Red Velvet Cheesecake
Two (8-ounce) packages cream cheese,
at room temperature
2/3 cup granulated white sugar
pinch of salt
2 large eggs
1/3 cup sour cream
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
RED VELVET CAKE:
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups granulated white sugar
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup (two 1-ounce bottles) red
food coloring
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons white vinegar
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
lightly to remove any lumps
Two (8-ounce) packages cream cheese,
at room temperature
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room
temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Prepare the cheesecake layer:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place a large roasting pan on the lower third rack
of the oven. Place a kettle of water on the stove to boil. Spray a 9-inch
spring form pan with nonstick spray and line the bottom with a round of
parchment paper. Wrap a double layer of foil around the bottom and up the sides
of the pan (you want to seal it so the water from the water bath doesn't seep
into the pan). In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to mix the cream cheese-
blend until it is nice and smooth and creamy. Mix in sugar and salt and blend
for 2 minutes, scraping down sides of the bowl as needed. Add eggs, one at a
time, blending after each addition. Finally, mix in sour cream, whipping cream
and vanilla. Mix until smooth. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Set the pan
into the roasting pan in the pre-heated oven. Carefully pour the hot water from
your kettle into the roasting pan (it will fill the pan surrounding the
cheesecake). Pour enough water so that there is about an inch of water coming
up the foil along the sides of the cheesecake pan. Bake the cheesecake for 45
minutes. It should be set to the touch and not jiggle. Remove the cheesecake
from the roasting pan and let it cool on a wire rack for at least an hour. When
it has cooled, place the pan into the freezer and let the cheesecake freeze
completely. This can be done in several hours- or overnight. Prepare the cake
layers: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9-inch
round metal baking pans (or spray with nonstick baking spray with flour). In a
large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.
Add eggs, oil, buttermilk, food coloring, vanilla and vinegar to the flour
mixture. Using an electric mixer on medium-low speed,
beat for 1 minute, until blended. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl with a rubber
spatula. Beat on high speed for 2 minutes. Spread the batter evenly into the
prepared pans, dividing equally. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick
inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. Let cool in
pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the pans, then invert cakes onto a rack to cool completely. Prepare
the frosting: In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium-high speed,
beat powdered sugar, cream cheese, butter and vanilla until it is smooth and
creamy (do not over beat). Assemble the cake: Place one cake layer into the
center of a cake plate or platter. Remove the cheesecake from the freezer, take
off the sides of the pan, and slide a knife under the parchment to remove the
cheesecake from the pan. Peel off the parchment. Measure your cheesecake layer
against the cake layers. If the cheesecake layer turns out to be a slightly
larger round than your cake, move it to a cutting board and gently shave off
some of the exterior of the cheesecake to get it to the same size as your cake
layers. Place the cheesecake layer on top of the first cake layer. Place the
2nd cake layer on top of the cheesecake. Frost the cake: Apply a crumb coat
layer to the cake- use a long, thin spatula to cover the cake completely with a
thin and even layer of frosting. Be sure to wipe off your spatula each time you
are about to dip it back into the bowl to get more frosting (this way you won't
be transferring any red crumbs into the bowl of frosting). Don't worry at this
point about the crumbs being visible in the frosting on the cake. When your
cake has a thin layer of frosting all over it, place it into the refrigerator
for 30 minutes to “set” the frosting. Once the first layer of frosting is set,
apply the 2nd layer. Start by adding a large scoop of frosting onto the top of
the cake. Use a long, thin spatula to spread the frosting evenly across the top
and then spread it down the sides of the cake too. Because you applied a
crumb-coat layer, you shouldn't have any red crumbs floating around in the
final frosting layer. Decorate, as desired. I recommend white chocolate
shavings
Janice Moore shared Wendell Foy's photo.