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Cocoa and red coloring flavor a single cheesecake layer over a graham crust. This is a baked custard, distinct from a layered red-velvet cake with a cheesecake center. Allow several hours for chilling after the filling is safely baked.
Use a nine-inch springform pan with a lined base and room below the rim. Set it on a rimmed tray to catch possible butter seepage. The pan size is now explicit rather than left unspecified.
Ingredient amounts and preparation
- Set out: 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- Set out: 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
- Set out: 2 cups cream cheese, softened
- Set out: 1 cup granulated sugar
- Set out: 3 large eggs
- Set out: 1 cup sour cream
- Set out: 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- Set out: 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- Set out: 1 tablespoon red food coloring
- Set out: 1 teaspoon vinegar
Cooking sequence and doneness
- Stage 1
- Heat the oven to 325°F and prepare a nine-inch springform pan on a rimmed tray.
- Stage 2
- Mix graham crumbs with melted butter. Press evenly over the lined base.
- Stage 3
- Beat softened cream cheese and sugar until smooth and scrape the bowl.
- Stage 4
- Add eggs individually on low speed. Mix in sour cream and vanilla.
- Stage 5
- Sift in cocoa and add food coloring appropriate to its label plus vinegar.
- Stage 6
- Mix only until evenly combined. Pour over the crust and smooth gently.
- Stage 7
- Bake about fifty to sixty minutes, continuing until edges are set and the center reaches 160°F with a slight unified wobble.
- Stage 8
- Cool gradually for a short period and refrigerate within two hours after baking. Chill at least four hours until fully cold before releasing the ring and slicing.
The inherited formula specifies two cups of softened cream cheese. Measure that volume consistently without adding an unsupported weight conversion. Different packing can affect the batter, which remains untested in a kitchen.
How is coloring controlled?
Use a food coloring intended for baking and check its label. Gel and liquid concentrations differ; the listed tablespoon should not be assumed equivalent across all products. Color is cosmetic and does not indicate doneness.
What is the center endpoint?
Bake until edges are set and the center reaches 160°F with a small unified wobble. It should not move like liquid. Start checking around fifty minutes and extend as needed.
Why is chilling part of the recipe?
The filling continues firming as it cools. Refrigerate within two hours after baking, then chill at least four hours before removing the ring. A warm cheesecake cannot be expected to cut into firm slices.
Storage and serving later
Refrigerate perishable leftovers promptly in shallow containers at 40°F or below; do not wait for a large hot batch to cool completely on the counter. University of Illinois Extension’s leftover guidance gives a three-to-four-day refrigerated window and 165°F for reheating foods served hot. Keep cold salads and toppings chilled, and follow shorter product-label limits where applicable. Do not leave the prepared dish out longer than two hours, or one hour above 90°F; return the remaining batch to cold storage.
Related recipe choices
For another complete recipe, see Baked Oreo Cheesecake with Optional Chocolate Ganache or Cherry Cheesecake Bars. Each has its own ingredient quantities and cooking sequence; keep those measurements separate when choosing a meal.
FoodSafety.gov egg guidance supports the 160°F endpoint for this egg-based filling.
Common Questions About This Recipe
- Which pan is used here?
Use a nine-inch springform pan with a lined base and room below the rim. Set it on a rimmed tray to catch possible butter seepage.
- How is cream cheese measured?
The inherited formula specifies two cups of softened cream cheese. Measure that volume consistently without adding an unsupported weight conversion.
- How is coloring controlled?
Use a food coloring intended for baking and check its label. Gel and liquid concentrations differ; the listed tablespoon should not be assumed equivalent across all products.
- What is the center endpoint?
Bake until edges are set and the center reaches 160°F with a small unified wobble. It should not move like liquid.
- Why is chilling part of the recipe?
The filling continues firming as it cools. Refrigerate within two hours after baking, then chill at least four hours before removing the ring.