Red Velvet Cheesecake

A slice of red velvet cheesecake with a bite on a fork all on a white plate.

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Prep Time20

Cook Time1 15

Chill Time4

Total Time5 35

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Author: Tiffany Azure

Ingredients

For the Oreo Cracker Crust

1 ½ cups crushed Oreo cookies
¼ cup melted butter
⅕ tsp kosher salt

For the Red Velvet Cheesecake

2 lb cream cheese at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla
¼ cup cocoa powder sifted
1-2 tbsp liquid red food coloring
¾ cups heavy cream at room temperature
4 large eggs at room temperature
kosher salt to taste

Instructions

To make the Oreo cookie crust, stir together all the ingredients and press into a high-sided 9” springform pan lined with a round of baking parchment. This is best done with the bottom of a measuring cup. You want to get the crust nice and compacted, covering the bottom of the pan in an even layer.
Pre-heat the oven to 325F and place a large baking dish of water in the bottom of the oven to heat up also.
Using a stand mixer with the beater attachment or an electric hand mixture, beat together the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla, until smooth and creamy. Then scrape down the sides and beat in the cocoa powder.
Scraping down the sides again, add 1 tbsp of the red food coloring, and beat to combine. The shade of red given will depend on your brand; add the remaining 1 tbsp 1/2 tbsp at a time until you achieve the desired color batter, which is true to shade when baked.
Scrape down the sides, and beat in the heavy cream until only just combined. Do the same with the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides between each egg. Switch to a spatula after the last egg to make sure the mixture is combined, adding a pinch of kosher salt. Over-beating the mixture will lead to a cracked cheesecake!
Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan, smoothing the top the best you can. Bake in the middle of the oven above the water bath for 1 hour 15 minutes. Don’t open the oven, which can also cause the cheesecake to crack!
Crack the oven door and allow the cheesecake to cool for 45 minutes in the oven before transferring it to the refrigerator to chill for at least 4 hours, or overnight.

Notes

Don’t rush the color. Red food coloring varies by brand, so start with less and build up slowly. The batter’s color will deepen slightly as it bakes, so aim just a touch brighter than your final goal.
Mix gently once the eggs go in. Eggs trap air easily, and too much air leads to cracks. Mix just until combined and switch to a spatula at the end to finish folding everything together.
Use the water bath trick (without the hassle). Placing a pan of water on the rack below the cheesecake adds moisture to the oven without wrapping the pan in foil. It’s simple, effective, and my much less stressful trick to the perfect cheesecake.
Chill completely before slicing. Cheesecake needs time to fully set. Chilling for at least four hours (overnight is best) ensures clean slices and the perfect creamy texture.

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