Food and Recipes Desserts Cakes Cheesecake Red Velvet Cheesecake 3.2 (5) 5 Reviews Our classic Red Velvet Cheesecake recipe is baked in a dark chocolate crust, making it nearly impossible to resist a second slice. By Southern Living Test Kitchen Southern Living Test Kitchen The Southern Living Test Kitchen has been publishing recipes since 1970, four years after the first issue of Southern Living Magazine appeared on newsstands. The Southern Living Test Kitchen team includes a team of professionals with deep expertise in recipe development, from pastry chefs and grilling experts to nutritionists and dietitians. Together, the team tests and retests, produces, styles, and photographs thousands of recipes each year in the state-of-the-art test kitchen facility located in Birmingham, Alabama. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Published on October 29, 2018 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Prep Time: 20 mins Bake Time: 1 hrs 25 mins Stand Time: 1 hrs Chill Time: 8 hrs Total Time: 10 hrs 45 mins Yield: 8 to 10 servings Have you ever eaten a slice of red velvet cake and thought, "there's no way this could get any better?" Or sliced off a silky piece of cheesecake and thought "THIS is the best, honestly underrated, dessert of all time?" Then boy do we have a recipe for you.If you love both red velvet cake and cheesecake, this perfect sweet-meets-rich-meets-creamy concoction is bound to be your new favorite dessert. A red velvet filling is spiked with cocoa, topped with a creamy cheesecake layer, and baked in a dark chocolate crust–making a wickedly-delicious combination. As far as preparation goes, the cake will require eight hours to chill so it's perfect to make in advance. Prep time is a cool 20 minutes, and then the oven will require a bit of baby-sitting for the first 10 minutes. After that, you just set it a forget it. Eight hours later, it's time to enjoy! Lee Harrelson; Styling: Jan Gautro Ingredients 1 1/2 cups chocolate graham cracker crumbs 1/4 cup butter, melted 1 tablespoon granulated sugar 3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 4 large eggs, lightly beaten 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa 1 cup sour cream 1/2 cup whole buttermilk 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar 1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese, softened 1/4 cup butter, softened 2 cups powdered sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Garnish: fresh mint sprigs Directions Stir together graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and 1 tablespoon granulated sugar; press mixture into bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Beat 3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese and 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar at medium-low speed with an electric mixer 1 minute. Add eggs and next 6 ingredients, mixing on low speed just until fully combined. Pour batter into prepared crust. Bake at 325° for 10 minutes; reduce heat to 300°, and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until center is firm. Run knife along outer edge of cheesecake. Turn oven off. Let cheesecake stand in oven 30 minutes. Remove cheesecake from oven; cool in pan on a wire rack 30 minutes. Cover and chill 8 hours. Beat 1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese and 1/4 cup butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth; gradually add powdered sugar and vanilla, beating until smooth. Spread evenly over top of cheesecake. Remove sides of springform pan. Garnish, if desired. Rate it Print