RED VELVET CHEESECAKE - SIMPLE and SPECIAL!

SIMPLE & SPECIAL.
There was a Birthday last week...mine actually and I decided to make myself a cake. Something nice and indulgent. So I browsed around and thought I should make the tantalizing Red Velvet Cheesecake. It was lovely and rich! Alhamdulillah, I managed to share a few slices with some friends, and I enjoyed having it till the last slice. Something I'd make again for special occasions, because it's such a special cake :)

You'll need:

8" springform tin. 
I lined it with aluminion foil for easy cleaning and that water from the baine-marie won't seep in while baking. Lighty grease the foil.

Preheat oven to 160deg celcius.

Crust:
12pcs chocolate sandwich biscuits (I used 1 pack of Oreos) - crushed.
1/4 [62.5gm) butter - melted
1 teaspoon sugar ( I omitted this)

Filling:
500gm      cream cheese - soften at room temperature.
1 cup        castor sugar
1 cup        sour cream
3               eggs
2 tblspn    cocoa powder
1/4 cup     all purpose (plain) flour
1 1/2 tspn vanilla essence
2 tblspn    red coloring

Frosting:
250gm           cream cheese
1/4 [62.5gm] butter - soften
2 cups           icing sugar - sifted
1 tspn           vanilla

Method:
Crust:
Process the chocolate sandwich biscuits with the filling. Add the melted butter and mix well. Add sugar if you're using. Place the crushed mix into the base of the pan. With the back of a spoon or with you hand press it to the base of the pan. Compact. When done, place pan in the freezer while you prepare the cheese filling.

Filling:
With a mixer, beat cream cheese till light and fluffy. Add in sugar and continue beating till sugar dissolves. 
Beat in sour cream and eggs one at a time. Beat till well combined.
Sift in cocoa powder and flour. And continue beating.
Add in vanilla essence and red colouring.

Remove pan from freezer and pour in the cheese filling over the crust.

Place the pan inside a larger pan filled with hot water.

Bake in the middle rack for about 1hr.

Leave the pan in the oven to cool for 1hr with door ajar.

Remove the cake, loosen the sides and chill in the fridge overnight.

Frosting:
Beat cream cheese till smooth. Add butter and continue beating.
Sift icing sugar and add in alittle at a time.
Add vanilla essence.

Spread frosting over chilled cake and continue to chill before serving.

Enjoy :)


#simple #celebration cakes #family