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Red Velvet Christmas Cheesecake

Red Velvet Christmas Cheesecake

This cake is so picturesque that Southern Living made it their December Cover shot. What a grand dessert to serve your family and friends. Taken from SL, this combines red velvet cake with cheesecake. Theirs is a homemade version. To simplify and quicken the procedure, I am going to make my Duncan Hines Red Velvet cake, (substituting cream for water) and layer it with the cheesecake recipe that they give in their magazine.
1 Duncan Hines Red Velvet Cake mix, baked according to directions on box, using 3 8″ cake pans.
Cheesecake layers:
5 (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1 (12 oz) package white chocolate morsels
2 (8″) round disposable aluminum foil cake pans
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 Tablespoon vanilla

Bake your red velvet cake according to directions on back of box, dividing the batter between 3 (8″) round cake pans, Set aside.
To prepare the cheesecake layers:
Line bottom and sides of the 2 disposable pans with foil, allowing 2-3″ to extend over sides; lightly grease foil.
Microwave white chocolate morsels in a microwave safe bowl according to directions on package; cool 10 minutes.
Beat cream cheese and melted white chocolate at medium speed with mixer until creamy.
Gradually add the sugar, beating well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating just until yellow disappears after each addition.
Stir in the vanilla. Pour into prepared pans.
Bake in preheated 300 oven for 30-35 min or until almost set. Turn oven off. Let cheesecakes stay in oven, with door closed for 30 minutes. Remove from oven to wire racks; cool completely about 2 hours. Cover and chill 8 hours. Layer the cheesecakes and red velvet layers like you see in the picture.
Frost with the following:
2 (4 oz) white chocolate baking bars, chopped
1/2 cup boiling water
1 cup butter, softened
1 (32 oz) package of powdered sugar
Wisk together the chocolate and boiling water until chocolate melts. Cool 20 minutes.
Chill 30 minutes.
Beat 1 cup butter and chilled chocolate mixture at low speed 1 minute.
Increase mixer to high and mix 2-3 minutes.
Gradually add powdered sugar. Beat until frosting is fluffy. Frost tops of red velvet and cheesecakes as you assemble the cake. Frost sides and top last. Decorate with Christmas sprinkles, white chocolate leaves.

Cakes · Chocolate · Desserts · Holiday Fare

Red Velvet Marble Bundt Cake

Just returning from seeing some of our kids in Florida, I am feeling in the Christmas spirit. This cake is in the new SL magazine and will certainly be just the perfect dessert after you have finished decorating the tree.

1 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup shortening

2 1/2 cups sugar

6 large eggs

3 cups flour

1 teas baking powder

1/2 teas salt

3/4 cup milk

1 teas vanilla

1 tables unsweetened cocoa

1 tables red food coloring

Snowy White Vanilla Glaze

Garnish: mint sprigs

Preheat oven to 325. Beat butter and shortening at medium speed until creamy. Gradually add sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.

Stir together flour and next 2 ingredients. Add to butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture.

Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition. Stir in vanilla.

Transfer 2 1/2 cups of batter to a 2 qt bowl; stir in cocoa and food coloring.

Drop 2 scoops of plain batter into a greased and floured 10″ bundt pan, using a small cookie scoop. Top with 1 scoop of red velvet batter. Repeat around entire pan, covering bottom completely. Continue layering batters in pan, as directed until all the batter is used.

Bake at 325 for 1 hour to 1 hour and 5 minutes, or until a long wooden pick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack 10 mins. Remove from pan to wire rack and cool completely.

Drizzle with Snowy White Vanilla Glaze.

Snowy White Glaze

Wisk together 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 3 tables plus 1 teas milk and 1 teas vanilla until smooth.

*Or you can use your favorite cream cheese frosting to drizzle over cake. Just warm in microwave for 15 sec intervals until you are able to drizzle cream cheese frosting over the cake.