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Piece of red cheesecake with cream cheese frosting and an Oreo crust
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Red Velvet Cheesecake

This red velvet cheesecake is a truly beautiful dessert. It has the perfect red velvet flavor, a luxuriously creamy texture and a chocolate cookie crust. Topped with tangy cream cheese frosting - you'll amaze yourself with this restaurant-quality cheesecake.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword Red Velvet Cheesecake
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Cooling & Chilling 7 hours
Total Time 9 hours
Servings 12 pieces
Calories 667kcal

Equipment

  • 9-inch (23 cm) springform pan
  • Large Roasting Pan
  • Aluminum Foil

Ingredients

Cookie Crust

  • 26 Oreo Cookies wafers and filling
  • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter melted

Red Velvet Cheesecake Filling

  • 24 ounces full-fat cream cheese (680 grams) room temperature
  • 1 ¼ cup granulated sugar (250 grams)
  • 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
  • ¾ cup sour cream (180 ml) room temperature
  • ¼ cup buttermilk (60 ml)
  • 2 teaspoons white vinegar
  • 1-2 tablespoons liquid red food coloring gel or liquid, I used 1 ½ tablespoons of gel
  • 3 large eggs room temperature
  • 2 large egg yolks discard the whites
  • boiling water for the water bath

Cream Cheese Topping

  • ¼ cup unsalted butter (56 grams) softened
  • 4 ounces full-fat cream cheese (112 grams) softened
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 - 1 ½ cups powdered sugar (110 - 165 grams)

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350F (180C) degrees.
  • Wrap the outside of a 9-inch (23 cm) springform pan with aluminum foil at least 4 times so that the bottom and sides are covered, and that all seams are covered as well.

Oreo Crust

  • Place the cookies (wafers and filling) in a food processor and blitz until the cookies are fine crumbs. Or place the cookies in a freezer bag and crush with a rolling pin.
  • Mix the crushed cookies with the melted butter.
  • Press the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan and slightly up the sides (about ¼ inch) so that there's a slight lip around the edges.
  • Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Then remove from the oven (keep the oven turned on).

Cheesecake Filling

  • Beat the cream cheese and sugar until soft. Turn off the mixer and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary.
  • Beat in the cocoa powder and sour cream. (If the cocoa is lumpy, be sure to sift it first). Scrape down the bowl as needed.
  • With the mixer on low speed, carefully mix in the buttermilk, vanilla extract, vinegar and food coloring.
  • In a small bowl, whisk the eggs and egg yolks. Then carefully beat the eggs into the batter about ⅓ at a time until just incorporated.

Baking and Cooling the Cheesecake

  • Place the crust (with the pan still wrapped in aluminum foil) in the middle of a large roasting pan.
  • Pour the cheesecake batter over the crust and smooth the top.
  • Pour boiling water into the roasting pan so that there's about ½-1 inch of water (1.5 to 2.5 cm) in the roasting pan.
  • Place the roasting pan (with the cheesecake inside) in the oven (still at 350F degrees from baking the crust) and bake for 60-70 minutes. When the cheesecake is done baking, it should look just set on the top, except perhaps in the very middle. If you give the pan a nudge, it should wobble in the middle like Jello or pudding. If it wobbles like a liquid, then it's not done baking yet. I recommend checking around 50 minutes, just in case.
  • Remove the roasting pan from the oven and allow the cheesecake to cool fully while still in roasting pan.
  • Once the cheesecake has fully cooled, remove the cheesecake from the roasting pan. Cover the pan, and place in the fridge to chill for at least 6 hours or overnight. Do not unclamp the springform pan.

Cream Cheese Topping

  • Beat the butter until soft, then mix in the cream cheese.
  • Add in the salt, and with the mixer on low speed beat in the powdered sugar about ½ cup at a time until the desired sweetness is reached.
  • Top the cheesecake with the cream cheese frosting, leaving a small perimeter around the edges. Return back to the fridge until ready to serve. Note - if you take the cheesecake out of the fridge and there is condensation on top, dab with a paper towel to remove.
  • When ready to serve, unclamp the outer ring of the springform pan. Slice with a sharp knife (such as a paring knife - not a table knife), ensuring that you slice all the way through the crust.

Notes

  1. Cream Cheese: Make sure to use full-fat, brick-style cream cheese. Do not use spreadable, whipped or light cream cheese (such as ones that come in a tub).
  2. Buttermilk: Unfortunately, there are really no substitutes for buttermilk in this recipe.
  3. Nutrition: Nutrition information is an estimate only and based on 1 slice, assuming the cheesecake is sliced into 12 equal pieces.
  4. Storage: Store cheesecake covered in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Recipe adapted from Taste of Home

Nutrition

Calories: 667kcal | Carbohydrates: 70g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 41g | Saturated Fat: 23g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 176mg | Sodium: 388mg | Potassium: 216mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 59g | Vitamin A: 1359IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 105mg | Iron: 4mg