Ingredients
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1 1/4 lbs bar cream cheese, room temperature (20 oz)
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3/4 cup sugar
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1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
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1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
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2 large eggs
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1/2 cup sour cream, room temperature
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2 1/2 cups cake flour
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1 1/2 cups sugar
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1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
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2 tablespoons cocoa powder
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1 teaspoon salt
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2 eggs
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1 1/2 cups vegetable oil (I always use melted coconut oil)
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1 cup buttermilk
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3 tablespoons red food coloring
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2 teaspoons vanilla extract
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1 1/2 teaspoons white distilled vinegar
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12 ounces cream cheese, softened
Instructions
- For cheesecake:
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Set a kettle of water on to boil.
- Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese on medium until fluffy, scraping down side of bowl.
- Gradually add sugar, beating until fluffy.
- Beat in lemon juice and salt.
- Beat in the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the side of the bowl after each.
- Beat in the sour cream.
- Spray the pan with non-stick spray like Baker's Secret.
- Cut parchment paper in a circle and line the bottom of the cheesecake pan. Spray the parchment.
- Wrap bottom half of pan in foil.
- Pour in filling and place in a large, oven safe pan.
- Pour in boiling water to come halfway up side of the springform pan.
- Bake until just set in center, about 45 minutes.
- Remove pan from water. Let cool for approximately 20 minutes.
- Run a knife around edge and continue to cool completely.
- Carefully place a plate on top of cooled cheesecake layer and flip it over onto plate. Remove parchment paper.
- Cover in plastic wrap and freeze.
- For the cake:
- Preheat oven to 350°. I always use cake strips on all the cakes I bake because the cakes turn out perfectly flat on top. So soak your cake strips and attach them to your pans now if you're using them.
- Sift together flour, sugar, baking soda, cocoa, and salt into a medium bowl.
- Beat eggs, oil, buttermilk, food coloring, vanilla, and vinegar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until well combined.
- Add dry ingredients and beat until smooth, about 2 minutes.
- Divide batter evenly between 2 greased and floured 9" round cake pans and bake 25-30 minutes, rotating halfway through, until a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean.
- Let cakes cool 5 minutes, then invert each onto a plate, then invert again onto a cooling rack. Let cakes cool completely.
- If you didn't use cake strips, level the layers now.
- Frosting:
- Beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla together in a large bowl with an electric mixer until combined.
- Add sugar and beat until frosting is light and fluffy, 5–7 minutes.
- Assembly:
- Place bottom layer on cake stand.
- Remove cheesecake from freezer, unwrap and place cheesecake layer on top of the bottom layer of the red velvet cake.
- If the cheesecake is wider than the cake, and it is necessary to to trim it, wait approximately 10 minutes for the cheesecake to soften, then trim it with a knife.
- Place top layer of cake on top of the cheesecake, and coat with a generous layer of the cream cheese frosting to act as the crumb coat.
- Refrigerate approximately 30 minutes, then frost with as much of the remaining frosting as necessary.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve.