Red Velvet Cheesecake

DRUM ROLL PLEASE!!! I made my first cheesecake ever for one of our Christmas dinners. Of course I didn't want to make an original cheesecake... Oh no, mine had to be Red Velvet!

The crust and cake itself were very easy to make and put together. The baking part was LONG... My cheesecake puffed up over the top of the pan and cracked in the middle. While it was cooling, it still sounded squishy when I wiggled the pan... I was sure I would have to throw the whole thing out and I was bummed! I let the cake chill through the night and it wasn't until the morning that I started thinking it may be OK. Seriously, it was 18 hours of agonizing that I had totally failed at my first attempt of cheesecake baking!

I got the cake out of the pan the next morning and it actually looked pretty! (even though it was cracked on top) I frosted it and decorated the outside with mini-cupcakes that Jon's sister had. It looked festive! I could have done a much better job, but I was still thinking in the back of my mind that I'd take a bite of it and want to spit it out... So Silly!

Anxiously, I tried my first bite... I LOVED IT!!! I love Red Velvet Cake and think the cheesecake tastes just like it! If it wasn't so expensive to make, I would probably bake this every couple months!!!

I wasn't able to take pictures of the crust & batter because Jon had the camera with him. I found the recipe online and you can go here for some really pretty pictures of the step by step process for making this cheesecake.

My cracked cake.


Frosting is a good idea :-)



Thankfully Jon's sister had the cupcakes to line the plate with. The cake looked a bit naked without them!


Red Velvet Cheesecake

Crust
17 regular-sized Oreo cookies, crushed finely (or 1½ cups chocolate graham cracker crumbs)
¼ cup butter, melted
1 Tbs granulated sugar

Cheesecake
Three 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1½ cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 Tbs unsweetened cocoa
1 cup sour cream
½ cup buttermilk
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp distilled white vinegar
Two 1-ounce bottles red food coloring

Frosting
One 3-ounce package cream cheese, softened
¼ cup butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 tsp vanilla extract

Extras
fresh mint sprigs, for garnish
heavy duty foil


1. Prepare crust: Stir together oreo crumbs, melted butter, and 1 Tbsp. granulated sugar; press mixture into bottom of 9-inch springform pan.

2. Preheat oven to 325°F. Prepare water bath: Fill large roasting pan (big enough for springform pan to fit into) with about 1 inch of water. Place in oven and allow to preheat along with the oven.

3. Prepare filling: Beat cream cheese and sugar at medium-low speed with an electric mixer for 1 minute. Add eggs and remaining cheesecake ingredients, mixing on low speed just until fully combined. Pour batter into prepared crust.

4. Take out two sheets of heavy duty foil and layer them on top of one another. Place springform pan on top of the foil and wrap the foil gently around the pan and up the sides. Make sure that there are no tears or holes and that the foil comes all the way up around all sides of the cake. Carefully place the foil-protected pan into the water bath in the preheated oven.

5. Bake for 10 minutes; reduce heat to 300°F. Bake for an additional 75 minutes or until the center is firm. Turn oven off. Let cheesecake stand in oven for 30 minutes. Remove cheesecake from oven. Carefully remove cheesecake from water bath and place on wire rack. Run a thin knife around the outer edge of the cheesecake. Cool on rack for a couple of hours, until the cheesecake becomes close to room temperature. Cover and chill for at least 8 hours (or overnight). Remove sides of springform pan.

6. Prepare frosting: Beat cream cheese and butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar and vanilla, beating until smooth. Spread evenly on top of cheesecake. Garnish, if desired.

Cooking Tips: You may choose to bake the cheesecake instead with no water bath. Bake at 325 for 10 minutes; reduce heat to 300 and bake for an additional 75 minutes. Let cheesecake stand in oven 30 minutes. Remove from oven; cool in pan on wire rack for 30 minutes. (Baking without a water bath – you run the risk of cracking the top of the cheesecake).


I found the recipe here on Recipe Girl's website.