A Perfect Valentine’s Day Dessert recipe that will win over a cheesecake lover’s heart. This heavenly dessert has a chocolate graham cracker crust on the bottom. Then filled with a creamy, silky Cheesecake filling that is rich in flavors and topped with a buttercream frosting and chocolate morsels.
As many celebrates a day of Love and Romance with flowers, gifts and candy which are all welcome and quite nice to receive. But if you really want to know the truth, A really good cheesecake will always hold a special place in my heart. I say feed me cheesecake and I’m yours forever!
Whenever I’m in the mood for cheesecake, I would buy it from a local store or order it from the Cheesecake factory. (Which is my absolute favorite place to go for good cheesecake) And since cheesecake is my love language I know a good cheesecake when I come across one.
Rumor has it…….
That cheesecake is so difficult to make and it’s time-consuming. There was a time when I use to think that it was so hard to make a cheesecake, so I stay away from even trying to make it. I honestly believe that it is one of those desserts that the more you make it the better it becomes. Simply because each time you become more comfortable with the steps, you will start to develop your own technique.
However, once again during my early venture into the baking world, my first attempt was a blooper! I was devastated and heartbroken that I put my all into making my first cheesecake, but I didn’t allow that to keep me from trying again because I was very determined to become good at baking this dessert.
Baking Tips (Here’s what I’ve learned through trial and error)
- I find it so much easier using a food processor for crumbling the graham crackers for the crust.
- When preparing to make this recipe, be sure that your eggs, sour cream, butter and cream cheese is at room temperature.
- Crack the eggs in a small bowl, use a fork to lightly break up the yolk. Please avoid from whisking the eggs like I did as if I was getting ready to make scramble eggs. LOL
- Gently fold in the eggs into the cheesecake filling to avoid the eggs from frothing.
- Also adding flour to the cheesecake mixture will keep your cheesecake free from cracks forming on the top of the cheesecake.
- Preparing your springform pan is very important and makes it very easy to release the cheesecake. Line the bottom of the springform pan with parchment paper by cutting the shape of the pan. Then cover the outside bottom of the springform pan with aluminum foil.
Crust options
- Oreos
- Chocolate Graham Crackers
- Honey Graham Crackers and add Cocoa Powder
Red Velvet Cheesecake
Equipment
- Springform Pan
- Hand Mixer
Ingredients
Crust
- 2 cups Chocolate Graham Crackers
- 2 tbsp. Brown Sugar
- 1 stick Unsalted Butter
Cheesecake
- 24 oz. Cream Cheese Room Temperature
- 1¼ cups Sugar
- 4 Eggs Room Temperature
- 2 tbsp. Vanilla Extract
- 1 cup Sour Cream
- 1 tbsp. Vinegar
- 2 ounces Red Food Coloring
- ¼ cup Cocoa Powder
- 1 tbsp. All Purpose Flour
Buttercream Frosting
- 6 oz Cream Cheese soften
- ½ cup Butter
- 2 cups Confectioner Sugar
- 2 tbsp. Vanilla Extract
- 2 tbsp. Half n Half (add as needed to the desire thickness)
Instructions
Making the Crust
- Start by Preheating the oven at 325° F. Line the Springform pan with parchment paper and spraying around the pan with a nonstick baking spray. Cover the outside bottom of the pan with aluminum foil.
- Crumble the Graham Crackers the add to a mid size bowl along with melted butter and the brown sugar. Mix well until well combined.
- Add the crust to the pan and press firmly using your hand or spoon. Bake in the oven for 7-8 minutes.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool.
Cheesecake
- In a large bowl add in the soften cream cheese. Mix the cream cheese using a hand mixer to make the cream cheese smooth and creamy.
- Add in the Sugar, Cocoa, Vanilla Extract, Vinegar, Red Food Coloring, Sour Cream and fold in the eggs using a spatula until all ingredients are well combined.
- Transfer the cheesecake filling to the prepared springform pan.
- Bake for 1 hour at 325° F. Turn oven off and allow the cheesecake to sit in the oven for another 1-2 hour longer while the oven is cooling off. Then remove from the oven and allow to sit for anther 30 minutes.
Frosting
- Add soften cream cheese, powder sugar, vanilla extract, Half n Half in a small bowl. Mix all ingredients until well combined and the frosting is the desired thickness.
- Add Cream Cheese Frosting on top of the cheesecake and topping with Chocolate chips.