If you're a fan of red velvet you have to try this delicious dessert recipe!
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❤️ Why you'll love it
- Beautiful bold red color that really stands out.
- Rich, creamy, and decadent-tasting and perfect for special occasions.
- A fool-proof recipe that's easy to make, and doesn't crack in the oven.
Unique homemade red velvet cheesecake recipe is absolutely the best!
It's made with a New York Style cheesecake batter swirled with tender pieces of crimson red velvet cake - beautiful, delicious, and totally different from anything you've had before.
It's SO easy to make and even easier if you take a couple of days to do the steps.
In fact, you could use a cake from a bakery if you were really short on time.
It's so versatile - next time try an Oreo crust instead of the cake crust!
🧾 Ingredients
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- Red Velvet Cake or a mix
- Cream cheese
- Sour cream
- Sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Eggs
- Heavy cream
- White chocolate or cheesecake instant pudding mix
🔪 Instructions
- Mix together the cheesecake layer until smooth.
- Add cheesecake mixture into the prepared pan and bake at 375 degrees for 50 minutes in a water bath.
- Top with the creamy topping and red velvet cake crumbs.
- Chill in the fridge overnight.
🥄 Equipment
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You'll need the following items to make this recipe successfully.
🥫 Storage
Cheesecakes can be stored tightly covered with plastic wrap in the fridge for up to five days.
📖 Variations
- Use chocolate cake, if you want a chocolate cheesecake recipe.
- Try adding berries to the top of the cooked cheesecake for a sweet fruity flavor.
- Instant of cake crumbs on top of the cheesecake you could add red velvet cookies.
- Instead of a red velvet cake crust, you can use an Oreo cookie crust instead - like I did with this white chocolate peppermint bark cheesecake.
💭 Tips
Expert Tip: All ingredients should be room temperature before you start making your cheesecake.
- Follow all the directions carefully.
- Never mix cheesecake at high speed. It adds air to the batter and you lose that dense creaminess that cheesecakes are known for. Always use low speed.
- It's important to bake cheesecake in the water bath so don't skip it.
- If you want the pretty color you have to use red food coloring. There's no other way.
- Make sure your aluminum foil is wrapped securely around the bottom of the springform and up the sides to prevent leaking.
- Do NOT peek at the cheesecake while it is baking or resting because it makes it cranky.
- Let the cake come to room temperature before chilling.
- Place a paper towel over the top of the cake before wrapping it with plastic wrap and chilling. This will keep the top dry and help guard against cracking.
👩🍳 FAQs
Yes, it freezes well for up to 3 months.
Yes, chocolate is what gives red velvet cake such a rich taste.
No, you need to use full-fat cream cheese. Low fat cream cheese will change the texture of your cheesecake.
📚 Related recipes
If you love cheesecake recipes here are some of my favorites.
- Reese's Peanut Butter Cheesecake is bursting with peanut butter flavor.
- Cinnamon Roll Cheesecake is ooey, gooey, and filled with warm spice and sweet flavors.
- You can never go wrong with a classic cheesecake like this Plain NY Style Cheesecake.
- Nothing says comforting southern dessert more than a Pecan Pie Cheesecake.
- We love this banana pudding cheesecake!
🍽️ Serve with...
- Red Velvet Martini is a boldly colored drink that would taste amazing with red velvet desserts.
- Crockpot Swiss Steak is an easy meal that is perfect to go along with this rich dessert.
- Lasagna soup is hearty and comforting and a great way to warm up a chilly night.
📞 The last word
Y'all. When I don't have a lot of time I head for the red velvet poke cake but if I have a bit of wiggle room?
It's this red velvet cheesecake all the way.
The cheesecake itself is a rich vanilla, classic New York cheesecake. While it bakes the pieces of cake sort of soak up some of the flavor from the batter.
An added plus was that the red velvet cake helped break up the richness of it.
It was nothing short of fantabulous.
Just before serving top the finished, chilled cake with white chocolate flavored whipped cream and cake crumbles for a little added drama. 🙂
Isn't it gorgeous?
This red velvet cheesecake is just beautiful for Christmas or Valentine's Day. Or, add some blueberries and serve it on the 4th of July!
Check out this collection of red velvet recipes!
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need. Don't forget that you can click on "add to collection" to save it to your own, private recipe box!
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Red Velvet Cheesecake
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Ingredients
Cheesecake
- red velvet cake, prepared but not baked
- 32 oz cream cheese
- 16 oz sour cream
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 teaspoon vanilla
- 6 eggs
Topping
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoonful white chocolate instant pudding mix
- 2 tablespoons of sugar as needed
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Instructions
Cheesecake
- Prepare the red velvet cake batter.
- Preheat oven to 375F
- Put about ¼ inch of cake batter in the bottom of a greased and floured 10 inch springform.
- Use the rest of the batter in a 13x9 or 9 inch cake pan.
- Bake cakes 20 minutes or until firm and done.
- Break the cake (NOT the one in the springform) into large chunks and set aside.
- Beat the cheesecake ingredients together until smooth.
- Reserve about ½ cup cake crumbs for the top.
- Fold the remaining cake chunks into cheesecake batter.
- Pour cheesecake mixture into the springform pan.
- Cover the bottom of the springform with aluminum foil, bringing it up the sides.
- Place pan in larger pan of hot water. Water should come halfway up the sides.
- Bake for 50 minutes.
- Turn oven off and leave door closed for 1 hour. Don’t PEEK!
- Remove from oven, take out of the water bath.
- Let come to room temperature.
- Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight.
Topping
- Whip the heavy cream until it starts to thicken.
- Add the teaspoon of instant pudding mix and 1 tablespoon of sugar.
- Whip until soft peaks form.
- Taste and add more sugar if needed.
- Spoon on top of cooled cheesecake.
- Sprinkle with reserved red velvet cake crumbs.
Notes
- Follow all the directions carefully.
- The water bath is important so don't skip it.
- Make sure your aluminum foil is wrapped securely around the bottom of the springform and up the sides to prevent leaking.
- Do NOT peek at the cheesecake while it is baking or resting because it makes it cranky.
- Let the cake come to room temperature before chilling.
- Place a paper towel over the top of the cake before wrapping it with plastic wrap and chilling. This will keep the top dry and help guard against cracking.
Nutrition Facts
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We'll never share your email or send you spam. Pinkie swear.This recipe was originally published in June 2011. Last updated January 18, 2022 for better information and new images.
June 2011
My son is home for the first time in three years. He is in the Air Force, stationed in Northern Japan, and it is difficult for him to get leave time. A lot has changed in past three years for both of us.
Excited? Me? Yeah!
So, as a result...as I told my Facebook readers... I won't be online as much, nor will I post as much. Do you blame me?
One of Chris's favorite desserts is Red Velvet Cake. I wanted to make him something special to welcome him home...and I think I succeeded.
I made a cheesecake. A red velvet one.
I had seen a lot of Red Velvet Cheesecakes that were based on the cake but I wanted pieces of the cake to be nestled in a rich, creamy cheesecake batter.
I wanted it to be cheesecake with pieces of cake randomly in it, and I think I succeeded. It comes out creamy and rich with a nice textural contrast from the cake pieces. Chris loved it, the whole family loved it...and I think you will, too.
November 2016
Updating this post brought back so many wonderful memories.
He has been with the Thunderbirds for the last couple of years so I've gotten to see him a LOT more often than when he was in Japan!!
He'll be getting a new assignment in 2017 but I'm hoping it won't take them too far away. Of course, I am praying what ever is best for his family because that's what moms do, right?
Gracen Brown
Would it work if I swirled the cake batter (without baking first) into the cheesecake batter?
Marye
I have no idea. I've never done that.
Joy Jackson
Also I noticed that the recipe doesn’t list flour but one of the comments asked about a certain brand. How much is needed and can all purpose be used?
Marye
The actual red velvet cake uses cake flour (and is linked in the recipe card) if you want to make it from scratch instead of use a mix. The cheesecake does not use any flour.
Joy Jackson
6 eggs is a lot, is that for the boxed cake as well as the cheesecake?
Marye
6 eggs for the cheesecake as written. It's the perfect amount for a rich, creamy cheesecake. 🙂
Kristen
I’m really excited to try this but I have a potentially dumb question. At what point do you remove the cooked cheesecake from the spring form pan? After it cools to room temp or after it spends the night in the fridge?
Marye
After the fridge. 🙂
Nina Donovan
Where did you purchase the cake flour and what is the brand name? I haven't been able to buy Swansdown flour in years. That is the cake flour that I have used.
I made this cake before (2or3 times) and I'd like to make it again. Couldn't get good results from regular flour.
Marye
I get Swansdown at my local grocery store. I believe you can also get it on Amazon.
INDIA
WILL REBAKING THE RED VELVET CAKE CAUSE IT TO BURN?
Marye
no.
Alet
Just made this cake agaaaain.... Love it...
Marye
🙂 I am so glad you do!
Jocelyn
I love this cheesecake but am thinking or turning them into cupcakes. Have you ever done that with this recipe? Do you have any tips for converting it from a standard cheesecake look to that of cupcakes? How long would you recommend that I bake them? And would that be at the same temperature?
Marye Audet
I've never done it so I don't have a clue! Sorry!
Marissa T
Dang those are good looking fellows!
Debbie
Can an oreo crust be used and if so could you use a single layer red velvet cake? Also can a chocolate ganache be added to the top?
Marye Audet
Yes and yes. 🙂 oh... and yes. I'm sure it would be delicious that way!
Debbie
Great! I'm kind of a beginner baker. Do you have a favorite ganache recipe? And assuming you used an oreo crust a single layer red vetvet cake would be enough to put into the cheesecake? So would you half the cake recipe?
Yee
Am I missing something? There doesn't seem to be final instructions for the cake. Specifically, you have a velvet cake and a cheesecake but there is no directions to combine these to together (i.e. I'm presuming one goes on top of the other??_ Shouldn't you be finishing this recipe by providing the last few lines of instructions? There's nothing about putting the topping on....again which cake goes on top - the velvet or cheesecake?
Marye Audet
Instructions #11 - 14. No cake goes on top. The cake chunks are folded into the cheesecake batter. Break the larger cake (NOT the one in the springform) into large chunks and set aside.
(can be done a day ahead)
Preparation time: 10 minute(s)
Cheesecake
Preheat oven to 375F
Beat the cheesecake ingredients together until smooth.
Reserve about 1/2 cup cake crumbs for the top.
Fold the remaining cake chunks into cheesecake batter.
Pour into pan.
Meg
Okay, so I have purchased all of the ingredients and have decided to go all out and make the cake from scratch (was going to cook using Duncan Hines boxed mix, but realized that would not offer enough "red velvetyness" to the cake). I also purchased an oven thermometer to ensure perfect temp.
I do have a couple questions:
1.) Most cheesecake recipes I have made cook at 350 highest temp. I have read that the dairy products and eggs can change flavor and coagulate at temps higher than 325. Is this not accurate?
Is the reason for using a higher temperature so that the cheesecake batter cooks fast enough so it doesn't become too mixed in with the cake?
2.)Also, how hot should the water bath be?
Thanks so much! I just want this to be perfect like yours!
Marye Audet
Meg I took time off at Christmas so I am just seeing this now. This cake works exactly as written - I can't comment on other recipes. you'll find that all of my cheesecake recipes use this technique. Use hot tap water to fill the water bath then it will heat up in the oven. 🙂
Nutmeg Nanny
This is a perfect holiday treat! I love red velvet anything!
Marye Audet
Thank you so much! Red Velvet is always a hit!
Julianne @ Beyond Frosting
Oh yum! Red velvet cheesecake!
Marye Audet
SO good.