Strawberry Red Velvet Cheesecake

Published on February 3, 2017 | In American | By tatyanaseverydayfood |

- Cook Time
- 75 Minutes
- Difficulty Level

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Calling all strawberry lovers – this extravagant cheesecake mousse cake creation is for you! I start this triple-layered beauty with a red velvet cheesecake on a chocolate crust, a strawberry mousse layer and strawberry whipped cream topping! This cake is loaded with cheesecake flavor and tons of fresh strawberries! It’s perfect any time of the year, but especially for Valentine’s day for that someone special in your life! Surprise someone special for their birthday, anniversary or even Mother’s Day! To make this cake even more special, try adding my ‘Triple Strawberry Macarons’ to the top! I have the recipe down below for you!

If you enjoy red velvet cake, you’ll love the rich and creamy smooth red velvet cheesecake layer. It’s chocolatey, delicious and everything a cheesecake should be! The strawberry mousse layer is equally delicious but lighter, fluffier and packed with fruity flavor. The final layer of strawberry whipped cream just brings all the layers together. It’s the lightest layer and it’s not too sweet, rounding out the richness of the other layers.

Watch my video recipe for step-by-step instructions!

The history of the original red velvet cake can be traced back to the 1920’s, when this cake was served in the Waldorf-Astoria hotel in New York. Housewives picked up the recipe and began serving it for Christmas and Valentine’s Day. The color of the cake comes from cocoa powder and red food coloring, which lends this cake that deep rich red mahogany color. A cake that has been around for almost a hundred years deserves a special place in every baker’s kitchen. I’m proud of this beautiful version!

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Enjoyed this recipe? I created this handy pinboard just for you! Save it to Pinterest for later!

Next, try my ‘Strawberry Tuxedo Cake’! It’s made with no-bake cheesecake, chocolate cake layers and tons of strawberry! https://tatyanaseverydayfood.com/recipe-items/strawberry-tuxedo-cake/

Make this cake extra special with my ‘Triple Strawberry Macarons’. Just add the to the top of the cake to make it look even fancier! https://tatyanaseverydayfood.com/recipe-items/triple-strawberry-macarons/

Need some supplies to make this recipe? You can get them here (Amazon affiliate links):

I love this tall spring form pan for cakes and cheesecakes.
I use a bulk roll of acetate cake collar, then cut it down to size for each cake.
This set of jumbo cake decorating tips includes all my favorites.
My classic CuisinArt food processor is the best – simple and powerful.
And my classic KitchenAid stand mixer is a must for every kitchen.

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Ingredients

For Red Velvet Cheesecake:
10 chocolate graham crackers, about 1 1/2 cups (130g) cookie crumbs
1/4 cup (57g) melted butter
16 ounces (453g) cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup (62ml) sour cream
1/2 cup (100g) white granulated sugar
1/2 cup (113g) mascarpone cheese
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons (15g) cocoa powder
red food coloring
For Strawberry Mousse:
1 1/2 cups (355ml) heavy cream, chilled
1/2 cup (90g) white chocolate chips, melted
1/2 cup (118ml) sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup (113g) mascarpone cheese
2 cups diced strawberries, divided
1 teaspoon (5ml) strawberry extract
red food coloring, optional
1/4 cup (59ml) water
2 teaspoons (6g) unflavored gelatin
For Strawberry Whipped Cream:
8 ounces (226g) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup (90g) white chocolate chips, melted
1/3 cup (67g) white granulated sugar
1 teaspoon (5ml) strawberry extract
2 cups (473ml) heavy cream, chilled
extra strawberries, for garnish
sliced strawberries for center

Instructions

Prepare the 'Red Velvet Cheesecake' layer first. Preheat oven to 325F and double-wrap a 9-inch spring form pan with foil; set aside. Place chocolate graham crackers into a food processor and pulse into fine crumbs. Add the melted butter and pulse again until crumbs are well coated. Transfer the crumbs into spring form pan and press firmly into the bottom of the pan, creating an even and firm crust; set aside.
Place softened cream cheese into a mixer bowl and use a flat beater attachment to cream the cheese, beating for about 5 minutes. Next, add the eggs, sugar, mascarpone and sour cream. Mix again until the mixture is smooth. Scrape down sides of mixing bowl often to avoid any clumps.
Add the cocoa powder and red food coloring, until desired color is reached. I recommend using concentrated gel color. Mix the batter again until smooth and uniform. Pour the prepared batter over the chocolate crust, spreading it evenly to the edges. Next, prepare the water bath. Transfer the cake pan onto a large baking sheet and fill the sheet half-way with water.
Bake the cheesecake in preheated oven for 1 hour and 10-15 minutes, or until the top is set. Remove the cake from the oven and cool for one hour before proceeding with the next layer. Add a layer of sliced strawberries to the top of the cheesecake before adding the mousse.
Prepare the strawberry mousse. Pour the 1 1/2 cups of cold heavy cream into a mixing bowl and whisk until stiff peaks form; set aside. Into a separate bowl, add the mascarpone, melted chocolate, sweetened condensed milk and strawberry extract. Using a whisk or hand-mixer, blend the ingredients together until creamy. Then add in half of the diced strawberries, blending them into the mixture.
In a small measuring cup/bowl, sprinkle the unflavored gelatin over 1/4 cup water. Mix together, then microwave until the gelatin is completely dissolved. Pour the dissolved gelatin into the strawberry base, add the remaining diced strawberries and mix everything together. Add the prepared whipped cream and use a spatula to gently fold the strawberry base with the cream, keeping it light and fluffy.
Pour the mousse over the cooled red velvet cheesecake and spread evenly to the edges. Refrigerate the cake for at least 1 hour before adding the final layer.
For the strawberry whipped cream, first cream together the softened cream cheese, melted white chocolate, sugar and strawberry extract. Once creamy and smooth, pour in the chilled heavy cream. Whisk until a smooth, stiff and fluffy whipped cream forms. Transfer the cream into a pastry bag tipped with a decorating tip; I used Ateco tip #847.
Pipe the whipped cream onto the strawberry mousse layer, covering the layer completely. Chill the cake in the refrigerator overnight to allow the mousse layer to set completely. To release the cake from the pan, run a flat spatula along the edges. Garnish the top with extra strawberries. Keep cake refrigerated.

Servings : 8-10
Course : Dessert
Recipe Type : Cakes, Cheesecakes, Video

12 Responses to Strawberry Red Velvet Cheesecake

Jafar February 4, 2017 at 7:20 am #

Hey Tatyana. is it fine if i use Oreo cookies for the base because i cant find chocolate graham crakers anywhere? pls answer ASAP

Reply
- Keals February 12, 2017 at 12:02 am #
  
  I used Oreo crumbs because I couldn’t find chocolate graham wafers either – turned out just fine! Did you end up making yours with that?
  
  Reply
  - Jafar February 24, 2017 at 8:57 pm #
    
    yup and it turned out just fine too
    
    Reply
Dina Wittke February 26, 2017 at 6:57 pm #

I have 10″ and 8″ springform pans. Is it crucial to use 9″? Would the 10 or 8 inch convert better?

Thanks!

Reply
- tatyanaseverydayfood February 28, 2017 at 9:12 pm #
  
  Hi! Either pan would work well, depending on the height of the side walls. If the pans you have are on the shorter side, use the 10-inch 🙂
  
  Reply
Sumi July 16, 2017 at 3:33 pm #

Hlo dear,

Would it be okay to use creacheese instead of mascarpone in the mousse recipe?
And is water bath a must? Can i set the base in the refrigerator?

Reply
Zahra May 23, 2018 at 4:29 am #

Hi babe!
I can’t find sour cream at all.
What can I use? Can I Substitute regular cream ?

Reply
- tatyanaseverydayfood May 23, 2018 at 10:23 am #
  
  Hi! Regular cream will work great, too! 🙂
  
  Reply
Woody7 June 21, 2018 at 10:29 am #

Can I convert the strawberries to cherries?

Reply
- tatyanaseverydayfood June 23, 2018 at 12:11 pm #
  
  That would be delicious! 🙂
  
  Reply
Alla October 15, 2018 at 3:18 pm #

Beautiful cheesecake! Is the whipped cream strong enough to be used like buttercream and cover the whole cake instead of just the top?

Reply
- tatyanaseverydayfood October 16, 2018 at 1:20 pm #
  
  Thank you! 🙂 Yes, the whipped cream will hold up nicely!
  
  Reply