Yes, Virginia…
….there is a Red Velvet Cheesecake.
Falling into the why didn’t I think of that category I ran across a recipe in Southern Living Christmas Cookbook for a Red Velvet Cheesecake. My mouth dropped open just a bit. How had I never thought of this before. I mean my husband is the man who loves all things red velvet and he eats cheesecake. Plus I love to experiment with cheesecake flavors.
The question I get from most people when I made this was, does it taste like the cake. For the most part yes. It has all the flavor components but in a creamy texture that is cheesecake. And it has cream cheese frosting on top. So cheesecake with cream cheese frosting. Yeah, a pretty darn good invention if you ask me. The cheesecake is not baked in a water bath which I was reluctant about. It came out creamy but the next time I make this I will bake in a water bath.
I would love the say that I have crossed more things off my Holiday to-do-list. Other than getting the tree up that would be a big fat zero…and I got invited to another party. I find this the most ironic. For last year I was invited to zero parties. None, zippo, nada. This year 10. You think they could have spread these things out. 
No gifts have been bought. Apparently when I told my editor that I needed my check so that I could Christmas shop, he must have thought I was super early and shopping for Christmas 09. It’s been “getting out” to me for over a month now and at this point I’m no longer holding my breath. I almost bought cards today but just didn’t find any I like. Hopefully you are having better motivation than me.
Red Velvet Cheesecake
For the Crust:
1 ½ cups chocolate graham cracker crumbs
¼ cup butter, melted
1 TBSP granulated sugar
For the Filling:
3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 TBSP unsweetened cocoa
1 cup sour cream
½ cup whole buttermilk
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp distilled white vinegar
2 (1 oz) bottles red food coloring
For the Topping:
1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature
¼ cup butter, at room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
For the Crust:
Stir together graham cracker crumbs, melted butter and 1 TBSP sugar; press mixture onto bottom of a 9-inch springform pan.
For the Filling:
Beat together cream cheese and sugar at medium low speed with an electric mixer 1 minute.
Add eggs, unsweetened cocoa, sour cream, buttermilk, vanilla extract, vinegar and food coloring. Mix on low speed just until fully combined.
Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake at 325F for 10 minutes, reduce heat to 300F, and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until center is firm.
Run knife along outer edge of cheese. Turn oven off and let cheesecake stand in oven 30 minutes.
Remove cheesecake from oven; cool in pan on a wire rack for 30 m minutes.
Cover and chill for 8 hours.
For the topping:
Beat cream cheese and butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth; gradually add powdered sugar and vanilla, beating until smooth.
Remove cheesecake from refrigerator and spread topping evenly over top of cheesecake.
Remove sides of springform. Garnish if desired.
Source: Souther Living Christmas Cookbook
80 Responses
Leave a Comment
December 2nd, 2008 at 4:17 pm
Oh cut me a piece please, PLEASE!!!!! I want it!!
December 2nd, 2008 at 4:19 pm
Now *that’s* a serious cheesecake! I’m so bringing this to the fam’s Christmas dinner.
December 2nd, 2008 at 4:22 pm
WOW – it’s so festive looking! Don’t sweat the cards, gifts, etc. — you’ll make it work
December 2nd, 2008 at 4:31 pm
My friend is bringing red velvet cake balls to my holiday cookie swap this Sunday. Would it be wrong if I had her cake balls but thought of your cheesecake instead?
It looks absolutely divine.
December 2nd, 2008 at 4:32 pm
Gosh, that’s really red! Almost doesn’t look real.
December 2nd, 2008 at 4:34 pm
Wow, that’s amazing! What a great idea. Does it stain your mouth when you eat it?
December 2nd, 2008 at 4:36 pm
Whoa – I clicked over here, my jaw dropped, and I had the same thought as you. Why didn’t I think of that?! Brilliant!
December 2nd, 2008 at 4:45 pm
HOLY YUM!!
December 2nd, 2008 at 4:52 pm
WHOLY CRAP!
It’s like a red velvet party in my mouth!!
December 2nd, 2008 at 5:07 pm
WOW! That looks like heaven!
December 2nd, 2008 at 5:17 pm
That’s beautiful! I love the “another thing I should have thought of category.” I feel that way too often!
December 2nd, 2008 at 5:36 pm
That is too funny. I just got my copy of this cookbook in the mail today and this is one of the recipes that really stuck out to me. My hubby is from the South and adores red velvet cake and you said it tastes like cake, so I am going to have to try it. It turned out perfectly. Glad to see I wasn’t the first person who saw it~
December 2nd, 2008 at 6:05 pm
Of course I didn’t think of this…this is why I am not rolling in dough. What a fantastic and festive idea for the holidays!!!!
December 2nd, 2008 at 6:56 pm
That is just dee-vine. So dramatic. I love that the crust is chocolate, too– such an often-missed detail
December 2nd, 2008 at 7:12 pm
What beautiful explosive colours! Absolutely exquisite and appropriate for the Holidays! …which with a little courage Peabody, you’ll eventualy get into! LOL
December 2nd, 2008 at 7:13 pm
Quite striking! Maybe your check will be YOUR Christmas present!
December 2nd, 2008 at 7:23 pm
It truly is a miracle! That is one of the most beautiful cheesecakes I’ve ever seen – like the Marilyn Monroe of cheesecakes. I have a friend who is a red velvet cake junkie. She will faint when she see this! Fabulous!
December 2nd, 2008 at 7:43 pm
Wow, this looks fabulous! I would never have thought of a red velvet cheesecake!
December 2nd, 2008 at 9:15 pm
OMG that looks amazing!!! sooo beautiful!
December 2nd, 2008 at 9:44 pm
P-bdy, you are scaring me with the red. And you’re scaring me even more with your talk of cards and gifts. I will be lucky if I can get my caramels soft enough not to break teeth…
December 2nd, 2008 at 10:25 pm
wow!! Red cheesecake!! what a wonderful and pretty color!!..Red mean “good Luck” in chinese..I must bake this velvet Red Cake this coming new year!!
December 2nd, 2008 at 11:20 pm
Wow, how beautiful! A fabulous cheesecake!
Cheers,
Rosa
December 3rd, 2008 at 12:08 am
Oh no you didn’t!
I was just thinking as I layed in bed last night “I haven’t made a cheesecake in a while…”
There’s a special place in my heart for all things red velvet. Did you know they make a red velvet ice cream? Tastes just like cake batter-yum!
December 3rd, 2008 at 2:35 am
Dear Pea, You are cordially invited to a party at my house in the Oxfordshire countryside… Of course, it is on the date of all your other parties. We will miss you terribly as we drink and party the night away without you.
So sad that you are so popular!
That festive red velvet cheesecake is very eye catching. It’s a bit of Santa Claus’ suit on a plate!
I am a bit weary of the 2 bottles of food colouring though.
I would not want to be hauled in for a emergency sigmoidoscopy just because I ate a red cheesecake and had suspicious….droppings!
Just joking you. It’s real purdy.
December 3rd, 2008 at 5:01 am
The whole time I was reading the beginning of your post I kept thinking, “but red velvet is nothing without the cream cheese frosting!” I can’t believe this included it – cheesecake and cream cheese frosting has to be the best thing ever!
December 3rd, 2008 at 6:27 am
I love the color! Fantastic!
December 3rd, 2008 at 7:31 am
The cheesecake looks wonderful!!
December 3rd, 2008 at 7:50 am
I made this cheesecake last year for Christmas at my in-law’s. Everyone loved it. It really is a show stopper! Yours looks MUCH better than mine did though!
December 3rd, 2008 at 8:01 am
Cheesecake AND cream cheese frosting? YES! I love cream cheese. I would eat with anything. It goes with everything, right? I’ll have to try this!
December 3rd, 2008 at 8:34 am
WOW, If that doesnt say Christmas, I dont know what does. Love it!
December 3rd, 2008 at 10:16 am
I love the color! Perfect for the holidays too!
December 3rd, 2008 at 10:52 am
this looks like it would be the death of me. yum!
December 3rd, 2008 at 12:02 pm
I can’t get over how shiny it is! and RED. Jeez. The color is messing with my brain and a cheesecake taste. I’m surprised you hadn’t thought of it before, either. You have amazing creativity when it comes to cheesecake!
December 3rd, 2008 at 12:40 pm
i adore red velvet! and in a cheesecake? that’s gorgeous. x
December 3rd, 2008 at 12:47 pm
Good lord! Love it! This is very creative and I imagine perfect for Christmas.
December 3rd, 2008 at 12:54 pm
I can’t believe I’ve never seen this before! Such a brilliant idea!
December 3rd, 2008 at 1:05 pm
Now that is one colorful cheesecake! Perfect for a festive holiday spread, no doubt.
December 3rd, 2008 at 1:36 pm
I must have a slice of that cheesecake, how totally cool and festive for the holidays.
Hey, we got our tree up last night. Still not decorated though. Maybe between work and a Christmas party on Saturday (we’ve turned down three parties already) we can get a few ornaments up.
December 3rd, 2008 at 1:48 pm
I’m a huge fan of Southern Living (especially the recipes) and a cheesecake like this would have struck me too. I cannot get over that color–so vivid & intense.
December 3rd, 2008 at 3:39 pm
that looks divine, but i have to wonder – do u get the aftertaste from all that food coloring????
December 3rd, 2008 at 5:08 pm
Dani- no aftertaste, doesn’t even turn your mouth red (well the minute you eat it but it goes away).
December 3rd, 2008 at 7:13 pm
A friend of mine just made this for her husband’s birthday and my mouth dropped at the thought of it, too. Yes cream cheese on top of cream cheese is brilliant. I am totally making this.
December 3rd, 2008 at 7:21 pm
Hokey smokes rocky squirrel! That looks fantastic. Great food photography.
December 3rd, 2008 at 7:42 pm
That is a fantastic and festive cheesecake! What a pain about your check! I hope is there by now!
December 3rd, 2008 at 8:43 pm
red velvet + cheesecake = 2 of my favorite treats ever! this sounds amazing. my mother’s birthday is on Christmas day so I may just whip this up for her-thanks for sharing your recipe!
December 3rd, 2008 at 11:20 pm
I haven’t started Christmas shopping yet either and I don’t think it’s going to be happening anytime soon… can it just be January already?
December 4th, 2008 at 6:39 am
here we have further proof that i’ve been living in a cave–i’ve never even considered this! it’s wonderful! lovely color, and come on–it’s cheesecake!
December 4th, 2008 at 9:33 am
Oh sweet Jesus. That’s all I have to say.
December 4th, 2008 at 9:45 am
I always make cheesecake in 9″ cake pans, but from your pic it looks wetter than regular NY cheesecake. Do you think it is necessary to use a springform? Looks delicious, can’t wait to try it!
December 4th, 2008 at 10:04 am
Yum. That is some serious cheesecake! This will be at my Christmas dinner this year!
Thanks again for the recipes and stopping by and commenting my page! Always looking forward to your posts.
December 4th, 2008 at 1:09 pm
I think I found red velvet cheesecake somewhere on the internet back in July and I was gonna make it but didn’t yet. Funny thing is I had been planning to make it for Christmas pretty much since summer, so I guess we are on the same wavelength dessert wise. The last cheesecake I made was for thanksgiving–eggnog cheesecake (in a cupcake pan) and they didn’t turn out that good although a few people told me that they were good. I just made eggnog cookies today and they are very good, they taste sort of like a sugar cookie with some eggnog flavor thrown in. I am going to make eggnog bread next though. So red velvet is gonna wait for a while anyway. Then I have another dessert I wanna make- Thin Mint icecream pie…
December 4th, 2008 at 1:11 pm
Wow, that’s amazing-looking!
Oddly enough, I found the perfect Christmas cards at Wal-Mart. They had a great selection of cards with local scenes, and I got a few boxes of the ones with the Mukilteo lighthouse.
December 4th, 2008 at 1:56 pm
Pea, I have just returned from my first shopping session – and I hope I get it all done by the second. At least all the nieces and nephews have gifts now – all 6 of them.
My tree is still in the box, though.
What a festive, beautiful cheesecake. It could convert me into a cheesecake fan.
December 4th, 2008 at 3:17 pm
Well, Holy Tamale that is red velvet cheesecake! I think it’s so funny to find this kind of thing and have the thought ‘how could I not have thought this’.
So holiday!
December 4th, 2008 at 5:54 pm
Stunning!
December 4th, 2008 at 6:17 pm
Goodness gracious!
December 4th, 2008 at 7:23 pm
I’m speechless, just speechless………
December 5th, 2008 at 12:22 pm
Oh my goodness. This looks wonderful! I cannot wait to make it!
December 7th, 2008 at 3:18 pm
Oh my GOD! That looks incredible!!! I love Red Velvet cake but have never heard of a cheesecake, wow! Hopefully I am catching up with everyone after being overloaded with work for the last few weeks. Hope to see you join the Cooking with Alicia & Annie blog event this month!
December 7th, 2008 at 8:15 pm
That is one RED cheesecake & a brilliant reinvention of red velvet cake. As far as getting ready for Christmas, very litle has been done…maybe tomorrow…& 10 parties is a good thing, right?
December 7th, 2008 at 11:03 pm
Wow, what gorgeous color! That looks wonderful and is such a great idea. Beautiful!
December 8th, 2008 at 4:44 am
Wow!! I can’t wait to make it. Thanks for sharing.
December 8th, 2008 at 4:23 pm
This is just brilliant!! And I haven’t bought a single gift yet, either. so you are not alone!! (And I don’t think I’ll even send out cards this year!)
December 8th, 2008 at 11:10 pm
i think i’d need to try red velvet cake before trying this, don’t you think
it looks wonderful though…perfect for the holidays!
December 10th, 2008 at 6:02 pm
I’m still slightly scared of the colour of red velvet things but also very, very compelled to try this cheesecake out. It is just so hypnotic. . .I’m falling under its spell. . .
December 18th, 2008 at 7:15 am
[...] Ingredients Recipe courtesy of Concoctions by Peabody [...]
December 19th, 2008 at 6:59 pm
I love all things red velvet. And I don’t even have to try this to know I love it. And will make it. Over and over and over and over again…. The first time being Xmas…..
December 20th, 2008 at 7:18 am
Just saw that you made this too! I posted mine today. I absolutely LOVED it!
January 21st, 2009 at 12:39 pm
[...] Red Velvet Cheesecake [...]
February 1st, 2009 at 7:38 pm
just made this cheesecake for my daughters bday……..I did use a water bath, rather than just following the recipe, and it came out disappointingly grainy. Any suggestions?
February 10th, 2009 at 2:10 pm
At this very moment I am waiting patiently while my first attempt at your Red Velvet Cheesecake is baking away in the oven. SO NERVOUS!!! I hope it turns out as delicious as I want it to be!
February 11th, 2009 at 11:48 am
Where on earth did you find the chocolate graham crackers?
February 11th, 2009 at 12:01 pm
All done … I followed your oven timing instructions to the tee yesterday and the cheesecake looked great! That color .. that COLOR!! Drives me mad! One thing though .. luckily I put the cake pan on a baking sheet when I put it in the oven, because when I took it out after it baked, there was a layer of melted butter (I think it was butter) on the baking sheet. Do you know what might have happened? I used the exact amt of butter in the crust as you did. The only other thing I can think of is that it was the liquid from the cream cheese, because I used the low-fat stuff. Is that possible?
February 11th, 2009 at 12:04 pm
Now to the taste .. yesterday I didn’t taste it because you had said to let it chill for 8 hrs (I resisted, so proud of myself!). Today it’s all chilled & frosted & GORGEOUS. Gobbled up a slice for lunch. I LOVE IT!!! Seriously good! That crust and frosting are DY-NO-MITE! Thks for an awesome recipe Peabody
February 12th, 2009 at 6:59 pm
Sue- I found them at my local Safeway.
February 14th, 2009 at 5:33 pm
This looks beyond delicious! I can’t wait to make it!!!! Thank you so much for posting these gorgeous photos and the recipe
March 21st, 2009 at 12:38 pm
Hi!
I just posted this recipe on my blog. It was AMAZING! Thanks for the recipe. I’ve been a fan of your blog for sometime. I’ve finally started my own blog! Take a look when you get a chance. I’d greatly apprieciate it! =)
December 23rd, 2009 at 6:34 am
I put green food colouring in the icing and saved a little white to write “Merry Christmas” on the top and draw a couple snowflakes on the top and sides. It looked really nice and gave it that extra christmas feeling. Everyone loved it and I am making it again next year.
December 23rd, 2009 at 9:20 am
Lol, StumbleUpon believeth not in time constraints. This is teh awesomes! Thanks for sharing, I’m excited to try this out! I wonder if one could make little, individual cheesecakes using ramekins.
February 12th, 2010 at 3:57 pm
[...] pump, trying hard to eat healthy (even though I’m currently weighing the pros and cons of a red velvet cheesecake – recipe link courtesy of my friend Elizabeth Arnold), and making feeble attempts to get a [...]