Anyways, back to the meal at hand, as we perused the cheesecake/dessert menu we noticed that they were promoting a new item. This new item? Stefanie's Ultimate Red Velvet Cheesecake. Here's the description: Moist layers of Red Velvet Cake and their Original Cheesecake covered with their special Cheesecake Factory cream cheese frosting. Drooling yet? The sister is a fan of Red Velvet so this was definitely the winner and we had to order it. However, we kept reading the menu and discovered that just a single slice of this cheesecake would pretty much cover your entire caloric intake for the day. That is some major decadence right there. But that didn't stop us, we had to try it. But we justified it by also discovering that part of the sale of each slice would be donated to Feeding America, one of the nation's largest domestic hunger relief organization, and by swearing that we wouldn't finish the entire slice in one sitting. =P
Well, the dessert arrived. It was indeed decadent. The layers of cake and cheesecake and the smooth frosting worked harmoniously to create one perfectly luscious bite. It was so rich that a few bites were enough to suffice, so luckily we were successful in keeping our promise to not devour the whole thing. The sister loved it so much that she made me promise to try and recreate it for her birthday. Well, the sister's birthday was last Friday, and I kept my promise. I now present to you my attempt at recreating Stefanie's Ultimate Red Velvet Cheesecake.
Here's a summary of what I did. I was a little hesitant to make this cake because it would be time consuming since I was basically making two different desserts. But, the individual recipes aren't too difficult, so it wasn't bad at all. I searched for a cheesecake recipe to use, and came across a white chocolate cheesecake recipe which I decided to use. Then for the cake part, I just used a traditional Red Velvet Cake recipe that I already had. Luckily both recipes called for the same temperature and cooking time to bake at so I was able to cook all components at the same time. When it came time for the frosting, I used a traditional cream cheese frosting, but I remembered that Cheesecake Factory's frosting is a bit lighter and fluffier than most cream cheese frostings. So I decided to half the recipe and mix it with whipped cream. I thought this turned out really well, and will definitely continue to do that. Once all the cakes were cooled, I was able to put all the layers together, which, let me tell you, wasn't such an easy task. It was finally all finished and we were able to taste! That first bite was rich and creamy. The texture of the moist cake complemented that of the smooth velvety cheesecake. It wasn't as decadent as the original, but it tasted pretty darn delicious if I do say so myself. The frosting wasn't too sweet and was the perfect accent to the cake.
Here's my final analysis of my first attempt of the Red Velvet Cheesecake and the recipes too!
1. The cake layers were too thick, next time I will definitely make only half the batter
2. I really enjoyed the hint of white chocolate in the cheesecake, I think I'll add more white chocolate next time.
3. The cake came out a little dry, so I'm going to try a different recipe or adjusting the baking time next time.
the finished product
only 10 minutes after cutting into itRed Velvet White Chocolate Cheesecake Recipe
Red Velvet Cake
2 1/2 cups cake flour, sifted
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 tsp red gel-paste food color
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp distilled white vinegar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Whisk together cake flour, cocoa, and salt.
With an electric mixer on med-high speed, whisk together sugar and oil until combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Mix in food color and vanilla.
Reduce speed to low. add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of buttermilk, and whisk well after each. Stir together the baking soda and vinegar in a small bowl (it will foam), add mixture to the batter and mix on medium speed for 10 seconds.
Line two 9 inch spring form pans with parchment paper. Divide the batter equally between the two pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean. Transfer pans to a wire rack. Allow to cool before removing the cake from the pan. Allow to cool completely before assembling with the cheesecake.
White Chocolate Cheesecake
2 oz white chocolate, chopped
16 oz cream cheese, at room temperature (2 packages)
1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp sugar
1 tbsp flour
2 eggs at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp heavy cream
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Melt the white chocolate and set aside to cool slightly.
In a large bowl, using an electronic mixer, mix the cream cheese on low speed until creamy. add the sugar and mix slowly until smooth. On low speed, mix in the flour. turn off the mixer and scrape down the bowl and beater with a rubber spatula. Add one egg at a time and mix until smooth. scrape down again. mix in the vanilla and cream until the mixture is smooth. Using a large spoon, stir in the melted white chocolate until incorporated.
Pour the batter into a parchment paper lined 9 inch spring form pan. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the center is set when you shake the pan slightly. Allow to cool before removing from the spring form pan. Allow to cool completely before assembling with the red velvet cake.
Cream Cheese Frosting (i only made half)
24 oz cream cheese (3 packages), at room temperature
3 sticks of butter, at room temperature
3 tsp vanilla
3 cups of powdered sugar, plus more to taste
Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electronic mixer until well combined. Add more powdered sugar to taste, if a more sweet frosting is preferred. Use immediately to frost
the cake.
After assembling the cake, allow it to rest in the fridge over night, before serving. Serve immediately after taking it out of the fridge.
