This Red Velvet Cheesecake Cake Recipe is tender made from scratch triple layered cake. Creamy homemade cheesecake nestled between two layers of red velvet cake, then topped with a cream cheese icing flavored with a hint of coconut! Every bite is heavenly and will have you anticipating the next opportunity to make this delicious cake!

Red velvet cheesecake cake is the perfect valentine’s day treat, birthday cake or dessert for a special celebratory occasion like the holiday season. 

Copycat Cheesecake Factory Red Velvet Cheesecake

The first time I ate this tasty cake was at The Cheesecake Factory. Have you been to that restaurant? They are known for their wide variety of cheesecakes, hence the name The Cheesecake Factory.

The red velvet cheesecake is one of a handful of cakes that is paired with cheesecake and cake. Talk about creative and scrumptious! I couldn’t wait to recreate it myself, and now this cake is one of my favorite desserts to make for special occasions.

Why you’ll love this Red Velvet Cake Recipe

• Two flavorful cakes in one! Can’t decide between red velvet cake or cheesecake? Enjoy both!
• Not too sweet. Although this cake combination is rich, it’s not too sweet. Every bite is a pop of flavor.
• This can be made in advance. Bake the cake layers and the vanilla cream cheese frosting in advance. This makes assembling the cake a breeze and fun to add the final touches!

Equipment needed for Copycat Cheesecake Factory Red Velvet Cheesecake

• electric mixer or stand mixer
• 8″ or 9″ round baking pans or springform pans
• Baking sheet with a rim
• Cooling wire racks
• 2 large mixing bowls
• Parchment paper
• Cake plate or stand

Ingredients needed for Red Velvet Cheesecake Cake

Before you get started on this cake, be sure to read all the tips below as well as in the recipe card. There are so many details added to ensure this is the perfect cake for your special occasion.

Dry ingredients

• Cake flour – This is a finely milled flour giving the cake a light texture. You can use all-purpose flour, but the crumb won’t be as airy.
• Leavening agent – Baking soda to lifts the flour giving a light and tender crumb.
• Unsweetened cocoa powder – This is the star of this red velvet cake. Although the cake is a deep burgundy color, the cake is chocolate. No substitutions can be made for the cocoa.
• Granulated sugar – I have substituted the sugar with a sugar-free alternative like allulose or Truvia baking blend, a low carb sweetener with great results. Lowers the carb count a bit.
• Buttermilk – You need the acid from the milk to create the red coloring along with the white vinegar. This also adds moisture to the cake.
• Oil or butter – I’ve used both and I tend to reach for the oil.
• Vanilla extract – Have you made your own? This is stocked and much more economical when homemade.
• Eggs – binds the ingredients together. I always use large eggs.
• White vinegar – The acid in vinegar adds an additional lifting boost to the cake and burgundy color.
• Red food coloring – This ingredient is optional, but for a red velvet cake you may want help for the pop of color to shine through. However, red food dye is not the best for us, so use sparing or consider trying one of the 5 red food coloring options from The Kitchn.

Cheesecake Filling

• Sour cream at room temperature
• Cream cheese at room temperature – This ensures the cheesecake filling is smooth.
• Granulated sugar – You can use a sugar-free alternative sweetener in the cheesecake layer as well.
• Eggs
• Vanilla extract

Cream Cheese Icing

• Cream cheese
• Butter – unsalted
• Confectioner’s sugar
• Vanilla extract
• Coconut cream (optional)

How to make Red Velvet Cheesecake Cake

Ready to dive into baking? First well bake the cheesecake, the red velvet cake, and then the frosting.

Step 1 Bake Cheesecake

There are a couple of important tips you will want to be aware of when baking the cheesecake, First, make sure the ingredients are at room temperature. This will give you a creamy cheesecake. Second, since there is not a crust, add parchment paper to the bottom of the baking pan. This will help remove the layer form the pan. Third, spoon batter into the prepared cake pan (be sure to use the same size as the red velvet cake layers), and adjust to your height preference. Sometimes I will divide the batter into two 8″ springform pans and use one layer for the cake and the other for another dessert topped with mango puree for another time. Also, note the water bath in the recipe card instructions. This helps the cake from cracking.

Step 2 Bake Red Velvet Cake Layers

When you make the red velvet recipe make sure to use parchment paper on the bottom of the cake pans. You will need two pans that are the same size. I like to use 8″ or 9″ pans. For easy release from the pan, use a springform pan, but sill use parchment paper.

To ensure the cakes are the same height, divide batter with a measuring cup. I get roughly about 2 1/2 – 3 cups of batter per layer. Bake separately in the oven from the cheesecake.

Step 3 Mix Cream Cheese Frosting

Beat cream cheese and butter with a hand mixer. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as the ingredients begin to come together in a creamy consistency. Sift the sugar over the cream cheese mixture and then add the vanilla. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Note that although I give specific quantity of sweetener in the recipe card, adjust to your preference. The more sugar you add, the stiffer the frosting will be. Add a little whipping cream or milk if needed.

Step 4 Assemble Cake

When assembling the cake make sure you have a sturdy flat base. Consider the space you have in the refrigerator or how you will transport the cake if you are not serving it right away.

Place the red velvet cake layer on the platter, then gently top with the cheesecake layer. It isn’t necessary to frost between the layers. Finally, add the top cake layer.

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Step 5 Decorate the Cake

First add a thin layer of the frosting over the cake and place in the refrigerator for a minimum of 30 minutes. With a piping bag add frosting to the sides of the cake between the layers to make spreading the icing easier. Add a second layer to ensure a uniform coverage.

Once you have the cake frosted, add your creative touches. I use a 1M open star decorating tip from Wilton to add decor around the edge of the cake. My favorite way to add decor is to add red velvet cake crumbs to the top or sides of the cake.

To ensure I have crumbs I will bake a separate cupcake (with the same cake batter) and break it apart into small crumbs. Keep the cake plain with the frosting or add a sprinkle of mini chocolate chips, chocolate curls, sprinkles, chopped nuts or leave it naked with a sprinkle of confectioner’s sugar.

Add a hint of coconut to the frosting

I was really pleased with the way this cake turned out! The cheesecake was creamy and luscious, complementing the red velvet perfectly.

At the last minute I added a little coconut cream (Coco de Lopez) to the frosting. It added a very subtle addition of flavor, so if you happen to have coconut cream, then give it a try. Otherwise, it is fine to leave it out of the frosting.

FAQ’s

Not a difficult cake to bake. Enjoy the process!

There is something magical about red velvet cake, don’t you think? Adding cheesecake takes it to a whole other fabulous level! A celebratory special cake indeed!

This isn’t a hard cake to make, it just takes time. Plan to make this a couple of days prior to the celebration.

I baked both cakes one evening, and then put it together the next day after the cheesecake had time to get nice and firm.

Let me know the occasion you baked this red velvet cheesecake cake recipe! I would love to hear how it turned out for you.

This cake was adapted from Brown Eyed Baker, and Food.com

This recipe was first shared October, 2013. It has been updated with new photos and additional details October, 2021.