Lesson #108: Red Velvet Cheesecake

I had a few red velvet recipes that I've been wanting to try lately. First, it was these red velvet cherry cupcakes. Next up is this red velvet swirl cheesecake. Even though I haven't liked red velvet desserts in the past, both of these recipes are really good. When I lived in Tucson, some of my friends and I sometimes went to a dessert restaurant/coffeehouse (linked here in case you interested...it looks like they changed a bit because they never used to serve non-dessert food). One of my friends always used to get the red velvet cake, and every time with no exception, she would realize that it didn't taste as good as it sounded. Maybe that's why I have a bad association with red velvet cake?

Anyway, this cheesecake is fun to make and tastes even better . You make a cheesecake batter, divide it in half, and flavor half with cocoa powder and red food coloring. Next, you swirl the cheesecake which is fun if you are super artistic or have an eye for perfect swirl (neither of which describes me!). I came to the conclusion that it tastes creamy and a little chocolatey even if it's not swirled perfectly!

 LESSON LEARNED: Remember the graham crackers I made for yesterday's post? Yep, I totally used the leftover crackers to make this crust! It turned out even better than using store bought graham crackers.

Recipe for Red Velvet Cheesecake

Lesson #76: Cheesecake Mousse

I've been on a cheesecake kick this week! Here's why this dessert ROCKS:

1) It's perfect for a dinner party because you can make it ahead of time.
2) You don't have to turn on the oven to make it (well, if you want to do the graham cracker crumble you do, but that's totally optional).
3) It looks super fancy and you will impress your friends & family with your awesome baking skills.
4) This dessert is super light and fluffy and tastes EXACTLY like cheesecake.
5) You can be creative with the toppings. I chose blueberries, but any kind of fruit or even sauce (e.g. chocolate, caramel) would be yummy.
6) This is SUPER easy to make. It took me 10 minutes from start to finish!

LESSON LEARNED: I'll be making this dessert for my next dinner (or dessert) party!

Recipe for Cheesecake Mousse

Lesson #65: Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake

This past weekend, we had a Christmas celebration at my Grandma's house, so it was the perfect excuse to try another dessert that could easily feed a large crowd. I've been fixated on the idea of trying a peanut butter cheesecake, so here's what I came up with!

I first made a crust out of chocolate graham crackers. Next, I blended a generous amount of peanut butter into my cheesecake batter. Finally, I topped off the cheesecake with a milk chocolate ganache and chopped mini peanut butter cups. The end result was a super RICH and DECADENT peanut butter/chocolate cheesecake. YUMMY!

LESSON LEARNED: Holidays are the perfect time to bake rich and decadent desserts!

Recipe for Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake

Lesson #59: Blueberry Swirl Cheesecake

I made up this cheesecake recipe on a whim this week. Blueberries were on sale in the grocery store and I thought they would be perfect in a cheesecake.

I first decided to make cupcake sized cheesecakes so they were in single portions and less messy to cut. I whipped up a standard cheesecake base, swirled blueberry puree on top, baked, and cooled the cheesecakes. To top off the cheesecakes, I made a blueberry compote! YUM!

LESSON LEARNED: Make small size cheesecakes for easy serving (no cutting involved!).

Recipe for Blueberry Swirl Cheesecake

Lesson #52: Strawberries & Champagne Cheesecake

Strawberries & champagne in a cheesecake? Yes, please! I made this cheesecake for Thanksgiving at my grandma's on Saturday and it went over very well :)

First, you reduce champagne in a saucepan until it becomes sweet and syrupy. While the champagne is reducing, you make a chocolate graham cracker crust. Then, sliced strawberries are layered on top of the crust. The reduced champagne is incorporated into the cheesecake batter and placed over the sliced strawberries. Finally, the cooled cheesecake is topped with sliced strawberries and drizzled with melted chocolate. This cheesecake is a SHOWSTOPPER!

LESSON LEARNED: Don't underestimate the flavor of champagne in a cheesecake!

Recipe for Strawberries & Champagne Cheesecake

Lesson #26: Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake

This recipe has been in my baking "queue" for 2 years, so I was super excited that I was finally able to try it. I liked this recipe because it required just a few ingredients that I had in my pantry.

Here's a useful tip: I tried to use a round cookie cutter to portion small pieces for one of my classes. If you decide to try this, it's best to freeze the cheesecake for a little bit so it's not too sticky. I ended up cutting half the cake with cookie cutters and slicing a few pieces for me and my husband. Regardless of how you serve it - this recipe is a keeper!


The cheesecake is not too sweet and has an INCREDIBLY creamy texture. Plain cheesecake is swirled with pumpkin flavored cheesecake to create this perfectly balanced dessert. It looks pretty enough to serve to guests!

LESSON LEARNED: The key to easily cutting cheesecakes is to freeze them first.

Recipe for Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake

Lesson #14: Mini Bananas Foster Cheesecake

I saw this recipe in a dessert booked I checked out from the library and thought these mini cheesecakes were super cute. The cheesecake is full of bananas & rum on top of a nutty, cinnamon graham cracker crust. The mini cheesecakes are then covered with sliced banana and caramel sauce.

Usually, when I have a craving for cheesecake, I end up making a whole cheesecake which is really too much for the two people in our household to eat. Cheesecake isn't the easiest thing to share with people (especially because we don't know too many people in the town where we live), so we never eat the whole thing. I was happy to see this idea for mini cheesecakes and it seemed like a yummy flavor to make. This dessert definitely satisfied my cheesecake craving and - as a bonus - they didn't take too long to bake.

There were a couple of things that I learned while making these cheesecakes. First, it's better to use mini cupcake liners because they come out of the pan MUCH easier and there is less of a mess. Second, this dessert is WAY better the on the same day you make it and doesn't keep very well after a day or so. Overall, these are very good and did remind me of the traditional bananas foster dessert!

LESSON LEARNED: Mini cheesecakes are the perfect size to get your cheesecake "fix".

Recipe for Mini Bananas Foster Cheesecake