Name: Red Velvet Swirl Cheesecake with White Chocolate
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 4 h 20 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 4 8 oz. blocks Cream cheese, room temperature; 1 1/2 cup Granulated sugar; 4 whole Eggs; 1 tablespoon Corn starch; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1 cup White chocolate, melted; 1 1/2 tablespoon Red food coloring; 2 packs Honey graham crackers; 1/2 stick Butter, melted; 2 tablespoons Granulated sugar

Take me to the Recipe

Red Velvet Swirl Cheesecake with White Chocolate is the perfect dessert for any occasion. Made with cream cheese, white chocolate, and red food coloring for a truly decadent dessert.

These Strawberry Crunch Cake Brownies and Cookies n' Cream Chocolate Chip Cookies are some more great treats to bake up!

Cheesecake is such an intimate and decadent dessert. One of the best things about this dessert, is that it is very versatile. Treat a cheesecake like a blank canvas, a piece of art. Which is where this creation came from.

Is the Red Velvet Swirl Cheesecake the same as a regular cake?

Essentially, yes it is. The main difference with the red velvet swirl cheesecake is just that, the red velvet! In order to achieve the red velvet taste, white chocolate was added to the cheesecake mixture. Even more, we added red food coloring to achieve that very vibrant red color.

Regular, or traditional cheesecake does not have white chocolate in the mixture. Since red velvet cake normally has a cocoa base to create the chocolate taste, we added white chocolate.

overhead view of whole red velvet swirl cheesecake

What is the difference between a New York Cheesecake and a regular cheesecake?

New York cheesecake is traditionally very rich, dense, and super indulgent. Like traditional cheesecake, it is made with a base of cream cheese. Sour cream or heavy cream is often added to add to the rich and creamy texture.

Different variations of cheesecakes:

New York style cheesecake
Traditional cheesecake
No-bake or Icebox cheesecake
Vegan friendly cheesecake

Baked cheesecake versus No-bake cheesecake:

The main difference between the two variations is the addition of eggs. Once you add eggs into the cheesecake mixture, it must be baked. Baked cheesecakes are very dense and creamy.

No-bake cheesecakes do not have the addition of eggs. For no-bake cheesecakes, you can use the same cream cheese mixture. Often times, people add gelatin to help the cheesecake set up properly. This variation of cheesecake is more light and airy versus dense and creamy.

overhead horizontal view of whole red velvet swirl cheesecake

Making the Red Velvet Swirl Cheesecake:

Gather the ingredients you will need:

Cream cheese- it is very important that the cream cheese is at room temperature, or softened.
Sugar- white granulated sugar.
White chocolate- a chocolate bar, or white chocolate chips work well. You will be melting the chocolate.
Red food coloring
Corn starch
Eggs
A skew stick or tooth pick
Graham crackers, sugar, and butter for the crust

For the graham cracker crust:

Using a food processor or blender, blend the graham crackers until they are very fine. Next you will add the melted sugar and butter; mix this together until fully combined. Next you will press the graham cracker mixture into the bottom of the pan. After this, bake the mixture at 250 degrees for 8 minutes.

Making the cheesecake batter:

Add the cream cheese and sugar to a stand mixer or a large bowl. Using an electric mixer, mix the cream cheese with the sugar for about five minutes until it is smooth. Next you will add the eggs in one at a time. Continue mixing until it is very smooth.

cream cheese and sugar in the stand mixer

Add in the vanilla extract, cornstarch, and melted white chocolate. You will blend this together until everything is fully incorporated and smooth. Remove about two cups of the cheesecake batter and set it aside.

red food coloring poured into cheesecake batter

Add the red food coloring to the cheesecake mixture that was set aside and mix it up until it is blended well. After you make the graham cracker crust, pour the white cheesecake batter directly on top.

red food coloring mixed into cheesecake batter

Creating the swirl pattern:

For this step you will need to add the red cheesecake mixture into a piping bag, or Ziploc bag. Snip the corner of the bag to create a small opening.

red velvet cheesecake mixture next to a piping bag to make swirl

Next you will start in the middle of the cheesecake and place dot size dollops of the red velvet mixture.

red food coloring on top of cheesecake ready to be swirled

Going outward in a spiral-type design, continue to add the dots of the red mixture. Continue adding the dots until you reach the outermost part of the cheesecake. Next you will take your toothpick and drag it from one dot to the next. This should create a sort of "heart-like" shape.

swirling red food coloring into cheesecake

Place a shallow pan filled with water in the bottom rack of the oven. This is a super important step to help prevent the cheesecake from cracking. After the swirl pattern is created you should place the cheesecake directly above the pan of water.

red velvet swirled into cheesecake batter into heart shapes

Bake the cheesecake at 250 degrees for one hour. After one hour, you should turn the oven off and let the cheesecake sit in there for another hour. Next, remove the cheesecake from the oven and let it cool on the counter for at least 30 minutes. Refrigerate for at least three hours to allow the cheesecake to fully set. Cut it, and enjoy!

To create different shaped cheesecakes:

Simply use a cookie cutter to cut out the shapes. Be sure to spray the cookie cutter with a non-stick cooking spray to ensure it does not stick to the cheesecake when cutting it out. For these particular cheesecakes, I used a heart shaped cookie cutter.

📖 Recipe

8 servings