Description
This Red Velvet Cheesecake is a luxurious, indulgent dessert inspired by The Cheesecake Factory’s famous recipe. It features a moist, vibrant red velvet cake layer combined with a creamy, tangy cheesecake filling and topped with a smooth vanilla frosting and delicate white chocolate garnish. Perfect for special occasions and guaranteed to impress with its rich flavors and stunning presentation.
Ingredients
Scale
Cheesecake Filling
- 16 ounces cream cheese (at room temperature)
- ⅔ cup granulated white sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 2 large eggs
- ⅓ cup sour cream
- ⅓ cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Red Velvet Cake
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups granulated white sugar
- 3 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch process)
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs (at room temperature)
- 1 ½ cups vegetable oil
- 1 cup buttermilk
- ¼ cup red food coloring (two 1-ounce bottles)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons white vinegar
Vanilla Frosting
- 16 ounces cream cheese (at room temperature)
- 2 ½ cups powdered sugar (sifted lightly to remove any lumps)
- ½ cup unsalted butter (at room temperature)
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
Garnish
- White chocolate (for garnish, see recipe notes)
Instructions
- Prepare the Red Velvet Cake Batter: In a large bowl, sift together the flour, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, vegetable oil, buttermilk, red food coloring, vanilla extract, and vinegar until fully combined. Gradually add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, mixing until smooth and fully incorporated. Set this batter aside.
- Make the Cheesecake Filling: In a separate mixing bowl, beat 16 ounces of cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Add ⅔ cup sugar and a pinch of salt, then beat in the eggs one at a time. Blend in sour cream, heavy whipping cream, and vanilla extract until the mixture is creamy and smooth, ensuring no lumps remain.
- Assemble the Batter Layers: Grease and flour a 9-inch springform pan. Pour half of the red velvet cake batter into the pan. Carefully spoon the cheesecake filling over the cake batter, spreading it evenly but gently. Top with the remaining red velvet cake batter, smoothing it to cover the cheesecake layer completely.
- Bake the Cake: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Place the springform pan in the oven and bake for about 75 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean with just a few moist crumbs. The cheesecake layer should be set and the cake edges slightly pulling away from the pan.
- Cool the Cake: Once baked, remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan on a wire rack for about an hour. Then, refrigerate the cake for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight, to let the cheesecake set completely and flavors meld.
- Prepare the Vanilla Frosting and Garnish: Beat together 16 ounces cream cheese and ½ cup unsalted butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add the sifted powdered sugar and vanilla extract, mixing until smooth and spreadable. Frost the chilled cake evenly with this frosting. Garnish with shaved or melted white chocolate as desired before serving.
Notes
- To get the best cream cheese texture, ensure it’s at room temperature before mixing to avoid lumps.
- Use non-Dutch processed cocoa powder to maintain the classic red velvet flavor and color.
- The white chocolate garnish can be made by melting white chocolate and drizzling it over the cake or creating shavings using a vegetable peeler.
- If you don’t have buttermilk, you can substitute by adding 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar to 1 cup of milk and let it sit for 5 minutes.
- For easiest removal from the pan, run a knife around the edges before releasing the springform latch.
