Leon's Mexican Kitchen: Red Velvet Cheese Cake... (Need I say more?)

In early December, I asked Andrew what kind of cake he wanted for his birthday. He immediately said Red Velvet Cake... I was surprised. I was thinking he would have said Cheese Cake. Well this got my wheels a turning... I decided I'd combine recipes to come up with a Red Velvet Cheese Cake... and therefore create a unique cake for his birthday!

The result was an instant hit.

You will need to be organized for this recipe... Measure all of your ingredients and do your little "fussy steps" in advance.

LIST OF INGREDIENTS:

For Crumb Crust Mixture:

1½ Cups Chocolate Graham Cracker Crumbs

¼ Cup melted Unsalted Butter

2 Tsp Granulated Sugar

For Cake Batter Mixture:

3 (8 oz) packages of Cream Cheese, softened

1½ Cups Granulated Sugar

4 Large Eggs, lightly beaten

3 Tsp Unsweetened Cocoa

2 (1 oz) bottles of Red Food Coloring

1 Cup Sour Cream

½ Cup Whole Buttermilk

2 tsp Pure Mexican Vanilla Extract

1 tsp Distilled White Vinegar

For Creme Cheese Icing:

1 (8 oz) package Creme Cheese, softened

1 stick unsalted Butter, softened

4 Cups Powdered Sugar

2 tsp Pure Mexican Vanilla Extract

HOW TO PREPARE CRUMB MIXTURE:

Have a spring-form pan ready and line the bottom with parchment paper. I generously spray butter flavored Crisco in the spring-form pan. I then place the parchment paper on the bottom.

Now that your pan is ready...

Organize the following ingredients:

1½ cups chocolate graham cracker crumbs. I place on sleeve in a gallon size plastic bag and go over it with a rolling pin, the place it in a bowl and finish crumbling with a pestle...

Once it is crumbled enough, add 2 Tsp granulated sugar.

Mix the sugar into the crumb and then add ¼ cup melted butter and toss to make a course crumbly mix.

Put this combination into the prepared spring-form pan.

Spread this out as evenly as possible, and using the bottom of a measuring cup, press the crumb mixture to the bottom and sides of the spring-form pan.

Once this is done, place the spring-form pan in the refrigerator for the crumb mixture to set until ready for the batter...

HOW TO PREPARE CAKE BATTER MIXTURE:

PREPARE AHEAD OF TIME:

Four Large Eggs, slightly beaten...

...in a bowl add Three heaping tablespoons unsweetened cocoa and the 2 one ounce bottles of Red Food Coloring and mix until it thickens into a paste. Set aside.

NOTE: This step seems like it is excessive. If you have ever baked a Red Velvet Cake, you may remember how sometimes the Cocoa Powder and Red Food Coloring often leaves specks or mottling along the cake edges making for uneven coloring... This step serves two purposes to prevent this uneven coloring AND also lessens the chance of you getting Red Food Coloring all over yourself and your kitchen... (This is a great technique that I learned from COOK'S magazine.)

In a large stand mixer beat the 3 eight ounce packages of Cream Cheese and 1½ Cups granulated sugar at medium slow speed for about a minute. A heavy duty hand held electric mixer also works well.

Add Beaten Eggs...

Add the Cocoa and Red Food Coloring Paste Mixture...

While this is mixing, add the one cup of Sour Creme and the ½ cup of Whole Butter Milk.

Now add the 2 tsp Mexican Vanilla Extract and the 1 tsp Distilled White Vinegar.

Combine the batter... push down the sides into the batter until fully combined.

Pour the batter into the prepared crust.

Bake at 325˚ F for 10 minutes; the reduce heat to 300˚ F, and bake for one hour and 15 minutes, or until center is firm. (Sometimes this requires an extra hour) watch carefully and bake in increments of 30 minutes. When center is firm, run knife along the outer edge of the cheese cake. Turn oven off. Let cheese cake stand in oven for 30 minutes. Remove the cheese cake from the oven; then cool in pan on a wire rack 30 minutes. This cake will fall in the center. This is normal. Cover and chill 8 hours.

HOW TO PREPARE CREME CHEESE ICING:

In a large mixer bowl combine the 8 ounce package of Creme Cheese, softened and the unsalted stick of butter, softened until light.

Gradually add the 4 Cups of Powdered Sugar and the 2 tsp of Pure Mexican Vanilla Extract. Beat until very light the almost fluffy. ...about five minutes. (In the photos below you can see the step by step process.)