Red Velvet Cheesecake Cake

Red Velvet Cake is a favourite everywhere, and the more recent invention of Red Velvet Cheesecake is even more popular. There are many recipes abound for this family favourite, but not all of them are destined to succeed.

The recipe I've included on this page is the best one that I've tried, working first time - and tasting absolutely and sinfully, delicious.

Ingredients:

Red Velvet Cake:

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 cups granulated white sugar

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

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

Cheesecake:

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

Cream Cheese Frosting:

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted

Two (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Decoration:

1 medium slab White Chocolate (shaved, peeled into swirls)

Method:

My preferred order to make this cake, is to make the Cheesecake layer first. This gives it plenty of time to cook, cool, set and chill before I sandwich it between the Red Velvet Cake layers. Ideally, make the Cheesecake Layer the day before you make the Red Velvet Cheesecake.

Prepare the Cheesecake Layer:

Preheat oven to 160°C.

Place a large baking tray on the third rack of your oven. When baking this Cheesecake, you will add enough hot water to come approximately an inch of the way up the side of the cake pan.

Using a 9 inch pan, spray the base and sides with non-stick spray and line both the bottom and sides with baking paper.

Wrap a double layer of aluminium foil around the outside base, edges and sides of the pan (if you have chosen to use a springform pan)to prevent any water seeping in.

Using an electric mixer, slowly mix the cream cheese until it is smooth and creamy. Mix in the sugar and salt, and mix for a further 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as you go.

Add the eggs one at a time - mixing after each addition.

Mix in the sour cream, the whipping cream and the vanilla.

Mix all these ingredients until the mixture is smoothy and creamy.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Set the pan into the roasting pan in the pre-heated oven.

Carefully pour the hot water from your kettle into the roasting pan (it will fill the pan surrounding the cheesecake). Pour enough water so that there is about an inch of water coming up the foil along the sides of the cheesecake pan.

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.

Prepare the Red Velvet Cake layers:

Preheat oven to 175°C. Grease and flour two 9-inch round metal baking pans (or spray with nonstick baking spray with flour).

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.

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. 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.

Prepare the Cream Cheese Frosting:

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:

Place one cake layer into the center of a cake plate or platter. 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.

Place the cheesecake layer on top of the first cake layer. Place the 2nd cake layer on top of the cheesecake.

Frosting the Cake:

As the Red Velvet Cake mixture tends to produce quite a few crumbs, using a long spatula or knife, gently spread a thin layer of the frosting over the outside surface of the cake. Once the cake is completely covered, pop the cake into the fridge for about half an hour to chill and set the frosting.

After half an hour, retrieve the cake and do another thicker layer of frosting over the previous layer. There should be no problem with crumbs appearing due to the first layer of frosting setting the crumbs in place.

To decorate:

Take a vegetable peeler, and move it lengthways down the side edge of the chocolate bar to produce swirls and curls.

Add as many or as few of these to the top of the cake - and voila!!