with deliciousness.
There are 2 recipes below…the first is for the cheesecake and the second if for the red velvet cake. I find it easiest to make the cheese cake the night before you plan to serve it. It will chill in the fridge over night. The day you plan to serve, make the red velvet cake and frosting. There are no special assembly instructions except for the case of removing the cheese cake from the spring form pan. Since the cheesecake is COLD from being in the refrigerator overnight, you can take the ring off and then carefully warm a kitchen towel by running it under hot water. Place the pan on top of the hot but not wet towel. That’ll help the graham cracker crust heat up and loosen (since it has butter in the crust). Then you simply invert it over one layer of the red velvet cake and it should release. I used a small amount of frosting between all the layers, but reserved the most frosting for the sides and top of the cake. I shaved a large bar of good quality white chocolate to decorate the top.
Stacked Red Velvet CHEESECAKE with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 package graham crackers, crushed
- 24 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees
- Combine melted butter and crushed graham crackers in bowl, mix well.
- Press crumb mixture into bottom of 9-10 inch spring form pan.
- Bake until crust is set. Approximately 10 minutes.
- Remove from oven. Turn oven down to 320 degrees.
- Let crust completely cool before filling with cream cheese batter.
- In large electric mixer bowl fitted with paddle attachment, whip softened cream cheese for 2 minutes.
- Add the sugar and sour cream and mix on medium high for 2 minutes. Scrape down bowl with rubber spatula a few times during mixing.
- With the mixer set to low, add room temperature eggs one at a time. Beating thoroughly after each addition. Scraping down sides of bowl after each addition.
- Let batter sit for 5 minutes to allow air bubbles to escape.
- Take aluminum foil and place around bottom portion of spring form pan. This will prevent any water from getting into the cake pan during baking.
- Pour cake batter into spring form pan. Give the pan several gentle raps on the counter to aid in letting any air bubbles rise up and escape. Doing this will help keep the cheesecake from cracking on the top.
- Place cake in 320 degree oven inside large roasting pan.
- Carefully pour boiling water into large roasting pan until it gets to about 1/2 way up the sides of the spring form pan.
- Bake for ONE HOUR at 320 degrees.
- Without opening the oven, turn the oven OFF and let cake remain in the oven for ONE additional hour.
- Carefully remove from oven.
- Cool cake on counter for an additional one to two hours.
- Leave cooled cake in the spring form pan and cover with aluminum foil. Place in refrigerator and cool overnight...or at least 8 hours before serving,
Notes
- To keep your cheesecake from cracking...try to eliminate air bubbles in batter. Blend on very low speed at the end as well as rapping the filled spring form pan on the counter a few times before placing in oven.
- You must bake using a water bath method. This will make sure all sides of the cake cook evenly. It also provides the necessary moisture in the oven for creating a perfectly cooked top.
- Do NOT open the oven doors during the one hour of initial cooking and the one hour of the cake resting in the oven after turning it off.
Stacked RED VELVET Cheesecake with Cream Cheese Frosting (2)
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 cups canola oil
- 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons red food coloring (1 small bottle)
- 1 teaspoon vinegar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Line 2 9 inch cake pans with parchment paper
- In large bowl sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder.
- In large electric mixer bowl fitted with paddle attachment, combine oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar and vanilla.
- Mix on medium speed until thoroughly combined.
- Turn mixer to low speed and slowly add sifted dry ingredients. Use rubber spatula to scrape down sides of bowl and make sure all dry ingredients are incorporated into wet.
- Divide batter evenly among round cake pans.
- Rap pans on counter to let extra air bubbles escape.
- Place in oven and bake for approximately 30 minutes. Check for doneness by inserting a wooden toothpick/skewer in center of cake. It should come out clean.
- Remove from oven and cool completely before frosting.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Using an electric mixer, fitted with whisk attachment, whip together 1 pound of softened cream cheese, 2 sticks of unsalted, softened butter and 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract. Beat on medium high for 2-3 minutes until whipped light and fluffy.
- Turn mixer to low and add (one cup at a time) 4 total cups of confectioners sugar.
- Scrape down bowl after the addition of each cup of confectioners sugar.
- Once all 4 cups are incorporated, turn mixer to high speed and whip for 2 minutes
- Frost as desired.
