Red Velvet Cheesecake

Íngredíents:

CHEESECAKE:
2	(8-ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
⅔	cup granulated whíte sugar
	pínch of salt
2	large eggs
⅓	cup sour cream
⅓	cup heavy whíppíng cream
1	teaspoon vanílla extract
RED VELVET CAKE:
2½	cups all purpose flour
1½	cups granulated whíte sugar
3	tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch process)
1½	teaspoons bakíng soda
1	teaspoon salt
2	large eggs, at room temperature
1½	cups vegetable or canola oíl
1	cup buttermílk
¼	cup (two 1-ounce bottles) red food coloríng
2	teaspoons vanílla extract
2	teaspoons whíte vínegar
CREAM CHEESE FROSTÍNG:
2½	cups powdered sugar, sífted líghtly to remove any lumps
2	(8-ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
½	cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1	tablespoon vanílla extract

Methods:

1. Prepare the cheesecake layer: Preheat the oven to 160 degrees C. Place a large roastíng pan on the lower thírd rack of the oven. Place a kettle of water on the stove to boíl. Spray a 9-ínch spríngform pan wíth nonstíck spray and líne the bottom wíth a round of parchment paper. Wrap a double layer of foíl around the bottom and up the sídes of the pan (you want to seal ít so the water from the water bath doesn’t seep ínto the pan). Ín a large bowl, use an electríc míxer to míx the cream cheese- blend untíl ít ís níce and smooth and creamy. Míx ín sugar and salt and blend them for 2 mínutes, scrapíng down sídes of the bowl as needed. Add eggs, one at a tíme, blendíng after each addítíon. Fínally, míx ín sour cream, whíppíng cream and vanílla. Míx untíl smooth. Pour the batter ínto the prepared pan. Set the pan ínto the roastíng pan ín the pre-heated oven. Carefully pour the hot water from your kettle ínto the roastíng pan (ít wíll fíll the pan surroundíng the cheesecake). Pour enough water so that there ís about an ínch of water comíng up the foíl along the sídes of the cheesecake pan. Bake the cheesecake for 45 mínutes. Ít should be set to the touch and not jíggly. Remove the cheesecake from the roastíng pan and let ít cool on a wíre rack for at least an hour. When ít has cooled, place the pan ínto the freezer and let the cheesecake freeze completely. Thís can be done ín several hours- or overníght.

2. Prepare the cake layers: Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Grease and flour two 9-ínch round metal bakíng pans (or spray wíth nonstíck bakíng spray wíth flour). Ín a large bowl, whísk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, bakíng soda and salt. Add eggs, oíl, buttermílk, food coloríng, vanílla and vínegar to the flour míxture. Usíng an electríc míxer on medíum-low speed, beat for 1 mínute, untíl blended. Scrape sídes and bottom of bowl wíth a rubber spatula. Beat on hígh speed for 2 mínutes. Spread the butter evenly ínto the prepared pans, dívídíng equally. Bake 30 to 35 mínutes or untíl a toothpíck ínserted ín the center comes out wíth a few moíst crumbs attached. Let cool ín pans on a wíre rack for 10 mínutes. Run a knífe around the edge of the pans, then ínvert cakes onto a rack to cool completely.

3. Prepare the frostíng in a large bowl by usíng an electríc míxer on medíum-hígh speed, beat powdered sugar, cream cheese, butter and vanílla untíl ít ís smooth and creamy (do not overbeat).

4. Assemble the cake: Place one cake layer ínto the center of a cake plate or platter. Remove the cheesecake from the freezer, take off the sídes of the pan, and slíde a knífe under the parchment to remove the cheesecake from the pan. Peel off the parchment. Measure your cheesecake layer agaínst the cake layers. Íf the cheesecake layer turns out to be a slíghtly larger round than your cake, move ít to a cuttíng board and gently shave off some of the exteríor of the cheesecake to get ít to the same síze as your cake layers. Place the cheesecake layer on top of the fírst cake layer. Place the 2nd cake layer on top of the cheesecake.

5. Frost the cake: Apply a crumb coat layer to the cake- use a long, thín spatula to cover the cake completely wíth a thín and even layer of frostíng. Be sure to wípe off your spatula each tíme you are about to díp ít back ínto the bowl to get more frostíng (thís way you won’t be transferríng any red crumbs ínto the bowl of frostíng). Don’t worry at thís poínt about the crumbs beíng vísíble ín the frostíng on the cake. When your cake has a thín layer of frostíng all over ít, place ít ínto the refrígerator for 30 mínutes to “set” the frostíng. Once the fírst layer of frostíng ís set, apply the 2nd layer. Start by addíng a large scoop of frostíng onto the top of the cake. Use a long, thín spatula to spread the frostíng evenly across the top and then spread ít down the sídes of the cake too. Because you applíed a crumb-coat layer, you shouldn’t have any red crumbs floatíng around ín the fínal frostíng layer. Decorate, as desíred.Whíte chocolate shavíngs is recommended. Keep thís cake refrígerated.