This red velvet cheesecake is perfect for Valentine's Day! It has an Oreo crust, layer of red velvet cheesecake, and a layer of regular cheesecake. It is topped with whipped cream.

If you love red velvet cake then you will adore this cheesecake. It is a creamy baked cheesecake with red velvet flavor. The regular cheesecake layer helps balance that creamy, tangy cheesecake flavor with the chocolate red velvet. It also gives that great look of red and white swirls! It is the perfect way to say, "I love you" to special people in your life!
Here is why red velvet cheesecake is so good
This dessert brings red velvet cake and cheesecake together with the best of both worlds.
- Red velvet flavor: Red velvet is a chocolate flavor that is less intense than straight chocolate. It also has a bit of vinegar for a bit of tanginess to balance the sweet.
- Cheesecake flavor: Red velvet is usually paired with cream cheese frosting, but cheesecake is even better! It adds a lot of the same flavors, but in a cheesecake so good you could eat it by itself instead of a frosting!
- Creamy texture: Cheesecake is all about that decadent and creamy bite that makes you want more! This cheesecake delivers in a big way.
This dessert is so good it has converted people who did not like red velvet before into red velvet fans!
Tips for making homemade cheesecake
Here are my tips, so yours turns out like this recipe!
- Tip 1: Get your dairy ingredients to room temperature to help make sure they mix in smoothly. Cream cheese clumps in your batter should be prevented.
- Tip 2: I beat the cream cheese on high speed for 2 minutes. We want to make sure it is thoroughly beaten to help prevent those cream cheese clumps as well.
- Tip 3: Make sure you don't mix the eggs in longer than needed as adding air bubbles to the eggs can cause the cheesecake to rise quickly and then collapse. This will leave cracks in the cheesecake. Keep the mixing speed on low as well to help.
- Tip 4: After you spread the red velvet cheesecake batter on top of your crust you want to dollop the regular cheesecake batter on top. I use a small cookie scoop and dolloped it evenly across the top. Then, I used an offset icing spatula to lightly spread the regular cheesecake batter. It is okay if a little bit of red velvet batter makes it to the top and makes a swirl pattern, but I try not to get too much swirled in.
What is red velvet?
Red velvet flavor is named for a special kind of chocolate cake. Red velvet cake is a chocolate cake that has a more tangy flavor and less powerful chocolate flavor than regular chocolate cake. Usually, red velvet uses ยผ of the cocoa powder compared to a traditional chocolate cake. Red velvet also uses buttermilk and vinegar to give it the distinctive tangy flavor.
Modern red velvet cake is made red with food coloring. The red color is traditional because they used to make it with beets which gave the cake its red color. I prefer Americolor super red food dye because you can get a vibrant red color with less food dye. This keeps the food dye from affecting the taste.
Since this is a cheesecake recipe I did not want to use buttermilk and vinegar. So, for the red velvet cheesecake batter I used a little bit of cocoa powder in the batter to give it a red velvet flavor. It still tastes like red velvet because the cheesecake gives the tangy flavor you expect.
Water Bath Tips
The water bath provides a moist environment for the cheesecake. This is because of the steam. When it is too dry, it will create cracks in the cheesecake.
Here are two techniques to try. They both use a roasting pan with hot steaming water.
- Place the springform pan inside a 10 inch cake pan. Place the cake pan in the roasting pan. Fill the pan with the hot water (about halfway up the cake pan)
- Wrap the springform pan with foil twice very tightly. Place the springform pan inside the roasting pan. Fill the pan halfway up with hot water.
My favorite method is the first one. This won't let any water at all get into the crust. It makes baking cheesecake so easy!
The second option gives the chance to get water inside and create a soggy crust.
Red Velvet Cheesecake FAQ's
Can I make this into mini cheesecakes?
Divide this recipe into thirds to make 12 mini cheesecake. Bake in a muffin pan for 18-20 minutes. Follow this Mini Oreo Cheesecakes for detailed instructions for mini cheesecakes.
What other pans can I use?
You can halve the recipe to make these into red velvet cheesecake bars using 8X8 or 9X9 inch baking pan. You can also use a 8 inch springform pan. If you want to use a 6 inch springform pan, halve the recipe. Adjust the bake times as it bakes faster in a larger pan since it is thinner.
How to get the perfect slice?
First, make sure the cheesecake is very cold. Then, use a sharp knife to cut the slices. Clean the knife after every slice.
How should I decorate this cheesecake?
I used red heart sprinkles on top of the whipped cream topping to give this cake a cute Valentine's look! You can use any heart sprinkles, but I like these ones.
How do I store this cheesecake?
Store this red velvet cheesecake in the fridge in an airtight container like a cake carrier. Chill up to 5 days.
You can freeze the cheesecake in individual slices. Store in an airtight container and freeze up to 30 days. Thaw for 1-2 hours before eating.
You can also freeze the cheesecake before decorating. Wrap the cooled cheesecake (it needs to chill in the fridge overnight first), in plastic wrap and freeze up to 30 days.
Thaw for 1-2 hours before decorating.
For more Valentine's Day recipes, check out my
- Chocolate Mousse Cake
- Strawberry Crinkle Cookies
- Chocolate Truffle Cake
- Strawberry Brownies
- Red Velvet Cookies
Make sure to leave a STAR REVIEW if you loved this recipe! Make sure to tag me on Instagram @stephaniesweettreats. To get more ideas follow me on Pinterest.
๐ Recipe
Red Velvet Cheesecake
Ingredients
Oreo Crust
- 3 cups Oreos fine crumb. About 26 Oreos
- 6 tablespoon Unsalted butter melted
Cheesecake
- 32 oz Cream cheese room temperature
- 1 cup White granulated sugar
- ยพ cup Sour cream room temperature or greek yogurt
- ยฝ cup Heavy cream room temperature
- 1 teaspoon Pure vanilla extract
- 4 Large eggs room temperature
- 1 Egg yolk room temperature
- ยผ cup Unsweetened cocoa powder I used dutch process
- 1 teaspoon Red food gel dye
Whipped Cream
- 1 ยฝ cups Heavy cream
- ยผ cup Powdered sugar sifted
- 1 teaspoon Pure vanilla extract
Instructions
Oreo Crust
- Preheat the oven to 325โ. Spray a 9-inch springform pan with baking spray. Line the bottom with a parchment paper circle and spray again.
- Using a food processor, blend the Oreos into a fine crumb (keep the fillings!). In a small bowl, mix the Oreo crumbs and melted butter. Mix until well coated.3 cups Oreos, 6 tablespoon Unsalted butter
- Pour the crumbs into the pan. Use your hands to press the crust halfway up the sides of the pan. Use the bottom of a measuring cup to compact the bottom of the crust.
- Bake for 11 minutes.
Cheesecake
- Using a mixer, beat the cream cheese and sugar on high speed for 2 minutes.32 oz Cream cheese, 1 cup White granulated sugar
- Add the sour cream, heavy cream, and vanilla. Mix on medium until combined. Add in the eggs and egg yolk, mix on low speed until just combined.ยพ cup Sour cream, ยฝ cup Heavy cream, 1 teaspoon Pure vanilla extract, 1 Egg yolk, 4 Large eggs
- Pour โ of the batter into a separate bowl. Add the cocoa powder (make sure it is sifted to avoid lumps), and red food dye to the bowl with โ rds of the batter. Mix on low speed until just combinedยผ cup Unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon Red food gel dye
- Spread the red velvet cheesecake batter on top of the crust first. Dollop the regular cheesecake batter on top of the red velvet cheesecake batter. Use an offset icing spatula to spread the batter evenly on top.
- Water bath. Use one of these methods for a water bath. Both methods use a large roasting pan and hot steaming water.1. Place the springform pan in a 10 inch cake pan. Place the cake pan in the roasting pan and fill with hot water halfway up the cake pan. This method prevent water getting into the crust.2. Wrap the springform pan tightly twice in aluminum foil. Place the springform pan inside the roasting pan. Fill with hot water halfway up the springform pan. This method works great, but can sometimes leak water into the crust.
- Bake for 75-85 minutes. Bake until the edges are set and the middle has a slight jiggle.
- Turn off the oven, crack open the door, and let the cheesecake cool for 30 minutes. Then, remove the cheesecake from the water bath (still in the springform pan) and place on a cooling rack. Cool completely.
- Wrap the cheesecake in foil and place in the fridge for at least 6 hours or overnight.
Whipped Cream
- Using a mixer, metal bowl, and whisk attachment, add the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Beat on high speed until medium peaks form.1 ยฝ cups Heavy cream, ยผ cup Powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon Pure vanilla extract
- Take the cheesecake out of the pan, and remove the parchment paper. Spread the whipped cream on top of the cheesecake.
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