Every year around this time, I get the urge to build a mailbox.

Don’t look at me like that. I blame my elementary school teachers. At the beginning of almost every February, my teachers would pull out construction paper, glue, stickers, markers, and paint, and we’d all set to work constructing mailboxes. Sure it wasn’t the most glamorous construction job I’ve ever been a part of, but I was very serious about it nonetheless, because this wasn’t just any mailbox — this was a Valentine’s Day mailbox.

On February 14, we’d all bring in our packets of valentines and circulate about the classroom uncomfortably, dropping one in each of the waiting mailboxes. We tried not to pause too long at anyone’s desk or — heaven forbid — make any accidental eye contact, lest it be misinterpreted during this socially charged process.

Secretly, though, I’d probably spent the night before carefully selecting the perfect Strawberry Shortcake Valentine for the boy I liked. One that could be interpreted as being totally casual — plausible deniability in case he had no interest in me whatsoever — but was also slightly on the mushy side, in case he was just waiting for a sign of my interest. If I was appending candy to my valentines that year, I probably spent another eternity choosing the candy heart or chocolate that I thought he’d like the very best.

(Yes, I now realize that the boy I liked, in contrast, had probably spent the night before Valentine’s Day being hounded by his mother to at least write his classmates’ names somewhere on the valentines she’d bought for him, eating most of his valentine candy before it got attached to anyone’s card, and playing a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles video game until bed.)

Anyway, when every valentine was passed out and the time had finally come to sit down and empty our mailboxes, I was always breathless with suspense. Imagine the possibilities! Forget bills and junk mail — these mailboxes were carefully crafted to hold L-O-V-E. Every year I fully expected to receive a long letter handwritten by the boy I liked (actually, any boy would’ve done. Or a secret admirer? Yes, please!) detailing the many, MANY reasons he was smitten with me. He might even include a phone number. Maybe a special conversation heart. Maybe an engagement ring! You never know.

Reality was a little disappointing. I’d dump out all the valentines and quickly shuffle through the boring ones — Scooby Doo holding a bunch of flowers and saying, “Rees are for Roo, Valentine!” or Power Rangers crying, “It’s Morphin’ Time, Valentine!” My eagle eyes were looking for two things: candy and handwritten messages. Candy because it would sustain me on my arduous journey toward discovering the love of my life, and handwritten messages from said love.

Was his heartfelt letter to me in this envelope? Nope, a smurf card. How about this one? Nope, an I Love Lucy valentine — you can tell Mom picked those out. How about the envelope with a heart drawn on the front? Nope, that was from my BFF. Thanks a lot for getting my hopes up, girl. Slowly but surely, my stack dwindled. One after another, the valentines were slapped down onto my “read” pile with barely more than a glance. Finally, the fateful moment came when I’d read and dismissed the very last card.

No proposal. No secret admirer. Not even a lousy paragraph about my eyes being like the sun or something. Nothin’. At this point I’d probably look at my crush across the classroom and sigh, appreciating the suave way in which he used his lollipop as a sword to launch attacks against his friend’s ear.

Childhood is rough. Adulthood is a lot better. Yes, there are bills and junk mail in my mailbox now. And unfortunately, I didn’t get to MAKE my mailbox. And, okay, I’m not going to get a pile of colorful valentines, some of which are boasting candy.

But here’s why adulthood rocks. This year, when Christof Van Snufterplucken (names changed to protect the innocent — or lame) doesn’t turn off his video game long enough to write me a love letter about how awesome I am, I can remedy my disappointment in a mature, adult way: by making and eating a ridiculous amount of cheesecake. Red Velvet Cheesecake, to be exact.

Reader Victoria first gave me the idea for a Red Velvet Cheesecake back in November and I thought it sounded fantastic! She made a beautiful layer-cake-like version, and I went the cheesecake-like route. This ultimate Valentine’s dessert includes an oreo crust filled with layers of ganache, creamy cheesecake, and moist red velvet cake decorated with ganache and cream cheese frosting. Perhaps this is obvious, but apart from being pretty (especially when served with chocolate-covered strawberries and white chocolate hearts), this thing is delicious, indulgent, and yes, romantic. So even if your crush loves radioactive reptilian ninjas more than you, you can have your own little slice o’ love.

Tell me about one of your elementary school crushes. Did you ever receive a fantastic valentine in school?

5 from 1 reviews
Red Velvet Cheesecake
 
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A delicious dessert that combines two of your favorites into one! Note on cheesecake making: Cheesecakes are simple and super customizable. New to cheesecake making? Watch my 6-minute Cheesecake Video Tutorial for visual assistance! Note on scheduling: This cake is easily separated into two days of preparation, and can be prepared ahead of time. On day one, prepare the red velvet cake, cool it, and freeze it. On day two, prepare the cheesecake. You can then assemble and decorate right away, or leave this for day three.
Author:
Serves: 14-16
Ingredients
Crust Ingredients:
  • 32 chocolate sandwich cookies, finely processed into crumbs (cream and all – it’ll disappear when you crush them up!)
  • 5 1/3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  • pinch of salt
Ganache Ingredients:
  • 3/4 cups heavy cream
  • 10 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped (I used half semisweet and half bittersweet chocolate chips)
Cake Ingredients:
  • 1/4 cup vegetable shortening
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tablespoon cocoa
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cups sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 1 1/4 cups flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 tablespoon white vinegar
  • 1 ounce red food coloring
Filling Ingredients:
  • 3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1½ tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 3 large eggs
Decorative Toppings (optional):
  • 2 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
  • 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
  • white chocolate for drizzling
  • strawberries
Instructions
  1. Make the cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line the bottom and the sides of an 9-inch round cake pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two opposite sides to make it easier to lift the cake out of the pan when it’s done. Cream shortening, sugar, and eggs. Make a paste of the cocoa and coloring and add to the shortening mixture. Add salt and vanilla. Add buttermilk alternately with the flour, beginning and ending with flour. Mix vinegar and soda right before using and add to mixture by folding in. Pour batter into the cake pan and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool completely, cover in wax paper, and freeze for 30 minutes or until firm.
  2. Make the cheesecake: To make the crust, preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Butter a 9-inch springform pan and place it on a baking sheet. Combine the chocolate cookie crumbs, melted butter and salt in a small bowl. Toss with a fork to moisten all of the crumbs. Press into a thin layer covering the bottom and sides of the springform pan (at least 3 inches up the sides).
  3. Bring the cream to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Place the chocolate in a medium bowl. Once the cream reaches a simmer, pour the cream over the chocolate and let stand 1-2 minutes. Whisk in small circles until a smooth ganache has formed. Pour 1 – 1.5 cups of the ganache over the bottom of the crust. Freeze until the ganache layer is firm, about 30 minutes. Reserve the remaining ganache; cover and let stand at room temperature for later decorating.
  4. Preheat the oven to 350˚ F and position a rack in the middle of the oven. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and sugar on medium-high speed until well blended. Beat in the flour. Add in the vanilla and beat until well incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl between each addition.
  5. Pour the filling over the cold ganache in the crust. Place the springform pan on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until the top is lightly browned, puffed and cracked at the edges, and the center moves only very slightly when the pan is lightly shaken, about 1 hour. Transfer to a wire cooling rack. Cool at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. Transfer to the refrigerator and let cool at least 3 hours, until completely chilled and set (it’ll sink as it cools).
  6. Assemble topping: Whip room temperature ganache to create a fluffy texture perfect for piping. In a separate bowl, mix together cream cheese, butter, and powdered sugar to make a small amount of cream cheese frosting for decorating.
  7. Assemble the cheesecake: Wrap a warm towel around the outside of the springform pan to help loosen the crust from the sides. Carefully remove the springform. Transfer the cake to a serving platter. Here, you can schmear some ganache on the cheesecake to help the red velvet cake adhere. I didn’t, but it’s a good idea. Then place your red velvet cake layer on top of cheesecake (right side up). If for some reason you seem that your cake layer will stick up beyond your crust, you can use a long serrated knife to reduce its width (freezing it first makes it easier to cut). Decorate top of cake with drizzled white chocolate, piped cream cheese frosting, whipped ganache, and strawberries.

P.S. Who could this photographer be shooting my cheesecake? Find out this coming Wednesday!

 

by | 229 Comments

229 Comments on Red Velvet Cheesecake

  1. spabettie
    January 24, 2011 at 4:25 pm (14 years ago)

    seeing this beautiful cake, when you said mailbox I KNEW that’s what you were talking about!! I loved that time of year each year… and I loved those Valentines. A couple years ago I bought a few boxes of those little kid valentines and gave them to all of my friends and some coworkers… 🙂 it was REALLY fun and everyone loved it.

    this cake looks wonderfully delicious… two of my favorites!

    Reply
    • Julie @ Willow Bird Baking
      January 25, 2011 at 10:39 am (14 years ago)

      Oh, I love that idea!! Let’s see if I can get things together in enough time to do that for my coworkers!

      Reply
  2. Meggie Wallace
    January 24, 2011 at 4:29 pm (14 years ago)

    Suspense until Wednesday!! AHHH!!!!!!

    I love the look of this cheesecake, and am SOOO glad you posted this! I had been thinking about looking up a red velvet cheese cake…. looks so wonderful. Yay!

    All my valentines were pretty lame. The best I can think of was in high school, from my boyfriend (now husband), who made a silly heart with feet and a face. I think I still have that somewhere!!!

    Reply
  3. Becca
    January 24, 2011 at 4:33 pm (14 years ago)

    I think this is one of my favorite posts so far! It had me cracking up (because it was so, so true)! And that cake looks insanely good.

    Reply
  4. Muppy
    January 24, 2011 at 4:45 pm (14 years ago)

    This looks divine, leaves me dreaming of making such a creation, but i know mine will look like the kindergarten version 🙂

    Reply
  5. Meghan
    January 24, 2011 at 4:46 pm (14 years ago)

    Your writing in this one is superb. I skipped right down memory lane, back into fifth grade…

    Not on Valentine’s Day, but on the last day of school, I found a poem carefully scrolled in cursive and two dried flowers tucked inside. My secret admirer had written a poem about his feelings for me.

    In eleventh grade, I got a Facebook message from the guy I’d crushed on all through fifth grade. He confessed to writing the poem. As for the flowers, he said his mom told him to press flowers into his favorite book and they would soak up and convey all the words he couldn’t say.

    Moral of the story: there are good men out there and they start with lovely mothers.

    And, you’re right. There’s always cheesecake.

    Reply
    • Julie @ Willow Bird Baking
      January 25, 2011 at 10:48 am (14 years ago)

      Aww, Meghan, I love this story SO MUCH!! I totally want to be that kind of mom! <3

      Reply
  6. Ayisha
    January 24, 2011 at 5:25 pm (14 years ago)

    Hilarious and so true!!! The night before spent deciding what to write on valentines (should I write “dear Christof” or just “hey Christof”?!?). What a beautiful cheesecake! Love it! No exciting Valentines tales for me till high school. I suspect TMNT video games were to blame! 🙂

    Reply
    • Julie @ Willow Bird Baking
      January 25, 2011 at 10:49 am (14 years ago)

      Totally agree! DEAR versus HEY could be the difference between a lifelong romantic connection or nothing at all! You just never know! At least, that’s how it felt . . . 🙂

      Reply
  7. Jordan
    January 24, 2011 at 5:35 pm (14 years ago)

    Your story speaks to me on a totally relatable level! I think everyone has experienced something similar. Love the cake!!

    Reply
  8. Maggie
    January 24, 2011 at 5:55 pm (14 years ago)

    This looks amazing, and is by far one of the prettiest desserts I’ve ever seen!

    Reply
  9. Mollie
    January 24, 2011 at 6:03 pm (14 years ago)

    I used to go through all the cheap box kids valentines, evaluating the messages on each of them (like of course I couldn’t give a “Would You Be My Valentine?” note to a boy I didn’t like!). I made lists and got them all perfectly assigned to the right kids.

    And I’m pretty sure no one ever noticed…haha oh well!

    This cake looks BEYOND. Great work!

    Reply
    • Julie @ Willow Bird Baking
      January 25, 2011 at 10:42 am (14 years ago)

      I did the exact same thing, Mollie! I know I always read for the subtext, so I assumed everyone else did as well — probably NOT. haha.

      Reply
  10. Suzy
    January 24, 2011 at 6:15 pm (14 years ago)

    I had a crush that lasted from kindergarten through fourth grade. When I was in second grade, he was invited to my birthday party (at Chuck E. Cheese). He was the only boy. He wrapped my present in wedding paper. Sigh…true love…

    Gorgeous cheesecake, by the way!

    Reply
  11. Charmaine @ Speakeasy Kitchen
    January 24, 2011 at 6:58 pm (14 years ago)

    I was in love with a kid who was a cartoonist in elementary school. He drew fantastic little knights in shining armor, fighting off evil dragons to save the princess (moi) from her world of drudgery on Valentine’s Day and every day after that. I got tired of the cartoons about two months later and ended it. Now he’s a rockstar and I keep the box of cartoons in the basement of my parents’ home so I can say I knew him when…

    Reply
  12. Kim @ Sand & Sisal
    January 24, 2011 at 7:13 pm (14 years ago)

    Over the top! Decadent! Ummmm…Yummm! My favorite! Gorg presentation and I can just taste that creaminess! Book marking this one for sure! Thanks for sharing! (found this post on twitter) – Kim

    Reply
  13. Mara @ What's For Dinner?
    January 24, 2011 at 7:31 pm (14 years ago)

    OH. MY. GOODNESS. I want. Can you figure out how to ship one? I’d really really like a cheesecake…

    Reply
  14. Kamille
    January 24, 2011 at 8:23 pm (14 years ago)

    Julie–you are so talented. weaving a story and beautifully decorating this cheesecake, which looks sublime. I never got those special Vday cards either. I think boys are a bit more sheepish about those things or just daft. My crush in fifth grade however…we would discuss the essentials (WWF world wrestling federation) and never did I let him know I had a crush on him. He even visited me at my house, which gave me hope, but I heard that he liked someone else. It wasn’t until 6th grade, after he moved away that our mutual friend told me he DID have a crush on me. Awww–sweet innocent love at the ripe age of 10.

    Reply
  15. Cynthia Coffin
    January 24, 2011 at 8:23 pm (14 years ago)

    My valentine day memory would have to be Feb 1961, 3rd grade, Vernon Norris. On that day I recieved the largest heart shaped box of chocolate covered cherries Elizabethtown has ever seen. I wasn’t ready for a boy friend, so my Mother went to bed that night surrounded by empty candy papers and a big smile. Her nightly crossword puzzles, to be finished the next evening.

    Reply
    • Julie @ Willow Bird Baking
      January 25, 2011 at 10:44 am (14 years ago)

      Aw, too cute, Cynthia! Your mom, at least, was pleased about his crush on you!

      Reply
  16. Joanne
    January 24, 2011 at 8:55 pm (14 years ago)

    Oh how I remember the days of being so hopeful about V-Day cards…wishing and praying that SOME! ANY! boy in the class would have a crush on me and would send me a super special one. Sigh. never happened.

    But, like you. I see this cake in my future. I’m in love.

    Reply
    • Julie @ Willow Bird Baking
      January 25, 2011 at 10:45 am (14 years ago)

      See?! Love can be so much simpler without that whole having-to-find-a-boyfriend thing. 🙂 Just cheesecake.

      Reply
      • Karin (Kuchenbaaker) Baumgardner
        March 24, 2011 at 1:42 pm (14 years ago)

        Who needs anything else if you could have a cheesecake like this one!!! I couldn’t do it for Valentine’s this year as I had already chosen Rose L.B.’s Scarlett Empress, but for SURE I will make this deeeevine creation! Julie – I love your blog & photos and stories!

        Reply
  17. Kaitlin
    January 24, 2011 at 9:38 pm (14 years ago)

    Beautiful! I always hoped for the same thing in school, but always had the same results. It doesn’t matter thought because you’re completely right; celebrating with this is much better 😉

    Reply
  18. Megan
    January 24, 2011 at 10:27 pm (14 years ago)

    No fantastic valentines, but, man, I would have loved to get a piece of that cheesecake in my carefully constructed mailbox! Looks beautiful. Can’t wait to hear about the mystery photographer.

    Reply
  19. Angela
    January 24, 2011 at 11:21 pm (14 years ago)

    Yum yum yum, I’ll have a large slice, please!

    I never got any exciting Valentine’s cards, but my friend in college received a DOOR in the mail, all covered in messages and then wrapped in paper! hahaha

    Hope you’re feeling better 🙂 xxx

    Reply
  20. Betty @ scrambled hen fruit
    January 25, 2011 at 12:41 am (14 years ago)

    This is absolutely gorgeous! I’d so love a slice of that for Valentine’s Day! Being an elementary school teacher on Valentine’s Day is so much fun- my kids are young enough just to love getting those cute little cards and candy. No boyfriend/girlfriend stuff to mess it all up! 🙂

    Reply
    • Julie @ Willow Bird Baking
      January 25, 2011 at 10:46 am (14 years ago)

      Love it! Those were the good ol’ days. Although I can definitely remember thinking about boyfriends since kindergarten. Sigh. I started early . . .

      Reply
  21. Judy
    January 25, 2011 at 1:42 am (14 years ago)

    This is so elegant. If I’m in charge of Valentine’s Day dinner, this could be on the menu. Fortunately, I can barely remember all those tortuous Valentine’s Days of old. I do remember my mother made me give everyone a card. Not everyone was so kind.

    Reply
    • Julie @ Willow Bird Baking
      January 25, 2011 at 10:47 am (14 years ago)

      Aw, hate that, Judy! Don’t people realize everyone deserves a valentine? Here’s one for you from me: <3

      Reply
  22. KeepItSweet
    January 25, 2011 at 8:08 am (14 years ago)

    This looks incredible!!! I totally remember the same type of Valentine’s Days as a kid. I’d say the Red Velvet Cheesecake wins!

    Reply
  23. Stephanie @ okie dokie artichokie
    January 25, 2011 at 9:28 am (14 years ago)

    I just absolutely love the way this cheesecake looks! The fanciful icing on top is so whimsy! LOL…love it. And I just wanted to say the word “whimsy” because it’s fun. :-p

    BTW, I saw the blooper reel of your video for making cheesecake and almost died laughing. LOL. You are so cute!

    Reply
  24. norma
    January 25, 2011 at 12:53 pm (14 years ago)

    I am spechless and that is rare…WOW!

    Reply
  25. DessertForTwo
    January 25, 2011 at 4:36 pm (14 years ago)

    Absolutely gorgeous! The best Valentine’s Day dessert I’ve EVER seen! 🙂

    Reply
  26. Tiffany
    January 25, 2011 at 4:52 pm (14 years ago)

    This looks so lovely!

    Reply
  27. Sophia
    January 25, 2011 at 4:53 pm (14 years ago)

    I absolutely love the idea of combining a cheesecake with red velvet!! YUM! You should consider entering this cake into Recipe4Living’s 5th Birthday Recipe Contest! The site is turning 5 years old, and we’re giving away a Scharffen Berger gift basket to the top birthday cake that’s submitted!

    Reply
  28. Maranda
    January 25, 2011 at 6:23 pm (14 years ago)

    Oh Julie. You have done it again! This cake is absolutely stunning! I just wish that I liked red velvet cake! I can’t wait until Wednesday (tomorrow) to find out about that man. I know it’s probably something amazing knowing how talented you are!

    Reply
  29. KellyC
    January 25, 2011 at 7:58 pm (14 years ago)

    I can’t top what anyone else has said. This looks amazing and I’m sure tastes just as amazing. I was looking for something really special for Valentine’s day this year and it looks like this is it. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  30. darcyeats
    January 25, 2011 at 8:39 pm (14 years ago)

    This is love in cake form…deep passionate love. I need this. I’m so making this for myself for Valentines day!

    Reply
  31. Chanteuse Designs
    January 25, 2011 at 9:33 pm (14 years ago)

    OMG!!! All my favorites in one cake!! Congratulations, that looks spectacular! Thanks so much for posting…..hope I bake that this Valentines Day!
    Kathleen

    Reply
  32. foodies at home
    January 26, 2011 at 12:35 am (14 years ago)

    This is almost sinful! I need a slice NOW!!!

    Reply
    • Julie @ Willow Bird Baking
      January 26, 2011 at 12:36 am (14 years ago)

      There is totally still a slice in my freezer! But probably not for long 😉

      Reply
  33. Maggie
    January 26, 2011 at 2:05 am (14 years ago)

    Thank you for this AMAZING looking and I am sure AMAZING decadent dessert! I LOVE this and can’t wait to make it, you are AMAZING! Thanks for sharing =D

    Reply
  34. Monica H
    January 26, 2011 at 2:30 am (14 years ago)

    Now I want to make a mailbox in hopes that someone will fill it up with love letters for me! Not gonna happen. ha!

    This cheesecake cake looks fantastic. Red velvet is one of my favorites and with a layer of cheesecake? yes, please!

    Reply
  35. Vivian
    January 26, 2011 at 4:13 pm (14 years ago)

    This looks so good! I may have to try a LC version soon! 🙂 Whatever did you do with ALL that cheesecake? 🙂

    Reply
    • Julie @ Willow Bird Baking
      January 26, 2011 at 4:21 pm (14 years ago)

      Okay, I ate most of it, to be completely honest! Barb had two slices, and I still have a slice in my freezer. No further comment.

      Reply
  36. g
    January 26, 2011 at 11:20 pm (14 years ago)

    hey julie, i wanna make this for valentines day but im not sure if i can get vegetable shortening in the stores. what is the next best substitute? 🙂

    Reply
  37. Teal Cuttlefish
    January 27, 2011 at 4:07 am (14 years ago)

    I have put a kibosh on Valentine’s day; I say I’d rather have a gift any other day when the price isn’t inflated. A small token would be all right, but after years of marriage, isn’t really required. (18 years!)

    However, I showed this cake to my spouse, and he would love to have it for his birthday on the 5th of February! So I will make a list of what I need to purchase. Since I’m disabled and can’t work in the kitchen for hours at a time, I will be using the extended schedule to make this cake, thanks so much for breaking it down into smaller parts!

    Reply
    • Julie @ Willow Bird Baking
      January 27, 2011 at 11:47 pm (14 years ago)

      Hurray! I’m so glad you all will get to enjoy the cake soon, and glad I could be helpful! Let me know how it goes!

      Reply
  38. Karishma S
    January 27, 2011 at 4:27 am (14 years ago)

    Our school-time Valentines were different – teachers frowned upon stuff like that. But yeah, we waited and waited for our secret admirers to send us stuff – never once considering HOW those sweet nothings would get to us since we were separated into different sections!

    Once I was told that someone was going to send me a Valentine card, but it got confiscated by the teacher! LOL.

    Gorgeous cake!

    Reply
  39. Sue
    January 27, 2011 at 11:27 pm (14 years ago)

    I remember in the fifth grade my “crush” wrote our initials on the palm of his hand, and I drew “Peanuts”(the comic strip) pictures for him that he taped to the inside of his desk(the kind of desk where the top lifts up and you can look at it:))
    This cheesecake is AMAZING!!!

    Reply
  40. Ash
    January 29, 2011 at 11:54 am (14 years ago)

    Oh my! This has got to be the best looking cheese cake EVER!!

    Reply
  41. Amanda
    January 29, 2011 at 1:16 pm (14 years ago)

    Thank you so much for the recipe! I am planning to make this for Valentine’s day for my sweetheart.

    One question for you- How did you get the crust over both parts of the cake? (Maybe I’m just reading the recipe wrong, but I want to make sure I know as much as possible for this before I attempt it. 🙂 )

    Reply
    • Julie @ Willow Bird Baking
      January 29, 2011 at 1:28 pm (14 years ago)

      Hi Amanda! I just push the crust up about 3 to 3.5 inches (almost all the way up the pan). When I bake the cheesecake, there’s a ridge of crust sticking up over it. I then lay the frozen red velvet cake right down into that extra crust. sometimes it doesn’t quite cover it, but sometimes it does! You can also use a long serrated knife to shorten your red velvet layer if it ends up too tall. Hope that helps!

      Reply
  42. Dmarie
    January 29, 2011 at 7:37 pm (14 years ago)

    wow, you have wowed me yet again. what an amazing looking cake!

    Reply
  43. Emily
    January 30, 2011 at 3:39 pm (14 years ago)

    Lovely looking cake! I’ve misplaced my food processor so i was wondering, about how many ounces does the 32 cookies translate into if i were to use premade crumbs?

    Reply
    • Julie @ Willow Bird Baking
      January 30, 2011 at 3:47 pm (14 years ago)

      Hi Emily! I honestly have no idea. If I had to guesstimate in cups, I’d say about 3 cups? But I may be off. You can also crush the oreos in a plastic bag with a rolling pin if that helps.

      Reply
      • Emily
        January 31, 2011 at 3:30 am (14 years ago)

        Thanks!

        Reply
  44. Dina
    January 30, 2011 at 11:02 pm (14 years ago)

    what a lovely cake!

    Reply
  45. Peggy
    January 31, 2011 at 7:04 pm (14 years ago)

    Oh my! This cheesecake looks extremely delicious! Way better than the Cheesecake Factory version, I’m sure!

    Reply
    • Julie @ Willow Bird Baking
      January 31, 2011 at 7:15 pm (14 years ago)

      Peggy, I only just found out they had a version of it, and I’m excited to go try and see! Thanks 🙂

      Reply
  46. Cheryle
    February 6, 2011 at 1:00 pm (14 years ago)

    Hi, this cheesecake looks yummy delicious so I was thinking about making it, but as read through the recipe it seems to be missing some directions/ingredients such as in the crust preparation – it says preheat oven, but no where does it say bake the crust and in the ganache preparation, it mentions adding the coffee flavored liqueur but this item is not mentioned in the list of ingredients. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Julie @ Willow Bird Baking
      February 6, 2011 at 2:06 pm (14 years ago)

      Hi Cheryle,

      The crust does not get baked before being filled. The coffee flavored liqueur was a typo — now fixed! Thanks!

      Reply
  47. true word77
    February 7, 2011 at 12:37 pm (14 years ago)

    love it! this look great hon! xx

    Reply
  48. lulu&jawaher
    February 7, 2011 at 4:58 pm (14 years ago)

    Love it! I tried it today and everyone loved it. Mine didn’t come out nearly as pretty as yours of course but it was good nevertheless. Had problems with assembling the crust though.

    Reply
    • Julie @ Willow Bird Baking
      February 7, 2011 at 5:24 pm (14 years ago)

      I think it’s just gorgeous!! Great job!

      What troubles did you have with the crust? It can kind of stick to the glass as you pack it down, so I do a “press and twist” motion. I also make sure it’s well-pulverized and mixed so it sticks together, but even then, it’s a process! It always takes me a bit to get it right.

      Reply
  49. Deb Cummings
    February 9, 2011 at 3:15 pm (14 years ago)

    WHAT A GREAT READ! Thank you for bringing back some great memories. I can remember the first time we were allowed to use aluminum foil on the box, it sure added a lot of pizazz to the festivities. This recipe has got to be my favorite. I can’t wait to make it. I really enjoy your blog. Keep up the good work. I hope all is well with your mom and dad and your family. Your cousin did some work for my mom on her plumbing. Judy’s boys are all so cute.

    Reply
  50. Emma
    February 26, 2011 at 11:09 am (14 years ago)

    Just a question about freezing the cake. I’ve never worked with a recipe that requires freezing a cake before – do you defrost it before placing on top of the cheesecake layer, or place it on frozen? And if you’re working to the two day schedule, do you leave the cake in the freezer until you’ve made the cheesecake?

    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Julie @ Willow Bird Baking
      February 26, 2011 at 12:41 pm (14 years ago)

      Hi Emma! Freezing the cake layer makes it easier to work with. I got this tip from Smitten Kitchen and now I do it before leveling cake layers, assembling a layer cake, etc.!

      I place it on frozen — the stiffness helps to facilitate this process without the cake falling apart. Then I stick the whole thing in the fridge assembled and the red velvet cake defrosts (doesn’t take long before you can cut into it). Regarding the 2-day schedule, yep, I just leave it in there.

      Reply
      • Emma
        February 26, 2011 at 5:59 pm (14 years ago)

        Thank you, Julie, I appreciate you taking the time to reply!

        Reply
      • Emma
        March 1, 2011 at 8:01 am (14 years ago)

        Well, mine is in the oven but I think it’s going to be a disaster of epic proportions, as the cheesecake batter ended up the consistency of double cream. My fault – I used the beaters on my hand-held mixer as I don’t have a paddle attachment, and even though I set it at the slowest speed, it became liquid within about five seconds. I’m hoping that it’ll sort itself out in the oven.

        Oh well, live and learn! I’ll do it all by hand next time.

        Reply
        • Julie @ Willow Bird Baking
          March 1, 2011 at 8:05 am (14 years ago)

          Hi Emma,

          I actually use my beaters and handheld mixer sometimes, too, so I’m not sure if that’s it. My cheesecake batter isn’t too thick once all is said and done, so maybe it will turn out fine! If not, maybe this video will help: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Dj3msQYjOQ

          So sorry you had trouble!

          Reply
          • Emma
            March 1, 2011 at 9:01 am (14 years ago)

            Well, it’s out of the oven, and it’s set (except for that little bit of wobble), though it’s risen a lot more than I expected! The main issue I seem to have had is that the exposed Oreo crust seems to have burned a little, but I’ve trimmed off the burned bits now it’s cooked, and it’s fine.

            I do wonder if the thinness of the batter was down to the cream cheese we have in the UK?

            Anyway, thank you for being so helpful, I appreciate it! I’ll post a picture when I’ve assembled it.

            Reply
            • Julie @ Willow Bird Baking
              March 1, 2011 at 10:31 am (14 years ago)

              Oh good! I’m so glad to hear that it seems to be working out! I can’t wait to see it!

              Reply
              • Emma
                March 1, 2011 at 3:26 pm (14 years ago)

                It’d have looked a lot prettier if I’d been patient enough to wait for the cream cheese frosting to firm up a bit …

                The test is going to be not eating this until Thursday evening, when I take it to my friend’s house!

              • Julie @ Willow Bird Baking
                March 1, 2011 at 3:28 pm (14 years ago)

                Oh I can’t wait to see it!! Did you post it somewhere? You can email it to me at juruble ‘at’ gmail ‘dot’ com and I will post it on the “About” page for everyone to see.

              • Julie @ Willow Bird Baking
                March 1, 2011 at 3:29 pm (14 years ago)

                Oh it’s totally GORGEOUS, Emma!!!! Congratulations! I’ll take at least a slice or two or three, please!

              • Emma
                March 1, 2011 at 3:33 pm (14 years ago)

                I’m happy considering I’ve never a: made cheesecake before or b: made red velvet cake (other than in cupcakes).

                I must remember not to buy natural red food colouring – it’s just not as effective.

                *sends you a slice*

              • Julie @ Willow Bird Baking
                March 1, 2011 at 4:12 pm (14 years ago)

                You’re kidding! I LOVE that this was your first cheesecake! Look how totally elaborate and awesome it is!!!

  51. Rebecca M
    June 8, 2011 at 12:52 am (14 years ago)

    This looks great! How did you get the chocolate (it looks like more oreo crumbs…but it’s almost too thick to be that…) on the side?

    Reply
    • Julie @ Willow Bird Baking
      June 8, 2011 at 1:40 am (14 years ago)

      Hi Rebecca, Thanks! The crust is pulverized oreos, and they’re smooshed up against the sides and packed on the bottom with a straight-edged glass 🙂

      Reply
      • Rebecca M
        June 11, 2011 at 4:24 pm (14 years ago)

        So you just smushed them on after you put the two layers together??

        Reply
        • Julie @ Willow Bird Baking
          June 11, 2011 at 4:30 pm (14 years ago)

          No — the recipe will walk you through it. You place the pulverized oreos in the springform pan first and use a glass to smush them up against the sides and bottom of the springform. You then put your unbaked cheesecake mixture into the crust (the crust will stick up higher than the mixture) and bake it. After it cools, you place the cake down on top of the cheesecake.

          Reply
          • Rebecca M
            June 11, 2011 at 5:43 pm (14 years ago)

            OHH!! Okay I understand now! I must have missed the part about the crust being higher than the actual cheesecake…thank you!!!

            Reply
  52. freeze
    July 4, 2011 at 11:22 am (13 years ago)

    i’m going to give this a try. i’m craving for some good red velvet cheescake, thanks!

    Reply
  53. Cathy
    July 7, 2011 at 7:14 pm (13 years ago)

    This has to go to the top of my priority list of must-make-now!! Super awesome!!

    Reply
  54. Jacqueline
    August 5, 2011 at 8:17 pm (13 years ago)

    Fabulous, saw this on Pinterest! As a red velvet cake fan and a cheesecake fan and loving the one at Cheesecake Factory, I really need to make this! Thanks a ton.

    Reply
  55. Helen
    August 24, 2011 at 12:26 am (13 years ago)

    On the cake part, it says: Flour, but the filling part says: All-purpose flour.
    Is it all-purpose flour, or should it be cake flour (like Swan’s?)

    And just regular food coloring?

    I’m gonna try to make it this week! It will be my first cheese cake and red velvet cake I’ve ever made!

    Reply
    • Julie @ Willow Bird Baking
      August 24, 2011 at 12:32 am (13 years ago)

      Hi Helen! It’s all all-purpose flour and yes, regular food coloring. I hope you love it! This is a fun cake to make and comes out looking fancy without too much work. Let me know if you have any other questions along the way!

      Reply
      • Helen
        August 27, 2011 at 3:48 pm (13 years ago)

        The cakes worked out quite well. The only thing was that the red velvet cake didn’t fit exactly over the cheesecake. The cheesecake seemed bigger even though they were both 9 inch pans.

        The red velvet cake didn’t “adhere” to the cheesecake… maybe I should have used some ganache? 😉 I don’t think my crust was high enough either. But it tasted great!

        I realized I wasn’t supposed to put the ganache on top of the red velvet either (after I looked at yours again). But I realized I did this because of the wider width of the cheesecake. I suppose it was to hide that fact so it wasn’t so noticeable. So I have a crescent moon design with the ganache. =)

        I made a few recipe adjustments but still turned out fine… wish I could send you a slice!

        P.S. I send you my FB pictures link!

        Reply
        • Julie @ Willow Bird Baking
          August 28, 2011 at 9:43 am (13 years ago)

          I think it turned out so lovely!! Thank you for sending along the photos — so glad you had fun working out the process!! 🙂

          Reply
          • hwong17
            August 31, 2011 at 10:30 pm (13 years ago)

            Can you let me know when you post up the picture? I can’t wait to see which picture you decided to pick!

            Reply
            • Julie @ Willow Bird Baking
              August 31, 2011 at 10:32 pm (13 years ago)

              Sure thing! I will probably post all the photos of the cupcake challenge and your cheesecake on the same day, so check on September 7! It’ll be on the “About YOU” section of the ABOUT page 🙂

              Reply
  56. Jim
    September 29, 2011 at 9:23 pm (13 years ago)

    What a fabulous presentation of that gorgeous cheesecake! I absolutely love red velvet cheesecake and just the pictures make my mouth water.

    Reply
  57. jcemmanuel
    October 3, 2011 at 5:54 pm (13 years ago)

    Thank you for the lovely pics and great reading instructions, with the tutorials – I can’t wait to try this cake and the pumpkin one

    Reply
  59. Trudy
    October 9, 2011 at 11:40 am (13 years ago)

    Hi Julie!
    A baker and an author; I enjoyed the story just as much as the cake. 🙂
    I wanted to know what makes the crust stay up the sides and not crumble apart. Is it the ganache?

    Reply
    • Julie @ Willow Bird Baking
      October 9, 2011 at 1:24 pm (13 years ago)

      Thanks, Trudy! The butter in the crust binds the crumbs together, and when the cheesecake is baked, it hardens that way!

      Reply
  60. Kelly
    October 10, 2011 at 5:00 pm (13 years ago)

    In your other cheesecakes you mention some sort of “glue” between layers – ganache or caramel. Is there a glue between the cheescake and red velvet cake layers?

    Reply
    • Julie @ Willow Bird Baking
      October 10, 2011 at 5:06 pm (13 years ago)

      Hi Kelly, I usually don’t add anything between layers — which cheesecake were you referring to? I think I might’ve in the birthday cake cheesecake because it was a little less steady than the others.

      In this cheesecake, I don’t add anything between the cheesecake and cake layer. I find when chilled together, they stay together nicely. If you wanted to be sure, you could reserve some of the ganache from the beginning of the recipe and add a layer of ganache between the cheesecake and cake layers. Hope that helps!

      Reply
  61. Kelly
    October 10, 2011 at 5:57 pm (13 years ago)

    It does help. Thanks. You used it in the birthday cheesecake and in the caramel fudge brownie cake.
    I think I will make this and/or croissants this weekend. My friend is making the birthday cheesecake.

    Reply
  62. Kelly
    October 13, 2011 at 2:28 pm (13 years ago)

    Done! I am embarrassed to show you though. I suck at decorating and had some crust issues. And my layers won’t stick together. Boo!! I will try to take the prettiest pic possible then send it along.

    Reply
    • Julie @ Willow Bird Baking
      October 13, 2011 at 2:34 pm (13 years ago)

      Don’t be embarrassed!!! I’m sure it’s lovely! I can’t wait to see. And definitely let me know how it TASTES!!

      Reply
      • Kelly
        October 13, 2011 at 11:10 pm (13 years ago)

        Here you go: http://twitpic.com/6zyhqr.(Blurry and far away deliberately). I’m not a red velvet fan so to be that part’s just OK. This is good because it means I won’t eat the entire thing in one day. Just a quarter per day. The cheesecake layer is delicious! I will do this again maybe with another flavour and some sort of “glue” or I may just do one of your other cheesecakes.

        Reply
        • Julie @ Willow Bird Baking
          October 13, 2011 at 11:28 pm (13 years ago)

          Kelly, it looks AWESOME! I can’t believe you’re embarrassed — it looks perfect to me! So glad you like it, too! Whose the red velvet fiend in your house that convinced you to make it? 😉

          I bet you’ll also love my favorite cheesecake, the Caramel Fudge Brownie cheesecake, or my close second (sometimes tied for first!), Coffee Cookie Dough Fudge Cheesecake. They’re totally insane!

          CONGRATULATIONS on making such a beauty!!

          Reply
  63. Kelly
    October 14, 2011 at 6:24 pm (13 years ago)

    I made the red velvet because I love the color contrast with the cheesecake layer. Also, I knew that I would eat less of it. Unfortunately,that has backfired because the slice I had for breakfast was DELICIOUS. Yes, I said breakfast.

    Oh and I made the first batch of croissants last night. I didn’t use your recipe as I have a sourdough starter but the recipe is pretty similar. I did follow your directions though. I’m not good at rolling and all that. And there was oozing. But I powered through.

    As the first set baked, I thought, wow, I don’t care what they taste like, the house smells AMAZING right now. I waited about 30 seconds before biting into one and OH. MY. GOODNESS. It was 2:30 am and I had to call someone to tell them that I had died and gone to heaven.

    A picture? Huh? I was supposed to take a pic before I devoured them? Oops. I do have half my dough left so you will get a picture soon. I want to be a Croissant master too! I hope to fill some with some form of meat filling. Laminated doughs are dangerous. THANK YOU!!

    Reply
    • Julie @ Willow Bird Baking
      October 14, 2011 at 6:33 pm (13 years ago)

      Wahoo!! You are totally a superhero right now! Layered cheesecake AND croissants in one week! I’m so impressed!

      AND SO GLAD YOU LOVED THE CROISSANTS. Aren’t they just the most amazing things, with all that butter folded in? I need to make some more soon! I love the idea of a meat filling. Yum.

      Definitely send me a photo of the next batch, you croissant master, you! Oh, and don’t worry about the cheesecake for breakfast — I know how that goes. I don’t judge… 😉

      Congrats on lots of kitchen accomplishments!

      Reply
  64. angela saban
    October 16, 2011 at 10:04 pm (13 years ago)

    This sounds amazing, I plan to try a gluten free version, thanks so much for this fabulous recipe!

    Reply
  65. Gordielle
    December 14, 2011 at 8:41 pm (13 years ago)

    hello! well im trying to do this but i have a doubt: how can i make the cookie crust to cover even the red velvet cake? and its it really necessary that i use flour on the cheesecake mix? i would love if you post a video how to of this amazing cheesecake, Thanks a lot

    Reply
    • Julie @ Willow Bird Baking
      December 14, 2011 at 10:21 pm (13 years ago)

      Hi Gordielle! To make the crust cover the cake part too, you need to work it up as high as it will go while keeping it thin — this takes patience, because it will crumble here and there and you’ll have to keep working it up the sides of your pan. After you bake, cool, and freeze your cake, you can also trim it down to the height you want using a long serrated knife.

      I got this basic cheesecake filling recipe elsewhere and kept the flour — I wouldn’t take it out just because I love the texture of the cheesecake and wouldn’t want to fiddle. Perhaps it helps with the structure somehow.

      This cheesecake follows the same procedure my other cheesecakes follow in terms of assembly, so this video will help you! http://youtu.be/7Dj3msQYjOQ

      Reply
  66. Marci
    December 26, 2011 at 11:14 am (13 years ago)

    This gorgeous cheesecake was made for our Christmas celebration! It looked so festive and oh, my was it delicious!! Mmmm… Thank you for a new tradition! -Marci

    PS This recipe is getting a quick post over at Stone Cottage Adventures as our new fave recipe!

    Reply
    • Julie @ Willow Bird Baking
      December 30, 2011 at 6:48 am (13 years ago)

      Hooray! I’m so glad you all enjoyed it, Marci! And thanks for the shout-out! Happy Christmas and New Year!

      Reply
  67. Beth
    January 8, 2012 at 12:56 am (13 years ago)

    I made this red velvet cheesecake for a New Years party I went to. Everyone love it. The recipe was a little work but well worth the outcome. It is worth the work and I will be making this again.
    Thanks for sharing the recipe. It’s the first time bringing one of my cheesecakes to a party that I didn’t have any leftovers. I found a winner.

    Reply
  68. mitzi stinson
    January 18, 2012 at 2:28 am (13 years ago)

    great story
    just wondering if you had ever thought of making these as individuals . for treats to give away at work
    i thought about making in large muffin pans until i saw you made each separately
    your comments are appreciated

    Reply
  69. Diana
    January 23, 2012 at 7:12 am (13 years ago)

    Hi! this recipe looks amazing! I would really like to make this for Valentine’s Day this year but I’m unsure how you assemble the red velvet cake on top of the cheesecake without breaking the cookie crust .. help? in your pictures it looks as if the red velvet cake was baked right with the crust ! i’m so fooled haha

    -helpless baker diana

    Reply
    • Julie @ Willow Bird Baking
      January 23, 2012 at 11:03 am (13 years ago)

      Hi Diana! Get out your springform pan and cake pan and find a cake pan that’s just a smidge smaller (or about the same size) as the springform. Then be sure when you’re building up your crust that you smoosh it up the sides past your cheesecake. When you’re ready to assemble, the red velvet cake should fit right down inside the cookie crust (just lay it gently in). If it seems it’s going to stick up above the crust, you can just use a long serrated knife to evenly slice off some of the bottom of the cake layer (after freezing is the best time, because it’s easier) to ensure it’ll sit down in the crust like you want. Hope that helps! 🙂

      Reply
  70. robyn
    February 8, 2012 at 5:20 pm (13 years ago)

    Please help. Your recipe says 1 oz of food coloring. My bottle is only 2/3 oz. Is your recipe correct? Isn’t that a lot of food coloring. Please advise. I’ve already creamed the first ingredients and aren’t sure how to continue.

    Reply
    • Julie @ Willow Bird Baking
      February 8, 2012 at 5:26 pm (13 years ago)

      Hi Robyn! Just responded on FB but I’ll respond here as well in case anyone has this question in the future. The recipe (1 ounce) is correct — it’s the equivalent of 2 tablespoons. It’s a lot of food coloring, but it takes that to get the vivid red. I don’t use food coloring very often, so I don’t mind splurging for some RED velvet when I do 🙂

      That being said, I can’t imagine that it’ll hurt too much to use 0.75. It might be a little less vibrant. Hope it works out!

      Reply
  71. Purabi Naha
    February 10, 2012 at 7:15 am (13 years ago)

    This looks awesome! Loved the recipe. Why is shortening needed? Can I omit shortening?

    Reply
    • Julie @ Willow Bird Baking
      February 10, 2012 at 11:45 am (13 years ago)

      Shortening is the fat in the cake recipe. You could substitute something else (here’s a list of fat substitutions: http://www.foodsubs.com/Fatsoils.html), but I haven’t tried if and I’m not sure how the cake texture would turn out. Let me know how it goes!

      Reply
  72. Frances
    February 15, 2012 at 2:39 am (13 years ago)

    I made this cake for Valentine’s day! It was awesome! I didn’t use oreos – I used regular chocolate cookie bits, but it was delicious! 😀 Thanks for this. I have to say I love reading your blog.

    Reply
    • Julie @ Willow Bird Baking
      February 15, 2012 at 2:40 am (13 years ago)

      Thank you, Frances! I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed the cheesecake 🙂 Happy Valentine’s Day!!

      Reply
  73. cynthia wood
    February 16, 2012 at 4:57 am (13 years ago)

    That is one awesome cheesecake. The very first one I made
    for a BBQ contest took 6th place. Not to bad since there were
    84 teams…probally would of done better if I would of had time
    to put in the fridge..oh by the way first time I saw this was at
    The Cheese Cake Factory at almost $10.00 a slice…
    Thanks for your sight.

    Reply
    • Julie @ Willow Bird Baking
      February 16, 2012 at 5:02 am (13 years ago)

      So glad you enjoyed it, Cynthia! And congrats on 6th place — out of 84 teams, that’s amazing!! 🙂 Also, so funny — I didn’t even know Cheesecake Factory HAD a red velvet cheesecake until I posted this and folks asked if it were similar to the CF version. I still haven’t had it at the CF, so I’ll have to give it a try sometime and see how it compares 😉

      Reply
  74. Amanda
    March 8, 2012 at 1:48 pm (13 years ago)

    My junior year of high school, I received a candy-gram from “A Secret Admirer” on Sweetest Day and another on Valentine’s Day. I also received an “anonymous” Valentine from a guy in one of my classes, but since my best friend was the deliverer (after receiving it from another person, who received it from one more person). It simply said, “A guy in one of your classes”… well, that eliminated 40 of the 50 guys in our graduating class, and about 95% of the senior guys. (I went to a fairly small school. Average graduating class size: 100.) I never did figure out who it was, but it did lift my spirits and I paid a little more attention to how I did my hair. I graduated in 2003, but since then, I have a little inkling of who it could have been. 🙂

    Thanks for this wonderful recipe! It is 3 of my favorites all in one… and since I’m the only one in my family that likes cheesecake, I may be the only one who actually EATS it! Or, maybe I can share with all my girlfriends when we have another girls’ night in!

    Reply
    • Julie @ Willow Bird Baking
      March 8, 2012 at 5:03 pm (13 years ago)

      Aww, that’s so exciting!! No one ever sent me a secret admirer note, but I always dreamed of it. Ha. The candy-gram is a total bonus, because you can swoon AND eat 😉 Hope you love the cheesecake! Sounds perfect for girls’ night in!

      Reply
  75. Jess!
    April 10, 2012 at 3:11 am (13 years ago)

    I made this cake for Easter and it was a hit! I topped the cake with cream cheese frosting and drizzled strawberries with white chocolate. Thanks for posting this recipe I will be making it for years to come!!

    Reply
  76. Leah Martin
    May 4, 2012 at 11:19 pm (13 years ago)

    Baking this right now for my boyfriend’s birthday. I have never baked a cake, never made cheesecake, I have never made ganache, nor have I ever used a spring form pan. Looking to impress my baking skills, the boyfriend, and the guest. I have followed every step by step.

    Things I have learned while baking.
    1. I found out how little kitchen counter space I have.
    2. To read the labels between the vanilla and the red food dye (had to make another batch of velvet cake) (bottles look way to much a like)
    3. study more about the keys words of folding
    4. Prep freezer to make room for freezing items.
    5. Learn measurements in baking.
    6. wear gloves next time using food coloring
    7. buy more bowls
    8. 1950’s pink oven cooks 10 degrees high
    9. The bitter and semi sweet chocolate tastes terrible (do not eat plain!)
    10. Have someone wash dishes while your baking (will be hiring a friend and paying with wine)
    11. To just keep laughing and enjoy the experience lol 🙂

    Hope it turns out well and thank you for the wonderful recipe and getting me in the kitchen 🙂

    Reply
    • Julie @ Willow Bird Baking
      May 4, 2012 at 11:25 pm (13 years ago)

      Leah, I am SO PROUD OF YOU for tackling this!! I love your lessons list and I can’t WAIT to hear how it turns out. You’re a brave soul! I hope it’s marvelous — please let me know if you have any questions along the way! It makes me so glad to hear you took on the challenge! 😀

      Reply
    • Leah Martin
      May 5, 2012 at 1:13 am (13 years ago)

      Julie…I have ran into a problem, made the cheesecake but It filled the entire amount of crust…so now the velvet cake has no crust… any suggestions?

      Reply
      • Julie @ Willow Bird Baking
        May 5, 2012 at 4:23 am (13 years ago)

        Has it cooled yet? It will sink as it cools and chills, leaving extra room. If it doesn’t sink all the way, you have a few options. First, you could put the whole cake layer on and “frost” the sides with leftover ganache. If you want it to be flush, though, you can also use a long serrated knife to shorten your red velvet layer (it helps with cutting to freeze it first) if it ends up too tall. Don’t worry! It’s gonna be amazing!

        Reply
        • Leah Martin
          May 5, 2012 at 7:12 pm (13 years ago)

          Julie the cake is finally done and turned out awesome! thanks for the tips and I can’t wait to see what a big success it will be tonight! Thanks again Julie.

          PS
          Sent you a picture to your email 🙂

          Reply
  77. Joretta
    May 16, 2012 at 2:13 am (13 years ago)

    Oh my… I rarely eat sweets but when I do these are my 2 favorites! Can’t wait to try this one…..wow!

    Reply
  78. Sonia
    June 8, 2012 at 6:26 am (13 years ago)

    Love this recipe and will definiteLy try it. Love your site too!

    Reply
  79. Missy
    July 25, 2012 at 7:08 pm (12 years ago)

    I just made this red velvet cheesecake for my birthday and it is amazing!! I’m a cheesecake fanatic and have made a lot of different kinds of cheesecake in the past, but I think this is my all-time favorite!! I love red velvet cake and cheesecake and this the best of both worlds.

    The recipe instructions were easy to follow. The only thing that I wasn’t completely sure of was that initially it said to preheat the oven to 350 and then you assemble the crust and start making the cheesecake, but there was no mention of baking anything until after the crust was frozen for 30 minutes and the cheesecake was on the crust…so I did not preheat the oven at that time and did not bake the crust until I baked the entire cheesecake. The cheesecake and cake turned out perfect. If I were to make this again, I’d make more oreo crust, as there wasn’t enough to go up higher than the cheesecake itself. I also would end up making more ganache, as I used the left-over ganache to cover the sides of the red velvet cake to match the oreo crust on the cheesecake. Turned out well and everyone loved it!

    Thanks for a great recipe!!!

    Reply
    • Julie @ Willow Bird Baking
      July 25, 2012 at 7:42 pm (12 years ago)

      Thank you, Missy! I’m so glad to hear that you enjoyed it and it sounds like it went well! It’s definitely hard to get the oreo crust to go up as high as you need, so it’s a good suggestion to make a little extra! You can also trim the cake layer down if you find it’s too high (before you put it onto the cheesecake, that is — trimming it when assembled would be hard!) Good point about preheating the oven, too! I preheat mine that far in advance, but you can certainly wait until the crust is in the freezer.

      Happy happy birthday! I’m glad I could be a part of it in cake-form 😉

      Reply
  80. Salina
    September 18, 2012 at 9:50 pm (12 years ago)

    Maybe I missed it, but do you bake the crust before adding the ganache. I made this cake but wasn’t sure if the crust needed to be baked and how long. So since I didn’t see for how long I didn’t, baked crust or not it was a still a hit, I would still like to know how to do it right so I could make it again.

    Reply
    • Julie @ Willow Bird Baking
      September 19, 2012 at 12:15 am (12 years ago)

      Hi Salina! Nope, I don’t bake the crust before adding the filling. I’m so glad you enjoyed it!

      Reply
  81. Baltic Maid
    December 13, 2012 at 10:31 pm (12 years ago)

    I gave this cheesecake a try and it was incredibly delicious! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! I love it!

    Reply
  82. Linda
    December 31, 2012 at 1:27 am (12 years ago)

    Can I buy this from somewhere or you? This looks delishh, but I’m not a baker!

    Reply
  83. Elizabeth
    January 1, 2013 at 4:13 am (12 years ago)

    I made this for New Year’s Eve, and it was a HUGE success! I changed up the recipe a bit and used white chocolate ganache and covered it in cream cheese frosting instead.

    [IMG]http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/h451/emdodds/2012-12-31221201_zps1489bedf.jpg[/IMG]

    Reply
  84. Kelly
    January 7, 2013 at 7:38 pm (12 years ago)

    I made this for my family’s Christmas get-together this year and it was an absolute HIT. Turned out amazing! 🙂 Thanks for the recipe – you are now my go-to site for making dessert 🙂
    One questions – i’ve made 2 of your cheesecakes so far, do you pre-cook your crust in the springform? Or just press it in there and fill it, THEN cook it all?

    Reply
  85. Beth
    April 13, 2013 at 8:58 pm (12 years ago)

    Looks amazing! I think I’m going to make it for my boyfriend on his birthday, how does it need to be stored? I’ll have to make it and then drive 6 hours to get it to him…

    Reply
    • Julie Ruble
      April 14, 2013 at 6:37 pm (12 years ago)

      I hope he loves it, Beth! If you have a cooler big enough, it might be good to keep it cold the whole way. Refrigerate after baking, and then keep it cool until you get there.

      If not, I might keep it in the freezer until you leave, and then just leave it out in a cake carrier on the way, maybe with a bag of ice sitting on top. Stick it in the fridge when you get there. I think that’ll be fine. Happy birthday to him!

      Reply
  86. Abby
    May 5, 2013 at 1:27 pm (12 years ago)

    Hi Julie!
    I had half of a box of red velvet cake mix and half a container of cream cheese left over from a flop recipe. I decided to make a red velvet cheesecake, but with only 3 people in our apartment, it’s hard to eat an entire cheesecake (blasphemous, I know)! I found some canning jars in the cupboard and used those instead of a springform pan. I also baked the cake right on top of the cheesecake (because picturesque assembly is not my strength). We loved it! Thanks for the inspiration! http://abbyslabnotes.blogspot.com/2013/05/red-velvet-cheesecake-in-jars-small.html

    Reply
    • Julie Ruble
      May 6, 2013 at 2:42 pm (12 years ago)

      They turned out totally adorable, and I love your post!! Too cute!

      Reply
  87. Lucy
    September 8, 2013 at 12:38 am (11 years ago)

    Wow this looks so amazing!

    Reply
  88. Kathleen
    September 14, 2013 at 2:49 pm (11 years ago)

    I’m making this cake for my daughters birthday. Most crusts you have to bake before you put the cheesecake in but this one doesnt say to. It looks like its leading up to that but then there’s no bake for (however much time). I’ve already poured the ganache in and put it in the freezer, but I figured I would ask anyway if it was supposed to be baked?

    Reply
    • Julie Ruble
      September 14, 2013 at 4:10 pm (11 years ago)

      Nope, I don’t bake it first.

      Reply
  89. Shareen
    December 18, 2013 at 4:37 pm (11 years ago)

    Hello,
    What a beautiful cake/cheesecake! I would love to make this for 15 people, how would I adjust the measurements?
    Hope you’re well xx

    Reply
  90. Shareen
    December 18, 2013 at 4:49 pm (11 years ago)

    Ooh also I have never really decorated a cake before- what should I use to drizzle the chocolate so accurately like yours? Xx

    Reply
    • Julie Ruble
      December 19, 2013 at 11:07 am (11 years ago)

      Hi Shareen, I hope you love this cake! I think you should make 2 cakes for 15 people, but use the same instructions. To drizzle the melted chocolate, spoon it into a ziplock bag and snip a very tiny corner off. Use this bag like a piping back to squeeze the chocolate out where you want it. Practice on a sheet of wax paper before you begin to build confidence — and instead of trying to force the chocolate, I like to let it “fall” as I swish quickly around the cake. Hope that’s helpful!

      Reply
  91. lura bonney
    December 22, 2013 at 4:43 pm (11 years ago)

    How did you get the cookie crust to cover the red velvet cake as well? I am in the middle of baking the cheesecake and it just dawned on me that I have no idea how to do that.

    Reply
    • Julie Ruble
      December 22, 2013 at 6:10 pm (11 years ago)

      Hi Lura, as per the recipe, I build the crust up around 3 inches high to cover both. The cheesecake rises as it bakes but then will sink as it cools (and hopefully not take the crust wall with it 🙂 and then the cake should nestle right down in there. If it’s too late and your crust is short, don’t worry — that’s where some kitchen creativity comes in handy. Try decorating the side of the red velvet cake with swirls of ganache, whole oreos “glued” on with frosting, or chocolate drizzle. Hope you love it!

      Reply
  92. Jen
    February 13, 2014 at 4:44 pm (11 years ago)

    Can you use a water bath when you cook the cheesecake?

    Reply
    • Julie Ruble
      February 13, 2014 at 5:17 pm (11 years ago)

      Sure!

      Reply
  93. Courtney M.
    February 16, 2014 at 6:09 pm (11 years ago)

    I made this for Valentine’s Day weekend for my husband and he LOVED it! It was a good amount of work, but so worth it! Thanks for sharing your recipe!

    Reply
  94. Bailey
    April 20, 2014 at 9:27 pm (11 years ago)

    Awesome recipe! I made this a couple of months ago for valentines and it turned out perfect. I had never made a cheesecake before but it ended up being so easy and it a worked perfectly with the red velvet layer. My husband, who is not a fan of cheesecake, also loved this.

    Reply
  95. Sierra
    April 23, 2014 at 12:56 am (11 years ago)

    I’m going to be making this for my top chef competition in my culinary class soon. Is there any way to make this in a 2 hour time period…me and my partner get one day of prep but we are not sure that one day for prep is going to be enough… Please help!!!!

    Reply
  96. Adelenne
    May 26, 2014 at 10:41 am (11 years ago)

    Hi, a friend saw your cheesecake cake and asked if I can make it for him. I was just wondering. How did you get the Oreo base all the way up that the red velvet cake is also cover with it on the side? Thanks.

    Reply
    • Julie Ruble
      May 26, 2014 at 1:58 pm (11 years ago)

      I just keep smooshing and thinning out and up with the side of a glass. It takes awhile and is hard because often the side will crumble and you’ll need to rearrange the crumbs and start again. The good news is even if the red velvet cake shows, the product is still lovely (and you can use the frostings to decorate it nicely).

      Reply
  98. Diana Pearman
    June 15, 2015 at 1:01 pm (10 years ago)

    Delicious and looks gorgeous. Made it for family get together. Got lots of compliments on eye appeal and on the taste. Definitely would make this again. I made it all in one day, very time consuming. Next time, would split it into days as suggested by creator of the cake recipe.

    Reply
    • Julie Ruble
      June 22, 2015 at 3:34 pm (10 years ago)

      So glad you all enjoyed it, Diana!! That is great to hear 🙂

      Reply

18Pingbacks & Trackbacks on Red Velvet Cheesecake

  5. […] her from a Charlotte Observer profile. And she should be discovered… just the pictures of her Red Velvet Cheesecake make me want to skip my next 10 meals so I can just eat that. Blogger is just one of her hats, […]

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  8. […] As much as I wish it was, this recipe is not from my own genius, so I must give credit where it is deserved.  Willow Bird Baking is the mastermind to this complex culinary delight.  Please subscribe to her page.  She is a true inspiration and has posted some fantastic recipes.  In addition, there are some very helpful tutorials and tips on the site.  Here is the link to Willow Bird Baking’s Red Velvet Cheesecake: http://willowbirdbaking.com/2011/01/24/red-velvet-cheesecake/ […]

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