Red Velvet Cake Cheesecake for National Cheesecake Day!

Cake and Cheesecake are my two favorite desserts.. and with dessert, I get both. It's like 2 in 1. Perfect. You can do any type of cheesecake or cake combination you like. For example, chocolate cake with peanut butter cheesecake. This is one of my most asked for desserts, it looks impressive, but it's actually pretty simple. Let's start out with the cheesecake layer. Here's what you'll need

A boat load of cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, eggs, and sour cream. Place cream cheese and sugar in a large mixing bowl

Beat on low speed until combined, then turn up to medium and beat until fluffy, about a minute. Add vanilla and sour cream

Mix until combined, then add eggs, one at a time

Beat well after each addition. Pour cheesecake batter into a greased springform pan

Bake and cool. Refrigerate about 2 hours. While the baked cheesecake is chilling, prepare the cake layer. I've already made this exact red velvet cake recipe in cupcakes so I didn't take pictures. Here's the link to the recipe http://kysweettoothsisters.blogspot.com/2011/04/red-velvet-cupcakes.html. 

The only thing you need to do differently is use 2 round cake pans (what ever size the springform pan is. For example, if you are using a 9-inch springform pan for the cheesecake, you should use 9-inch cake pans for the cake.) Once you have baked your cakes, flip them out of the pans onto wax paper lined cooling racks to cool completely. Now for the last step before assembling, prepare the cream cheese frosting. I've also made cream cheese frosting before so I didn't take step by step pictures of this process either. It shows how to make it in the same link above. Sorry if all of that was super confusing, I did the best I could.. 

So you now have all 3 parts of the dessert made and ready to go. It's time to assemble your red velvet cake cheesecake! Place one layer of the red velvet cake on the serving plate you are going to use. Cover with 1/4 of the cream cheese frosting

Set the cheesecake gently on top of the frosting. Be VERY careful, the cheesecake could split in half, not speaking from personal experience or anything... Now slab on a layer of frosting over the cheesecake. This is a little tricky because the cheesecake is slick

Now stack on the last cake layer and frost all the tops and sides of the cake cheesecake. If desired you can decorate it somehow. I chopped white bakers chocolate and covered the sides and tops in the chopped chocolate. Here's the inside of the Red Velvet Cake Cheesecake

Cut yourself a huge piece, eat the whole thing, and don't regret it :)

Store in refrigerator. 

Red Velvet Cake Cheesecake

Cheesecake:

3 (8 oz. pkgs) cream cheese, softened

1 cup sour cream

2 Tbs. vanilla

3 eggs

In a large mixing bowl, beat together cream cheese and sugar on low speed until combined. Once combined, beat on medium speed until fluffy, about 1 minute. Mix in sour cream and vanilla. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Once your cheesecake batter is finished, pour into a greased 9-inch round spring form pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour 15 minutes. Turn oven off and open door slightly. Remove cheesecake from oven and let cool completely. Prepare the other parts of the cheesecake cake while cooling.

Cake:

2 1/2 cups flour

2 cups sugar

1 Tbs. cocoa powder

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

1 cup buttermilk

1 Tbs. vinegar

2 tsp. vanilla

2 oz. red food coloring

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda; set aside. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, oil, buttermilk, vinegar, vanilla, and food coloring. Pour the wet mixture over the dry mixture. Stir together until combined. Pour into 2 9-inch round greased cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-28 minutes or until done the cake is set in the middle. Take out of the oven to cool. Flip cakes out of the pans onto a wax paper lined wire wrack. Cool completely. While cooling, prepare the frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

8 ounces cream cheese

1 stick unsalted butter

2 tsp. vanilla

3 3/4 cups powdered sugar

In a mixing bowl, beat together cream cheese and butter until fluffy and smooth. (Usually, when I make frosting I make sure the butter and cream cheese are soft. This time when I made the frosting, I only let the cream cheese and butter sit about about 15-20 minutes. When I started making the frosting they were both still hard, but I just beat them together for a while with the mixer and believe it or not, cream cheese frosting has never turned out better for me.) Mix in the vanilla. Lastly, add the powdered sugar about a cup at a time, beating well after each addition and making sure there are no lumps. Now put together the cake.

Assemble: 

Place one of the red velvet cake layers on the serving plate you choose to use. Scoop 1/4 of the frosting on that layer and spread out evenly. Gently set the cheesecake over the frosting. Carefully spread 1/4 of the frosting on the cheesecake (be careful, the frosting will be hard to spread over the cheesecake because it is slick. If you're having trouble, just be patient, it will spread out eventually. Now set the last cake layer over the frosted cheesecake. Use the rest of the frosting to cover the tops and sides of the cheesecake cake. Decorate if desired. Store in fridge, enjoy :)

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Red Velvet cake is my favorite! I don't know what it is about it, maybe just the slight hint of cocoa, or the cream cheese frosting, but it is just perfect. I've searched long and hard for my favorite red velvet cake recipe and I'm pretty positive i've found it! Props to Bakerella. Here's what you need for the recipe

Flour, sugar, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda, oil, red food coloring, vinegar, vanilla, eggs, and buttermilk. In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients

Set that aside. In a another bowl, combine all the wet ingredients and whisk well

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry

Stir the two mixtures together until just combined

Using a large ice cream scoop, fill paper lined cupcake pans 2/3 way full with batter

Bake. Take out of the oven when a toothpick inserted comes out somewhat clean. If there are no crumbs on the toothpick, the cupcakes will be dry

Pull each cupcake out of the pans and let cool. While cooling, prepare the frosting. Here's what you need for the cream cheese frosting

Cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and powdered sugar. In a mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese and butter

Add vanilla

Beat that in, then gradually add the powdered sugar

Beat in until smooth and fluffy

Scoop frosting onto wax paper, roll up, and stick in the piping bag (this is just to keep the frosting bag from getting dirty)

 Pipe the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes

And the inside of the cupcake..

These are super moist, tender, and flavorful. As of now, this is my go to red velvet and all of my taste testers agree :)

Red Velvet Cupcakes

2 1/2 cups flour

2 cups sugar

1 Tbs. cocoa powder

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

1 cup buttermilk

1 Tbs. vinegar

2 tsp. vanilla

2 oz. red food coloring

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda; set aside. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, oil, buttermilk, vinegar, vanilla, and food coloring. Pour the wet mixture over the dry mixture. Stir together until combined. Scoop into paper lined cupcake pans about 2/3 way full. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes or until done. Take the cupcakes out of the pan and let cool. While cooling, prepare the frosting.

frosting:

8 ounces cream cheese

1 stick unsalted butter

2 tsp. vanilla

3 3/4 cups powdered sugar

In a mixing bowl, beat together cream cheese and butter until fluffy and smooth. (Usually, when I make frosting I make sure the butter and cream cheese are soft. This time when I made the frosting, I only let the cream cheese and butter sit about about 15-20 minutes. When I started making the frosting they were both still hard, but I just beat them together for a while with the mixer and believe it or not, cream cheese frosting has never turned out better for me.) Mix in the vanilla. Lastly, add the powdered sugar about a cup at a time, beating well after each addition and making sure there are no lumps. Spread/pipe finished frosting onto the cooled cupcakes. Eat up!

Red Velvet COOKIES

I am obsessed with Red Velvet cake, and I about had a heart attack when I saw these cookies on http://www.howsweeteats.com. So I had to try them out, and they were so good! Here's what you need

Butter, sugar, brown sugar, an egg, vanilla, red food coloring, cocoa powder, salt, flour, baking soda, and milk chocolate chips. Beat together the butter and sugars until fluffy

Add in the egg, vanilla, and red food coloring

In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients and chocolate chips

Mix that up and add to the first mixture

 Stir in the dry mixture by hand until well combined

Scoop onto a baking sheet that is lined with parchment paper

Pop them in the oven. After they are done baking take off the cookie sheet right away, so the bottoms won't burn. Here's the finished cookies!

And up close and personal on the inside

These were delish, but they were missing something. Since Red Velvet cake isn't complete without cream cheese frosting, I thought these might be the same way. So I whipped up some cream cheese frosting real quick. Here's what you need for the frosting

Cream cheese, butter, salt, vanilla, and powdered sugar. After that's made, slather a good bit on each cookie

or inbetween..

The frosting was definitely a great addition to these cookies, but it's completely up to you. Rach liked them better with out frosting. Here's my half-eaten cookie with frosting

These were hard to stay away from so I hope you have self-control :)

Red Velvet Cookies

1/2 cup butter, soft
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. red food coloring
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (so the bottoms of the cookies won't burn).

In a large mixing bowl, combine butter and both sugars. Beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg, vanilla, and food coloring.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, cocoa powder, and chocolate chips. Add to the first mixture and stir in by hand. Scoop dough onto cookie sheet and bake 8-10 minutes. Remove from pan right away and cool completely on foil or a baking wrack. While waiting on the cookies to cool, prepare the cream cheese frosting (if using).


Cream Cheese Frosting

4 ounces cream cheese, room temp.
1/4 cup butter, soft
pinch of salt
2 tsp. vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar

Beat together cream cheese, butter, salt, and vanilla. Mix in powdered sugar until well combined. Spread on top or in between each cookie.