Red Velvet Cheesecake

Recipe provided courtesy of Taste of Home magazine.  Find more great recipes at www.tasteofhome.com.

Festive and oh-so-good, this cheesecake will become a fixture on your Christmas dessert menu.  The red velvet filling is spiked with cocoa, and topped with cream cheese frosting, and baked in a chocolate cookie crumb crust.

                Karen Dively                                                        Chapin, South Carolina

Red Velvet Cheesecake Recipe

Red Velvet Cheesecake

17 chocolate cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies, crushed

¼ cup butter, melted

1 Tbsp. sugar

Filling:   3 package (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened

1 ½ cups sugar

1 cup (8 oz.) sour cream

½ cup buttermilk

3 Tbsp. baking cocoa

2 tsp. vanilla

4 eggs, lightly beaten

1 bottle (1 oz.) red food coloring

Frosting:    1 pkg. (3 oz.) cream cheese, softened

¼ butter, softened

2 cups confectioners’ sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

Place a greased 9- inch springform pan on a double thickness of heavy-duty foil (about 18 inch square).  Securely wrap in foil around pan.

In a small bowl, combine the cookie crumbs, butter and sugar.  Press onto bottom of prepared pan.

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth.  Beat in the sour cream, buttermilk, cocoa and vanilla.  Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined.  Stir in food coloring.  Pour over crust.  Place springform pan in a large baking pan; add 1-inch of hot water to larger pan.

Bake at 325 F. for 60-70 minutes or until center is just set and top appears dull.  Remove springform pan from water bath.  Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.  Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer.  Refrigerate overnight.  Remove sides of pan.

For frosting, in a small bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until fluffy.  Add confectioners’ sugar and vanilla; beat until smooth.  Frost  top of cheesecake.  Refrigerate until serving.    16 servings

(Recipe for Red Velvet Cheesecake  was on tasteofhome.com/Recipes – 2012)

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