Velvet Chocolate Cheesecake Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°. Place a greased 9-in. springform pan on a double thickness of heavy-duty foil (about 18 in. square). Securely wrap foil around pan. , In a small bowl, combine the cookie crumbs, butter and sugar. Press onto the bottom of prepared pan., In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, sour cream, buttermilk, cocoa and vanilla until smooth. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Stir in food coloring. Pour over crust. Place springform pan in a large baking pan; add 1 in. of hot water to larger pan. , Bake until center is just set and top appears dull, 60-70 minutes. Remove springform pan from water bath. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight, covering when completely cooled. Remove sides of pan., For frosting, in a small bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Add confectioners' sugar and vanilla; beat until smooth. Frost top of cheesecake. Refrigerate until serving.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F if using a silver 8-inch springform pan (or to 350°F if using a dark nonstick 8-inch springform pan). Crush 20 of the cookies; mix with margarine. Press firmly onto bottom of pan. Stand remaining 10 cookies around side of pan; set aside.
• Reserve 2 Tbsp. of the sugar. Beat cream cheese in medium bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until creamy. Add remaining sugar, the cocoa and 1 tsp. of the vanilla; mix well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating on low speed after each addition just until blended. Pour over crust. Cover tops of cookies with strip of foil to prevent overbrowning.
• Bake 50 minutes or until cheesecake is puffed and almost set in center. Remove from oven. Mix reserved 2 Tbsp. sugar, the sour cream and remaining 1/2 tsp. vanilla until well blended; spread evenly over cheesecake. Return to oven; bake an additional 10 minutes. Run knife or metal spatula around rim of pan to loosen cake; cool before removing rim of pan. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. Store leftover cheesecake in refrigerator.

Steps:

• Make the crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Mix the cookie crumbs, melted butter, sugar and salt in a bowl. Press into the bottom and 1 inch up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Put the pan on a baking sheet and bake until set, about 10 minutes. Let cool completely.
• Make the filling: Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F. Beat the cream cheese, sugar, lemon juice and vanilla in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until smooth, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the flour, then beat in the eggs one at a time. Transfer 2 cups batter to a bowl; stir in the cocoa powder and food coloring. Pour the red batter into the crust, then pour the white batter on top. Using a spoon, pull some of the red batter up from the bottom of the cake and swirl. Bake until the edges are set but the center is still wobbly, about 1 hour, 20 minutes.
• Turn off the oven but keep the cake inside to cool, 20 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the pan (don't remove the springform side), then transfer to a rack to cool. Refrigerate at least 4 hours before slicing.