Red Velvet Cheesecake Cake

Red Velvet Cheesecake

I’ll tell you what I am most excited about this Mother’s Day. Read about it at the bottom of this page but now off to the cake.

For the occasion, I wanted to top the cake with something bold and beautiful. My good friend Martha Stewart taught me how to make flowers with dried pineapple. I one-upped her by coloring mine. Aren’t they pretty?

Red Velvet Cheesecake Recipe

• 2 (8oz. each) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
• ⅔ cup sugar
• pinch of salt
• 2 large eggs
• ⅓ cup sour cream
• ⅓ cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Red Velvet Cake (or use boxed mix):

• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 ½ cups vegetable or canola oil
• 1 cup buttermilk
• ¼ cup (two 1-ounce bottles) red food coloring
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons white vinegar

Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 2 ½ cups powdered sugar, sifted lightly to remove any lumps
• 2 (8oz. each) packages cream cheese, softened
• ½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

To make pineapple flowers:
Makes about 12

• 1 small Pineapple (less ripe)
• Food coloring (optional)

Cheesecake layer:

Pineapple flowers:

1. Preheat oven to 225 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Line a large baking sheet with a silicone mat (Silpat) or parchment paper. Slice off the top of the pineapple with a sharp knife. Cut off the rind. Using a small melon baller or a small measuring spoon remove and discard pineapple “eyes”. With a sharp knife (a serrated knife works well), cut pineapple crosswise into very thin slices. The thinner the slices, the better they will dry. You will most likely have more than 12 slices, but that’s OK since not all of them will be cut perfectly. Just pick your best looking ones to use. I have soaked my pineapple slices in a food coloring/water mixture for few hours to create this red color, but leaving the pineapple uncolored yields gorgeous yellow flowers. I added about 10 drops of red food color to 1 cup water.
3. Transfer slices to baking sheet. It is helpful to pat dry slices with paper towels before this step. Bake until tops look dried, about 30 minutes. The baking time really depends on your oven. It took mine about 45 minutes on 330 degrees. Make sure to keep a close eye on them to avoid burning them. Flip slices and bake until completely dried for 30-45 minutes more.
4. Pinch the center of each pineapple slice to form a cone, and let cool in a muffin tin to form flowers. It is best to leave them to sit overnight to retain the shape. I returned the muffin tin into the warm oven to help dry more and shape better.
5. Garnish the cake right before serving because leaving them too long in the frosting will get them moist and floppy.

Red Velvet Cheesecake

By Jas

Most amazing cake combination of moist red velvet layer, fluffy cheesecake, and cream cheese frosting adorned with pineapple flowers.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 1 hour hr

Cook Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Total Time 2 hours hrs 15 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Yields 13 servings

Calories 931 kcal

Ingredients

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Cheesecake:

• ▢ 2 8oz. each packages cream cheese, at room temperature
• ▢ ⅔ cup sugar
• ▢ pinch of salt
• ▢ 2 large eggs
• ▢ ⅓ cup sour cream
• ▢ ⅓ cup heavy whipping cream
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Red Velvet Cake (or use boxed mix):

• ▢ 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1 ½ cups sugar
• ▢ 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• ▢ 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• ▢ 1 ½ cups vegetable or canola oil
• ▢ 1 cup buttermilk
• ▢ ¼ cup two 1-ounce bottles red food coloring
• ▢ 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ▢ 2 teaspoons white vinegar

Cream Cheese Frosting:

• ▢ 2 ½ cups powdered sugar, sifted lightly to remove any lumps
• ▢ 2 8oz. each packages cream cheese, softened
• ▢ ½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• ▢ 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

To make pineapple flowers:

• ▢ Makes about 12
• ▢ 1 small Pineapple, less ripe
• ▢ Food coloring, optional

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Instructions

Cheesecake layer:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Place a large roasting pan on the lower third rack of the oven. 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 preheated oven. Carefully pour enough boiling 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.

Red velvet cake layer:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• 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 the 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.

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 exteriors 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.
• Apply a crumb coat layer to the cake using 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 on 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. Keep this cake refrigerated.

Pineapple flowers:

• Preheat oven to 225 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Line a large baking sheet with a silicone mat (Silpat) or parchment paper. Slice off the top of the pineapple with a sharp knife. Cut off the rind. Using a small melon baller or a small measuring spoon remove and discard pineapple “eyes”. With a sharp knife (a serrated knife works well), cut pineapple crosswise into very thin slices. The thinner the slices, the better they will dry. You will most likely have more than 12 slices, but that’s OK since not all of them will be cut perfectly. Just pick your best looking ones to use. I have soaked my pineapple slices in a food coloring/water mixture for few hours to create this red color, but leaving the pineapple uncolored yields gorgeous yellow flowers. I added about 10 drops of red food color to 1 cup water.
• Transfer slices to baking sheet. It is helpful to pat dry slices with paper towels before this step. Bake until tops look dried, about 30 minutes. The baking time really depends on your oven. It took mine about 45 minutes on 330 degrees. Make sure to keep a close eye on them to avoid burning them. Flip slices and bake until completely dried for 30-45 minutes more.
• Pinch the center of each pineapple slice to form a cone, and let cool in a muffin tin to form flowers. It is best to leave them to sit overnight to retain the shape. I returned the muffin tin into the warm oven to help dry more and shape better.
• Garnish the cake right before serving because leaving them too long in the frosting will get them moist and floppy.

Nutrition

Calories: 931kcal (47%) | Carbohydrates: 89g (30%) | Protein: 10g (20%) | Fat: 62g (95%) | Saturated Fat: 41g (205%) | Cholesterol: 159mg (53%) | Sodium: 601mg (25%) | Potassium: 272mg (8%) | Fiber: 2g (8%) | Sugar: 66g (73%) | Vitamin A: 1426IU (29%) | Vitamin C: 33mg (40%) | Calcium: 124mg (12%) | Iron: 2mg (11%)

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When my daughter was about 18 years old she gave me this poem for Mother’s Day that still decorates my office wall. It touched my heart on a level so deep, it is indescribable. She never had even the slightest clue of how much it meant to me, not even after a little tribute in this short story. But now that she is a mom, I know she will NOW understand the depth behind these words and she will understand the depth of my love for her, despite that she sometimes thinks I am being “mean” to her.

And that is my friends why I'm so excited this Mother’s Day. That realization is the best gift a mother can receive even if it's never admitted!

NEVER ENOUGH

Sometimes I know the words to say
Give thanks for all you've done,
But then they fly up and away,
As quickly as they come.

How could I possibly thank you enough,
The one who makes me whole,
The one to whom I owe my life,
The forming of my soul.

The one who tucked me in at night,
The one who stopped my crying,
The one who was the expert
At picking up when I was lying.

The one who saw me off to school,
And spent sad days alone,
Yet magically produced a smile,
As soon as I came home.

The one who makes such sacrifices,
To always put me first,
Who lets me test my broken wings,
In spite of how it hurts.

Who paints the world a rainbow
When it's filled with broken dreams,
Who explains it all so clearly
When nothing's what it seems.

Are there really any words for this?
I find this question tough...
Anything I want to say,
Just doesn't seem enough.

What way is there to thank you,
For your heart, your sweat, your tears,
For ten thousand little things you've done,
For oh-so-many years.

For changing with me as I changed,
Accepting all my flaws,
Not loving 'cause you had to,
But loving "just because."

For never giving up on me,
When your wits had reached their end,
For always being proud of me,
For being my best friend.

And so come to realize,
The only way to say,
The only thank you that's enough,
Is clear in just one way.

Look at me before you,
See what I've become.
Do you see yourself in me,
The job that you have done?

All your hopes and all your dreams,
The strength that no one sees,
A transfer over many years,
Your best was passed to me.

Thank you for the gifts you give,
For everything you do,
But thank you, Mommy, most of all
For making dreams come true.

Love,
Your Daughter