↑

Will Cook For Smiles

Classic and Original Homecooking Recipes

  • Home
    • About Me
    • Work With Us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Subscribe!
  • Recipes
    • Popular Posts
    • Appetizers
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
    • Healthy Dishes
    • Soup
    • Salad
    • Sandwich
    • Cauliflower
    • Drink
    • Cocktail
  • How To
  • Instant Pot
    • Instant Pot Main Dishes
    • Instant Pot Side Dishes
    • Instant Pot Soups
  • Main Dishes
    • Side Dishes
    • Chicken
    • Beef
    • Seafood
    • Pork
    • Chili
    • Pasta
    • Slow Cooker
    • Vegetarian
  • Dessert
    • Cheesecake
    • Cake
    • Cookies
    • Chocolate
  • Holidays
    • Fall Recipes
    • Halloween
    • Thanksgiving
    • Christmas Dinner
    • Christmas Baking
    • New Year’s
    • Valentine’s Day
    • Super Bowl Recipes
    • St. Patrick’s Day
    • Easter
    • Holiday Leftover Recipes
    • Cinco de Mayo
    • Mother’s Day
    • Father’s Day
    • BBQ
    • 4th Of July
Home » Dessert » Cheesecake » Red Velvet Cheesecake

Red Velvet Cheesecake

Created: February 11, 2019 Updated: February 11, 2019 by Lyuba Brooke 9 Comments *This post may contain affiliate links. Read More...

1.1K shares
Jump to Recipe

Smooth and rich Red Velvet Cheesecake makes a perfect dessert for Valentine’s Day, Christmas, and many other celebrations. This luscious cheesecake is inspired by a traditional red velvet cake and made with buttermilk, vinegar, and cocoa powder. On top, you will find a layer of soft cream cheese frosting. This cheesecake can be decorated with sprinkles, white chocolate shavings, pieces of chocolates, or just frosting.

Red Velvet Cheesecake. This luscious cheesecake is inspired by a traditional red velvet cake and made with buttermilk, vinegar, cocoa powder, and topped with cream cheese frosting. #cheesecake #redvelvet #dessert #frosting

RED VELVET CHEESECAKE

This wonderful cheesecake is inspired by the classic red velvet cake. What is red velvet anyway?

Red velvet cake is a special kind of cake that is traditionally made with buttermilk, vinegar, and cocoa powder. Even though it didn’t start that way, there is usually a generous addition of red food coloring to give the cake its bright red color. 

Red velvet desserts are not actually considered chocolate desserts because there is not a lot of cocoa powder added. The amount of cocoa is just enough to add some chocolate flavor but not even close to make it a fully chocolate dessert. 

This cheesecake combines all those traditional ingredients like cocoa powder, buttermilk, vinegar into a smooth and rich dessert. It’s also frosted with a tasty cream cheese frosting. 

It’s a beautiful cheesecake that can be decorated differently to compliment any holidays and occasions. 

PIN THIS RECIPE

Red Velvet Cheesecake. This luscious cheesecake is inspired by a traditional red velvet cake and made with buttermilk, vinegar, cocoa powder, and topped with cream cheese frosting. #cheesecake #redvelvet #dessert #frosting

WHAT KIND OF FOOD COLORING TO USE?

I recommend that you use liquid red food coloring and make sure to get the 1 oz bottle. (Maybe even an extra one.)

When adding food coloring, start with 1 tablespoon and make sure it’s mixed throughout the batter. If you feel like you want a deeper color, add some more food coloring. Make sure that each addition is mixed in throughout before adding more. 

Do note that adding food coloring to the cheesecake does not look the same as adding food coloring to the cake. Cream cheese doesn’t translate color as true as the cake. The color will be lighter and more of a shade of pink. It will be a deeper shade with some more coloring but you will unlikely achieve the same exact color of a red velvet cake. 

Red Velvet Cheesecake. This luscious cheesecake is inspired by a traditional red velvet cake and made with buttermilk, vinegar, cocoa powder, and topped with cream cheese frosting. #cheesecake #redvelvet #dessert #frosting

HOW TO DECORATE RED VELVET CHEESECAKE

Cream cheese frosting makes the best compliment to this cheesecake. You can simply pipe frosting with a decorative tip on top of the cold cheesecake or you can add some more decorations over the frosting.

For Valentine’s Day, you can use red, pink, and white sprinkles. There are heart shaped sprinkles that you can get at most grocery stores around Valentine’s Day and use those as decorations. 

Chocolate shavings will also look beautiful on top. To make chocolate shavings, you can use either a vegetable peeler or a large cheese grater. Make sure that chocolate is not cold or it will crumble when trying to shave it. 

White chocolate shavings will make a pretty decoration if serving the cheesecake for Christmas.

Red Velvet Cheesecake. This luscious cheesecake is inspired by a traditional red velvet cake and made with buttermilk, vinegar, cocoa powder, and topped with cream cheese frosting. #cheesecake #redvelvet #dessert #frosting

SOME MORE DESSERTS TO MAKE:

Red Velvet Brownies

Red Velvet Cookie Sandwiches

Double Chocolate Ganache Raspberry Cheesecake

Hummingbird Cake

Valentine’s Pound Cake

Pink Velvet Cake Pops

If you made any of my recipes and shared them on Instagram, make sure to tag me @willcookforsmiles and #willcookforsmiles so I can see all the things you tried!

Connect with Will Cook For Smiles!

Be sure to click below and follow me on my social media, so you never miss a recipe.

   

Don’t forget to sign up for email, so you won’t miss any new recipes.

Red Velvet Cheesecake. This luscious cheesecake is inspired by a traditional red velvet cake and made with buttermilk, vinegar, cocoa powder, and topped with cream cheese frosting. #cheesecake #redvelvet #dessert #frosting

PIN THIS RECIPE

Red Velvet Cheesecake

This luscious cheesecake is inspired by a traditional red velvet cake and made with buttermilk, vinegar, cocoa powder, cream cheese frosting.
4.30 from 10 votes
Print SaveSaved! Rate
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour hour 25 minutes minutes
Cool down and refrigerate: 5 hours hours
Total Time: 1 hour hour 40 minutes minutes
Servings: 10
Calories: 786kcal
Author: Lyuba Brooke

Ingredients

Crust:

  • 8 oz Oreo cookies (22-24 cookies) pulsed
  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter melted

Cheesecake:

  • 32 oz cream cheese softened
  • 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs room temperature
  • 1/4 cup buttermilk
  • 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tbsp white vinegar
  • 2 tbsp cocoa powder
  • 1 - 1 1/2 tbsp red food coloring

Frosting:

  • 8 oz cream cheese softened
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and grease a 9 inch springform pan. You will need a large roasting pan that’s bigger and longer than the springform pan. (I use the aluminum foil disposable ones). If you are not sure about your springform holding up in water, you can wrap the outside of the springform pan in heavy duty aluminum foil from bottom up to the sides. I recommend wrapping the outside of the springform in foil before adding the crust and cheesecake batter.)

Crust:

  • Pulse Oreo cookies for crust in a blender until it's just crumbs. Mix Oreo cookie crumbs and melted butter in a mixing bowl until thoroughly incorporated.
  • Spread crumb mixture in the bottom of the springform pan, evenly, pressing it over the bottom and a little up the sides.

Cheesecake:

  • In a bowl of an electric mixer, beat cream cheese on medium-high speed until smooth and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Scrape sides and bottom of the bowl and beat for another minute.
  • Add cocoa powder and sugar and mix until combined.
  • Beat in eggs, one at a time, until well incorporated.
  • Pour in buttermilk, vinegar, vanilla extract, and heavy cream and beat until all mixed very well. Scrape sides and bottom of the bowl and mix. 
  • Pour in 1 tablespoon of red food coloring and mix until evenly incorporated. If deeper color is desired, add some more food coloring. 
  • Transfer the batter into the springform and spread it evenly.
  • Place roasting pan into the oven and place cheesecake springform pan inside the roasting pan. Carefully add water to the roasting pan, about half way up the side of the springform.
  • Bake for 80-85 minutes. Turn off the oven and open the oven door half way. Let cheesecake rest for about 10 minutes and take it out of the oven (out of the roasting pan and carefully take off the foil).
  • Let it rest for 10 minutes on the counter and then gently run a greased butter knife between sides of the cheesecakes and the springform to carefully separate it. (You don't actually have to take the cheesecake out of the pan until ready to frost.)
  • Cool cheesecake for an hour and then place it in the refrigerator. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before adding the frosting. (Overnight is fine too.)

Cream Cheese Frosting:

  • Beat butter and cream cheese together on medium-high speed until smooth, 1-2 minutes.
  • Lower the speed to low and beat in powdered sugar and vanilla.
  • Turn up the speed back to medium-high and beat for about 3-4 minutes, until the frosting is light, smooth, and fluffy.
  • Spread frosting evenly over the cheesecake. (Or transfer the frosting into a piping bag fitted with a decorating tip and decorate the cheesecake.)

Notes

All images and text ©Lyubov Brooke for ©Will Cook For Smiles. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe. Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have a slight variation.

Nutrition

Calories: 786kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 62g | Saturated Fat: 35g | Cholesterol: 211mg | Sodium: 494mg | Potassium: 250mg | Sugar: 40g | Vitamin A: 2180IU | Calcium: 141mg | Iron: 2.7mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @willcookforsmiles and tag #willcookforsmiles

Red Velvet Cheesecake. This luscious cheesecake is inspired by a traditional red velvet cake and made with buttermilk, vinegar, cocoa powder, and topped with cream cheese frosting. #cheesecake #redvelvet #dessert #frosting

LYUBA

ABOUT LYUBA

I’m Lyuba Brooke, mother of 2, the cook, recipe developer, photographer, and author behind willcookforsmiles.com. I share many classic and original recipes, cooking tips, and tutorials. My passion is sharing delicious meals for everyone to try. Read more...

1.1K shares

Filed Under: Cheesecake, Dessert, Valentine's Day

All images and text ©Lyubov Brooke for ©Will Cook For Smiles. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe. Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have variations.

Comments

  1. CHEESECAKE MAKER says

    February 11, 2023 at 1:23 pm

    The instructions say to put vanilla extract in the cheesecake, but it doesn’t tell how much in the ingredients list.

    Reply
    • LyubaB says

      February 15, 2023 at 11:00 am

      Sorry about that! You will use 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract.

      Reply
  2. Mahie Bake says

    April 5, 2022 at 6:56 am

    5 stars
    Hi, Lyuba
    Thank you for your Red Velvet Cheesecake. Really wonderful recipe.

    Reply
    • LyubaB says

      April 11, 2022 at 11:09 am

      You’re so welcome! 🙂

      Reply
  3. akshay malhotra says

    September 14, 2021 at 10:31 am

    5 stars
    Thank you for this wonderful recipe dear, I definitely prepare this at home.

    Reply
    • LyubaB says

      September 21, 2021 at 11:19 am

      You’re so welcome.

      Reply
  4. Cake Lover says

    August 23, 2021 at 3:17 am

    5 stars
    I have tested red velvet cake earlier but this red velvet cheesecake is new to me. I am sure that this must be great in taste.

    Reply
  5. Ronak Mehta says

    August 18, 2020 at 11:46 pm

    5 stars
    The cake looks perfect and fabulous to bake for a special day. Yes, its definitely the best red velvet cake. Lovely!!

    Reply
    • LyubaB says

      August 19, 2020 at 3:36 pm

      Thank you so much, Ronak! I really appreciate your kind words and I am so glad you enjoyed the cake!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Well, hey there!

I’m Lyuba Brooke, mother of 2, the cook, recipe developer, photographer, and author behind willcookforsmiles.com. I share many classic and original recipes, cooking tips, and tutorials. My passion is sharing delicious meals for everyone to try. Read More.

Fall Recipes

pumpkin bread slices stacked up and whipped cream on a spoon next to it.

Pumpkin Bread

A stack of pumpkin pancakes with whipped cream and syrup on top on a plate.

Pumpkin Pancakes

A stack of sweet potato cakes on a cutting board with a dollop of sour cream on top with green onions.

Sweet Potato Cakes

scooping out some roasted potatoes and bacon.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Bacon

squared centered image of stacked apple bacon grilled cheese

Apple Bacon Gouda Grilled Cheese

top view of apple salad in wooden bowl and dressing.

Apple Salad

closeup of pulling off a piece of monkey bread.

Apple Pie Monkey Bread

spreading gravy over the sliced pork.

Apple Maple Dijon Pork Roast

Our Popular Recipes

Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms

a stack of five shrimp burgers on parchment paper up close.

Shrimp Burgers

Chicken Alfredo

Black skillet filled with crock pot shredded salsa chicken on a wooden cutting board with a lime garnish along the side of the skillet

Crock Pot Salsa Chicken

top view of dish filled with fries and cheese curds slathered in gravy

Poutine Recipe

Crepes folded up on a plate with whipped cream in the middle.

Crepes

Top Rated Recipes

The Best French Toast

Cauliflower Parmesan Crisps

Christmas Cheesecake (Cranberry Jam White Chocolate Mousse Cheesecake)

Avocado Salmon Rice Bowl

round decorative bowl filled with apple pie bread pudding topped with ice cream and a fork leaning on the side of the bowl viewed close up.

Apple Pie Bread Pudding

Smores cheesecake on a wooden table

S'mores Cheesecake

Sides

30 Min

Pasta

Salads

Breakfast

Drinks

Soups

Gluten Free

FEATURED ON:

featured on

Caipirinha

Caipirinha

September 5, 2023
Caipirinha...
Shrimp Burgers

Shrimp Burgers

August 30, 2023
These...
Classic Mojito Recipe

Classic Mojito Recipe

August 16, 2023
Classic...
Turkey Burgers

Turkey Burgers

June 14, 2023
This...
Steak Diane

Steak Diane

May 29, 2023
Steak...
Sautéed Mushrooms

Sautéed Mushrooms

May 26, 2023
Sautéed...
Lobster Tails Recipe

Lobster Tails Recipe

May 26, 2023
This...
Greek Tortellini Salad

Greek Tortellini Salad

May 25, 2023
Greek...
Blackened Salmon

Blackened Salmon

May 25, 2023
Blackened...
Shrimp and Grits

Shrimp and Grits

May 11, 2023
Shrimp...
Privacy Policy
©2023, Will Cook For Smiles. Design by Pixel Me Designs