Another Twist on Red Velvet Cupcakes!

Red Velvet Cake Layered with White Chocolate Cheesecake Topped with Cream Cheese Icing


I have a thing for Red Velvet Cake, but for some reason, I always need to change it up a bit, plain red velvet just isn't quite good enough. (See my Black Velvet Cupcakes and Southern Comfort Red Velvet Cupcakes).

Well, for valentine's day I had to make Red Velvet Cupcakes, but I decided that white chocolate would go well with Red Velvet. So, I went searching for a white chocolate red velvet cupcake and I found this recipe: Red Velvet White Chocolate Cheesecake Cupcakes from the Real Women of Philadelphia.

I altered it a bit, the changes are reflected below. I also found these cute chocolate mold on Amazon a few weeks ago: heart mold. They were supposed to be pink, but of course Wal-Mart only had Red and Orange candy melts, so red they were.

They actually turned out super cute! and delicious too!

The makes 12 cupcakes. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. 

White Choc. Cheesecake Batter:

• 8 ounces of cream cheese, (room temperature)
• 1/2 cup of sugar
• 3 tbsp. of beaten egg 
• 1 tbsp. of vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup of white chocolate chips

1. Combine cream cheese with sugar, beaten egg, vanilla until thoroughly blended. 
2. Add in white chocolate chips and set aside. 

Red Velvet Cake Batter:

• 1 cup of flour
• 1/3 cup of cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp. of salt
• 2/3 cup of canola oil
• 3/4 cup of sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 1/2 tbsp. of red food coloring
• 1/2 tsp. of vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp. of baking soda
• 3/4 tsp. of white balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup of buttermilk

1. Sift the flour, cocoa and salt together.
2. In a large bowl, blend the oil and sugar together then add the egg and mix well. 
3. Add the red food color, mix carefully then add the vanilla and stir in.
4. Add one third of the flour mix, stir to just blend.
5. Add half of the buttermilk and another third of the flour mix and stir until just blended.
6. Add the other half of the buttermilk and the remaining flour and stir until just blended.
7. Mix the baking soda and vinegar together in a small dish (it should foam up) and the add to the batter stirring to make sure all dry ingredients have been combined.

Cream Cheese Icing:

• 12 ounces cream cheese (1.5 8 oz. blocks)
• 4 tbsp. of unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 tbsp. of crisco
• 2 tsp. of vanilla extract
• 4 cup of powdered sugar
• 1 tsp. of buttermilk

1. Combine butter with the crisco until completely blended.
2. Add the vanilla and mix well.
3. Add 1/2 of an 8 oz block of cream cheese and 1 cup of confectioner's sugar
4. Add 1/2 tsp buttermilk, 1/2 of an 8 oz.block of cream cheese and one cup of confectioner's sugar
5. Add 1/2 tsp buttermilk, 1/2 of an 8 oz.block of cream cheese and one cup of confectioner's sugar
6. Add an additional cup of powdered sugar or more until you reach the desired consistency.

Kind of a bad picture, but you can see the layered cheesecake!

To assemble:

1. Line a muffin tin with liners
2. Spoon 1 heaping Tablespoon of Red Velvet Batter into each cup. 
3. Then Spoon 1 heaping Tablespoon of Cheesecake into each cup.
4. Top with another heaping Tablespoon Red Velvet Batter. 
5. Bake 23 minutes in 350 degree oven. 
6. Rest in pan for 5 minutes then remove from pan and place in freezer for 5 minutes. 
7. let cool the rest of the way on a wire rack and frost with icing. 
8. top with a candy molded heart pick. 

These turned out great! Recipe is definitely a keeper and Sean's co-workers are lucky this Valentine's Day!

Actually, Sean rates all my cupcakes on a scale of 1 to 10, and these earned a 9! Just below my Chocolate Xtreme Cupcakes!