Red Velvet 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
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups vegetable 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
Prepare the cheesecake layer: Preheat oven to 325
degrees. 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 spring form
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
jiggle. 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 cake layers: Preheat oven to 350
degrees. 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.
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 over beat).
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.
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 -
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