Red Velvet Cheesecake Bars

Red Velvet Cheesecake Bars recipe

I’m getting this post in early so you have no excuse for forgetting it’s Mother’s Day this Sunday. These Red Velvet Cheesecake Bars are especially for my lovely Mum. I created these after we had an amazing cheesecake at the pub we went to for her Birthday recently. It was so delicious, but looked a kerfuffle to make, so my Red Velvet Cheesecake Bars are drama free, but no less amazing.

Whoever you’re celebrating this Sunday, these bars are perfect. The base is crumbly and buttery; the red velvet layer is rich and dense and it’s offset by a swirl of tangy cheesecake. Each layer involves a different bowl, so it’s heavy on washing up, but so much less of a drama than layering and baking a full on cheesecake. You can package these up and give to the Mother figure in your life, serve at home with tea or a glass of something fizzy or fork them up as a dessert with the obligatory lake of cream. If either or my children are reading this *un-bloody-likely* I’ll take mine with the cream.

If you’re without your Mother this Sunday, I’ll be thinking of you and sending you lots of love. Please feel free to pop by for a Red Velvet Cheesecake Bar; there may or may not be one left by then.

This beautiful bake involves three layers, but don’t be put off. All three are one bowl affairs and take minutes to whisk up and the reward of rich red velvet with a cheesecake swirl is huge.

Make a start by pre heating your oven to 160 degrees fan assisted and lining your 20cm square tin, or mine was a 15cm x 25cm rectangle. Next, crush your Digestive biscuits in a bag with a rolling pin or in your food processor. Then mix with the melted butter, sugar and pinch of salt until it looks like wet sand.

Press this into your lined tin, creating an even layer, then bake for 10 minutes.

While this bakes, get on with the other two layers. For the red velvet portion whisk the melted butter and caster sugar until smooth. Add the eggs and vanilla then whisk again until frothy.

Measure in your red food colouring and whisk again. I use Pro-gel, which is quite lively, so I only used about a quarter of a teaspoon.

Finally whisk in the flour and cocoa until you have a smooth, brick red batter.

Pop this to one side while you make the cheesecake layer. Simply whisk together the cream cheese, sugar, egg and vanilla until smooth.

Now, once the base is ready to come out of the oven, scrape the red velvet layer on top (it doesn’t have to cool) smoothing to create an even layer.

Then pour on the cheesecake layer. It’s definitely more of a pour then a spoon situation as the mixture is quite liquid.

Create artistic *messy* swirls using a knife, to make the marble effect, then put the whole lot back in the oven for around 30 minutes. At which point the cheesecake will just be set and turning golden at the edges and the red layer will be cooked through but still *eek* moist.

Now, there’s an unbearable wait for these to cool slightly before you can pop them in the fridge until chilled and ready to cut.

And there you have it, Red Velvet Cheesecake Bars in all their glory. Ready to give to the Mother figure in your life, or gobble them up yourself.

Sorry about the pigs trottery hand.

To stop me scoffing the whole lot, I’ve popped them in the freezer for my lovely Mum for Mother’s Day. I live in hope my boys will bake me something delicious, but fear a delivery MacDonalds may be the gift of choice for me this Sunday.

Lucy x

Red Velvet Cheesecake Bars recipe

Makes around 15 bars, size dependent

You will just need bowls and a lined 20cm square or similar rectangular tin

Base

180g digestive biscuits, crushed

90g butter, melted

1 tablespoon caster sugar

A pinch of salt

Red Velvet

115g butter, melted

200g caster sugar

2 eggs

Red food colouring, I used a good squirt of red Pro-gel

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

90g plain flour

3 tablespoons cocoa

1/2 teaspoon salt

Cheesecake

250g cream cheese, I used full fat

1 egg

60g caster sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Serve with a cup of tea or glass of fizz or as a pud with a lake of cream or ice cream

Pre heat the oven to 160 degrees fan assisted and line the pan with baking paper, making sure there’s some overhang to help lift the bars out later.

Crush the digestive biscuits either in a bag with a rolling pin or in the food processor then mix in the 90g melted butter, sugar and pinch of salt until the mixture is like wet sand. Press this into your lined tin, creating an even layer, then bake for 10 minutes.

For the red velvet layer mix the melted butter with the sugar then whisk in the eggs and vanilla until smooth and slightly frothy. Whisk in the red food colouring then fold in the flour, salt and cocoa powder. Pop the smooth batter to one side while you make the cheesecake mixture.

Whisk the cheese cream with the egg, sugar and vanilla until smooth.

Once the base is cooked, remove from the oven (there’s no need to cool) and spread the red velvet layer over the top, smoothing to spread it to the edges. Pour on the cream cheese mixture then using a knife, marble the two mixtures together. Bake for 30 minutes or until the top is just firm and starting to turn golden. Leave to cool in the tray then refrigerate until cold enough to slice.

Slice and serve with a cuppa or a glass of fizz or serve as a dessert with cream or ice cream. These will keep in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.