Red, White, and Blue Mini Layer Cakes for Two

This month's What's Baking challenge, from Heather of Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks, was to bake a layer cake. And I love layer cakes! You get more icing and filling than other cakes! Why not have layers? The logic seems to work, at least for me.


Since the 4th of July is coming up just around the bend, I decided to make my layer cake patriotic with red, white, and blue components. Red was simple, because I love red velvet, blue was just a spin-off of red velvet now called blue velvet, and since hubby had just taken a trip to Junior's recently and brought me some cheesecake, I had cheesecake on the brain. The assembly resembles our wedding cake as well! Our wedding cake was chocolate and vanilla layers with actual NY cheesecake in the middle covered with chocolate ganache. Well, this is similar, red and blue velvet cake with cheesecake piped in the middle covered with white chocolate ganache. And if you are thinking to yourself, "Which was better?", all I can say is... I'm not going to argue with either one!



Cheesecake:
1 1/2 lbs cream cheese
1 1/3 cups sugar
5 large eggs
16 ounces sour cream
1/4 cup flour
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoons lemon juice

Cake: (Red Velvet/Blue Velvet)

2 1/2 cup cake flour
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp salt
2 eggs, room temp
1 1/2 cup oil
1 cup buttermilk
1 tbsp gel food color, approx.
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp white distilled vinegar

White Chocolate Ganache:
8 oz white chocolate
2/3 cup heavy cream

*Makes 3-4 mini layer cakes*




1. Let's start with making our cheesecake, since it has to cook and cool the longest. You may recognize this cheesecake recipe from an earlier post here. It's the same minus the crust.

2. Start by creaming the softened cream cheese. Then add the sugar and eggs, one at time, while continuing to beat on low.

3. Add flour, lemon juice, and vanilla. Stir. Fold in the sour cream.

4. Pour batter in a 9" springform pan and bake on 325 degrees for about an hour and fifteen minutes. No need to be worried about cracking or appearance for this cheesecake seeing as it be piped later. Once cooled, place in fridge until time to assemble cake.

5. Now, let's work on our cakes. We are going to make red and blue velvet cakes in 9" cake pans. To do so, we are going to simply divide the batter and add red food coloring to one half and blue food coloring to the other half. If you wanted to make a few more mini cakes, you could double the recipe and dye each batch, red and blue respectively. This recipe is from an earlier post of red velvet stuffed cupcakes.

6. In a medium bowl, sift together all of the dry ingredients for the cupcakes: flour, sugar, baking soda, cocoa, and salt. Set aside.

7. In the bowl of a stand mixer add all the wet ingredients: eggs, oil, buttermilk, food coloring, vanilla, and vinegar. Beat until smooth.

8. Slowly add the dry mix into the wet mix and blend for a minute or two until fully incorporated. Pour batter into two greased and floured cake pans.

9. Bake at 350 for 28-33 or until fully done. Test with toothpick. Set aside to cool.

10. Once both the cheesecake and cakes are fully cooled, you can begin to make the white chocolate ganache. Place the white chocolate, slightly broken up, into a double boiler over low heat.

11. Stir and let chocolate melt slowly. Add in the heavy cream and continue to stir over low heat. Once fully melted, continue to stir for about 2 minutes, then remove from heat and allow to cool for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally while cooling.

12. Time to assemble! Start by using a cookie cutter or I used a biscuit cutter to make 3 " circles. Depending on the exact shape of the pan and cutter, you will yield either three or four of each color. Place the blue circles on a baking rack. Blue cakes will be bottoms and red cakes will be tops, but you can feel free to switch 'em up!

13. Scoop cheesecake into a piping bag fit with a coupler and large round tip. Begin piping on top of each blue cake circle to fill the surface. Continue with all bottoms. Place red circles on top of the cheesecake filling to finish the cake tower.


14. By now, the ganache should be fully cooled. Be sure to place a dish or cookie sheet under the baking rack to catch the drips. Start spooning white chocolate ganache over the cakes and let it drip down the sides.



15. Depending on the thickness you desire, you may want one or two coats of ganache. I did two on mine. After the first coat, pop them in the fridge for 10 minutes and then apply second coat!
That's it! Now you have a perfect patriotic dessert for the 4th of July! Enjoy!



Also featured on: Savory Sunday, Mangia Monday,Moutherwatering Monday, Made from Scratch Tuesday, Tempt my Tummy Tuesday, This Chick Cooks

Cookie Sandwiched Cheesecakes

This is quick and simple variation of my cheesecake recipe made into cute little sandwiches. It's very easily adaptable to your own tastes. I'm a fan of chocolate chip cookies (the chewy kind) and Oreo's too! The only way to improve on this recipe would have been to have my own chocolate chip cookies or be really brave and make my own Oreos. Someday...
But for now, please enjoy these yummy handheld snacks! They are a perfect kid-friendly version of cheesecake!

1 1/2 lbs cream cheese
1 1/3 cups sugar
5 large eggs
16 ounces sour cream
1/4 cup flour
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoons lemon juice
1 package of chewy chocolate chip cookies
1 package of Oreos (or any other cookies you like)


1. In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy.

2. Add sugar and continue beating on low.

3. Add eggs one a time and keep on low speed.

4. Add flour, lemon juice, and vanilla.

5. Stir in sour cream.

6. Place cupcake liners in pan. Put one half of an oreo(icing side up) or chocolate chip cookie(flat side facing up) in each liner.

7. Spoon cheesecake filling on top till just about full.

8. Top with corresponding cookie to finish.

9. Bake on 325 for 15 minutes.

10. I also took used some chopped Oreos as topping and some combined in the filling for a slightly different approach in some sandwiches.

Red, White, and Blue Berries

Red, White, and Blue Berries
Taken from http://www.ehow.com/how_2259361_cheesecake-stuffed-strawberries.html
These cheesecake stuffed berries are perfect for the 4th of July or any other time in my opinion!


About 24 strawberries
16 oz cream cheese (softened)
1 cup confectioner's sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1 pint blueberries


1. Rinse and dry strawberries and blueberries. Using a melon baller, 1/4 tsp scoop, or a small cookie scoop, hull out the inside of the strawberry. Be sure not to remove too much of the insides or the sides will be too thin to keep its form. Pat inside dry.

2. Combine cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl. Beat together until well combined and fluffy.

3. Using your preferred tip, fill cheesecake filling into a pastry bag. Place tip inside in the strawberry and fill.

4. Place one blueberry on the top of the cheesecake filled strawberry to have all the wonderful colors of the 4th of July! You can leave out the blueberry and enjoy it plain. You can also add any topping you love, crushed nilla wafers, crushed graham crackers, crushed toasted almonds or other nuts, crushed Oreos, or anything else you like!

Cookie Dough and Cheesecake Balls

These are two of the easiest and tastiest recipes I've ever tried and I will definetly be using them again. Who doesn't love cookie dough or cheesecake? It takes just a few ingredients and barely any time to make. A party must have!

Lemon Cheesecake Ball (taken from Annie's Eats )

10 oz. cream cheese (softened)
2½ tbsp. sugar
Zest of 1 large lemon
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
4 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
5 graham crackers

1. Beat cream cheese and sugar together in a large bowl.
2. Stir in vanilla, lemon zest, and lemon juice.
3. Plop on top of plastic wrap and shape into a ball.
4. Place in fridge for an hour.
5. Crush graham crackers and roll ball in crumbs until welly coated.
6. Serve with various fruits, cookies, or snacks you like! (My husband particularly loved this treat with sliced strawberries and mini nilla wafers.)

Cookie Dough Ball (taken from Lemons and Love)

1/2 cup butter
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoon vanilla
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
3/4 cup semisweet mini chocolate chips


1. Melt butter and brown sugar in a pot over medium heat. Stir continuously until sugar fully dissolves.

2. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.

3. In a seperate bowl, beat the cream cheese and confectioners' sugar together just until combined.

4. Pour in the cooled sugar mixture and beat for another minute.

5. Stir in mini chocolate chips. Form into a ball using placstic wrap and refrigerate until firm.

6. Roll in extra mini chocolate chips until covered.

7. Serve with cookies or graham crackers and enjoy!

Cheesecake with Strawberry Reduction

Cheesecake with Strawberry Reduction (taken from Cheesecake Factory Cheesecake)


Crust
2 cups graham crackers
2 tsps cinnamon
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp butter (melted)


Filling
1 1/2 lbs cream cheese
1 1/3 cups sugar
5 large eggs
16 ounces sour cream
1/4 cup flour
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoons lemon juice

1. Crush graham crackers.

2. Mix with all crust ingredients. Press into bottom of a 9" springform pan.

3. In a mixing bowl, beat softened cream cheese till fluffy.

4. Add sugar and continue beating on low.

5. Add eggs one a time and keep on low.

6. Add flour, lemon juice, and vanilla.

7. Add sour cream. Mix to incorporate all ingredients.

8. Pour into springform and bake on 325 for 1 one hour and fifteen minutes.

9. After done baking, open oven door and let cool in oven. Transfer to fridge after completely cool.

10. Wash strawberries and cut off tops. Arrange onto of cheesecake.



11. Drizzle strawberry reduction.



Strawberry Reduction

10 strawberries (diced)
1 1/2 cups water
3 tbps sugar

1. Boil water, sugar, and strawberries.

2. Use a masher to break apart the strawberries once they have simmered about 5-8 minutes.



3. Continue stirring and cook for 10 more minutes. Be sure to keep smashing the strawberry pieces occasionally while cooking.

4. When it reaches desired thickness, take off heat and plunge into a cold water bath.

5. Top and serve with cheesecake (or ice cream, strawberry shortcake, any other dessert you like!)