
If you are already thinking about
Valentine's Day or you are planning a wedding with
red as your main wedding color then feast your eyes on this
cake and this recipe.
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
RED VELVET CAKE:
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
Directions:
1. Prepare the cheesecake layer: Preheat oven
to 325 degrees F. 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). In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to mix the cream
cheese- 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. 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 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.
2. Prepare the cake layers: Preheat oven to
350 degrees F. 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 completely.
3. Prepare the 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).
4. 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.
5. Frost the cake: Apply a crumb coat layer to
the cake- use a long, thin spatula to cover the cake completely
with a thin and even layer of frosting. Be sure to wipe off
your spatula each time you are about to dip it back into the
bowl to get more frosting (this way you won't be transferring
any red crumbs into the bowl of frosting). Don't worry at this
point about the crumbs being visible in the frosting on the
cake. When your cake has a thin layer of frosting all over it,
place it into the refrigerator for 30 minutes to "set" the
frosting. Once the first layer of frosting is set, apply the
2nd layer. Start by adding a large scoop of frosting onto the
top of the cake. Use a long, thin spatula to spread the
frosting evenly across the top and then spread it down the
sides of the cake too. Because you applied a crumb-coat layer,
you shouldn't have any red crumbs floating around in the final
frosting layer. Decorate, as desired. I recommend white
chocolate shavings (see *Tips below). Keep this cake
refrigerated.
Tips: