The Love Cake (Red Velvet-White Chocolate Cheesecake)

The Love Cake (Red Velvet-White Chocolate Cheesecake)

Original recipe from Southern Living, *custom edited by Terri N. Bergman

This recipe was featured in Heart of Ohio Magazine in 2016 for a Valentine’s Day feature. Terri makes these cakes and shares them with love every year. This is one of her most-requested recipes and she shares it with you today so you can make it for those you love!

CHEESECAKE LAYERS
2 (8”) round, aluminum foil cake pans
1 (2oz) package white chocolate morsels
5 (8oz) packages cream cheese softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 Tbsp vanilla extract

RED VELVET LAYERS
1 cup butter, softened
2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
6 large eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp Pummull Spice* or cinnamon (optional)
1 tsp finely crushed pink peppercorns (optional)
1 tsp instant espresso or coffee granules (optional)
1 (8oz) container sour cream
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 (1 oz) bottles red liquid food coloring
3 (8”) aluminum foil cake pans

WHITE CHOCOLATE FROSTING
4 oz white chocolate morsels
1/2 cup boiling water
1 cup butter, softened
1 (32oz) pkg powdered sugar
1/2 tsp table salt

GARNISHES
White chocolate hearts and leaves made with piped melted chocolate
Fresh raspberries or cranberries (optional)

GLAZE RED VELVET CAKE TOPS (optional)
1 jar seedless raspberry jam warmed in microwave with 1 Tbsp Chambord liqueur, or water. This is a wonderful addition to seal cake tops when cool and enhance and deepen flavor. Use sparingly: spread 1 Tbsp on each cake top prior to assembly.

PREPARATION:

Cheesecake Layers
1) Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line pans with aluminum foil, allowing 3 inches to extend over sides. Lightly grease foil or spray with cooking oil.

2) Microwave white chocolate morsels in a microwave-safe bowl according to package directions. Let cool 10 minutes.

3) Beat cream cheese and melted chocolate at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add 1 cup sugar, beating well. Add 2 eggs, beating just until yellow disappears. Stir in vanilla then pour into prepared pans.

4) Bake at 300 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes or until almost set. Turn oven off. Let cheesecakes stand in oven, with door closed, for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely. Cover and chill 8 hours, or freeze for 24 – 48 hours.

Red Velvet Layers
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat 1 cup butter at medium speed with electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add 2 1/2 cups sugar. (Optional) Add sugar with Pummel Spice, finely crushed pink peppercorns and espresso granules. Add 6 eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.

2) Stir together flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, and baking soda. Add to butter mixture alternately with sour cream. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition. Stir in 2 tsp vanilla. Carefully stir in red food coloring. Evenly pour batter into the 3 greased and floured same 8” foil pans as above.

3) Bake at 350 degrees for 22 to 26 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Remove cake from pans and move to wire racks to cool completely (about 1 hour). These cakes can be prepared and frozen with cheesecake or cooled in refrigerator.

Frosting
1) Whisk together chocolate and . cup boiling water until chocolate melts. Let cool 20 minutes, then chill 30 minutes, stirring to keep the mixture smooth and liquid.

2) Beat 1 cup butter and chilled chocolate at low speed until blended. Beat at medium speed 1 minute. Increase speed to high, beat 1-2 minutes until smooth and fluffy. Gradually add powdered sugar and salt, beating at low speed until blended. Increase speed to high and beat 1-2 minutes or until smooth and fluffy.

Assemble
1) Place 1 layer red velvet on a serving platter. Top with 1 layer cheesecake. Repeat with remaining layers of red velvet and cheesecake, alternating and ending with red velvet on top. Spread top and sides of cake with white chocolate frosting. I like to lightly frost, chill or place in the freezer, and then generously frost again. This seals in red cake crumbs so the finished product is snowy white!

2) Garnish as desired. Remember you can pipe your own leaves and hearts, or garnish with melted white chocolate, that has been piped. If you don’t have a piping kit, refrigerate some frosting in a Ziploc plastic bag and then snip the corner to create a piping tool.

3) Admire your creation, then call in your best family and friends, slice and enjoy!

Lilies of summer!

Lilies of summer!

Wow, a bit of a bliss here at Hilltop! Started many moons ago with bucketfuls of nature’s free wild lilies and added a few of pedigree along with way. The multiplication is stunning!
What a Symphony of Colors and Joy!

Rain, then sun!

Rain, then sun!

Road this Rainy – Sunny Day like my old school bike! First checking out the cherished “Saint Theresa Grape Vines”, planted 3 years ago! First Sightings of GRAPES! Had so much fun taking the old bike and delivering an order to my local neighborhood! (That was old school fun!) With grapes on the mind, headed over to Firelands Winery (big doings on the board there)and picked up a few cases of perfect summer Wines! Gewurztraminer 2019, American Rose 2020…and in a nod to the Saint Theresa Grapes a perfect Firelands Pinot Noir 2016! Can’t wait to create perfect Summer Dishes to compliment the wine, or is it the other way around! Charlotte NC…Ohio Wines will Travel!

Mondays!

Mondays!

Monday Funday…well at least the wrapping up the day was at Lake Front Park. Little Town America you are sweet, and so is my little gang!

Beautiful warm market mornings…

Beautiful warm market mornings…

Early morning wanderings, this lil piggy’s going to market, one of the grands giving me a hand (Owen’s handprint 2020), my flower boxes getting ready to leap – and color chart reminder for gardens! Sunny day shades for everyone…next hitting the Sandusky Market – fabulous! Croissants, Manuella’s Cookies, Hydroponic Lettuces (gorgeous)…do we eat or use for decor? Okay both! Then an unexpected visitor rode the copper pot in from outside – yes, I did jump…just like the frog! Early afternoon and oh those June Days! Hope you’re enjoying yours!!! (Merle Allshouse, here’s is to you, who always said “start it like you want to finish it)

And the same Elephant Ear Bulb, just peeking out, here is a year ago…..early September! Isn’t it cool! These are all over the grounds!

Setting the Easter Table

Setting the Easter Table

Enjoy this gallery of my elegant upcoming Easter table setting. Pewter Easter bunnies encased in a glass egg (our small gifts) accompany some fabulous floral arrangements on the tables. Placeholders created from favorite silks, glass and pewter chargers from Mexico, a miniature zebra rug to grace the table center, glasses that were gifts from friends and my sweet Belle (Memere) to all go along the egg-shaped Cognac server!

The Easter menu will be coming soon…

Lunar Celebrations…

Lunar Celebrations…

Snow Moon, Hunger Moon, Celestial Moon…give me an excuse to create a Dinner Menu! Muddled Blueberry Martini kissed with Orange started it off…broken Chocolate Globes with Mousse and Creme lit with gold, a sweet ending! I’ll publish this luscious menu and all the recipes this week…for any moon you want to celebrate! Stage set!

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