I found this recipe at
Baking Bad. She is a great foodie peep. fyi...she also does a friday foodie link up party, it's cool. It's a great way to interact with other great foodies and find new recipes. Anyway, she made this cake for her birthday and when I saw this post, I thought to myself: "self, i shall make that there cake." So it is. And so it happened for New Years Eve.
I'm not going to lie here, I shamelessly bragged about this cake for about two hours after I had myself a small sliver. {since i had already blasted through a sinful portion of fat laden Chinese food. omg.} I don't regret a second. It was NYE, this had to happen, it's just tradition. I mean really, right?
This cake takes a little time to make as the center is a thinner cousin to your standard thick cheesecake. Yes, that's right. In the middle of this cake you throw a huge whoppin' chunk of cheesecake. waaawaaawhat! yes. indeed.
The red velvet cake is made from scratch, but it is so worth it and so to die for. So don't cheat and use a boxed mix. behave and do it!!! It is sooo red, moist and pretty. You have to use two whole bottles of red dye (1 ounce each). be careful not to drip too much on your counter, otherwise you will be cussing so loud your neighbors will hear. Coincidentally, I still have some red die under my fingernails this morning. But who cares? I made this glorious cake for which I received uproarious applause followed with roses thrown at my feet. :: ok, maybe that didn't happen::
Ingredients:
First you make the cheesecake which will go in the center of your cake:
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
Then you make your red velvet cakes:
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups granulated white sugar
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch process)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups vegetable or canola 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
One bar of white chocolate (optional for garnish)
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. 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 springform 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).
3. In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to mix the cream cheese (I used the whisking attachment with my Kitchenaid mixer, which I am madly in love with btw)- 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.
4. 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 hot water into the roasting pan (i just used really hot tap water, it's all good) I filled a disposable roasting pan and filled it up to about half way up the cheesecake pan.
5. Bake the cheesecake for 45 minutes. It should be set to the touch and not jiggly. 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. (i just froze for about an 1.5 hours, i had guests choppin' at the bit) it was fine.
Prepare red velvet cake layers:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round metal baking pans (or spray
with nonstick baking spray with flour).
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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:
1. 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 overbeat).
Assemble the cake:
1. Place one cake layer into the center of a cake plate or platter.
2. 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.}
3.Place the cheesecake layer on top of the first cake layer. Place the 2nd cake layer on top of the cheesecake.
Frosting the cake:
1. You may apply one layer of frosting in case of apparent red crumbs and then place it in the fridge to allow it to set for about 20 minutes or so. Making sure to wipe your wide spatula every time you spread the frosting so as not to transfer red crumbs back into the frosting.
2. Use a potato peeler and run it along the sides of a white chocolate bar to make white chocolate curls and add it to the top of your cake to garnish.
Details: Prep Time: 30 minutes Cook Time: 1hour and 15 minutes Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes Yield: One Red Velvet Cheesecake Cake serves about 12 adults.
