Red Velvet Cheesecake

Feast your eyes on this lovely elegant triple-layer cake fit for a queen. Enjoy its smooth and velvety thick cheesecake filling sandwiched between soft and moist red velvet cake. And it's also covered with a glorious cream cheese frosting to wrap all the goodness inside. Indeed, the perfect celebration cake for all occasions.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Southern

Prep Time 40

Cook Time 1 30

Chill Time 8

Total Time 10 10

Servings

Calories 1000kcal

Author Imma

Ingredients

The Cake

2½ cups (340g) cake flour, sifted
½ teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons (30g) cocoa powder, regular or Dutch-processed
½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1½ cup (300g) granulated sugar
½ cup (120g) sour cream
¾ cup (180g) oil
3 large eggs
½ cup (120ml) buttermilk
1 tablespoon vinegar
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons liquid red food coloring
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoon water

The Cheesecake Layer

2 8-ounce packages (453g) cream cheese, softened
½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
½ cup (120g) sour cream
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

The Frosting

2 8-ounce packages (453g) cream cheese,
4 ounces (113g) unsalted butter (113 grams)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4-6 cups (480-720 grams) powdered sugar

Instructions

The Cake

In a medium bowl, combine flour, salt, and cocoa powder. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 350℉/177℃. Grease two 8-inch round baking pans with baking spray. Line with parchment paper if desired, and set aside.
Cream the butter and sugar at high speed in a stand mixer until it’s fluffy and looks white (about 4 minutes). Then add sour cream and mix for another minute, followed by the oil – mix for another minute.
Add in eggs, one at a time, beating the mixture well between each addition.
Next, pour in the buttermilk, vinegar, and vanilla, and thoroughly mix.
Add food coloring until you reach the desired color.
Slowly add the flour mixture to the batter. Mix baking soda and water and gently fold into the cake batter. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl.
Divide the batter evenly between the two pans, tap on the countertop to release bubbles.
Bake at 350℉/177℃ for about 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean.
Let the cakes sit in their pans for 10-15 minutes. Gently place cakes on a wire rack and invert, lifting off the pan.
Once the cakes have completely cooled, wrap them in plastic paper and place them in the refrigerator for at least an hour or overnight. It makes it much easier to frost.
Line an 8" springform pan with parchment and spray with cooking spray. Preheat the oven to 325℉/163℃.
In a large bowl using a hand mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar until fluffy, 3-5 minutes. Add the sour cream and beat for about a minute.
Add eggs, one at a time, beating the mixture well between each addition. Next, add flour, salt, and vanilla and mix until thoroughly combined.
Pour the batter into the prepared springform pan. Wrap the springform pan in two layers of heavy-duty aluminum foil or save your foil and place the springform pan in a slightly larger pan filled with 1 inch of hot water.
Place the cheesecake into the preheated oven and bake for 50-60 minutes or until the edges are set and the center jiggles slightly.
Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature, then transfer to the refrigerator to cool completely and firm up for at least 8 hours before assembling.

Cream Cheese Frosting

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy, 3-5 minutes. Next, add powdered sugar and vanilla and beat until combined.

Assembly

Level the two red velvet cake layers with a cake leveler or knife. Set the slices you cut off to the side for a garnish. Place one red velvet cake on a cake platter, Add a small amount of cheese frosting to the center of the cake and thinly spread it out using an offset spatula.
Top with the cheesecake, pressing down firmly, then spread another thin cheese frosting layer on the cheesecake. Then top with the second red velvet cake.
Frost the entire cake with the remaining cream cheese frosting.
Garnish with red velvet cake crumbs and design cake as desired before serving.

Notes

No cake flour? Take one cup of all-purpose flour, level, remove two tablespoons, and add two tablespoons of corn starch. Sift together before using.
The bain-marie method (water bath) prevents cracks when baking cheesecake.
Freezing the cheesecake layer makes for easier assembling. Don't worry because it freezes well and thaws quickly.
Make sure to use the same cake pan size for the cake and cheesecake layers so you can stack them nicely.
I suggest putting at least two wooden or plastic cake dowels about 1½-2" from the center for a more stable cake.
Always use room-temperature eggs for the best texture.
Don't overmix or overbake the cake or cheesecake. The cheesecake layer may come out jiggly, but it's okay because it will firm up once cooled.
Please keep in mind that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.

Nutrition