Red Velvet Layered Cheesecake

5 from 4 ratings

This layered red velvet cake recipe is made with moist red velvet cake layers and a layer of decadent, creamy cheesecake!

Prep Time20

Cook Time26

Additional Time30

Total Time1 16

Course: Cakes

Cuisine: American

Servings: 24

Calories: 594kcal

Preheat oven to 350 F / 175 C. Grease and line three 6-inch, or 3 7-inch cake pans.
In a large bowl, whisk together 1 cup vegetable oil, 2 eggs, 1 cup buttermilk, 2 tsp vanilla extract, and 1 tsp white vinegar.
Add 2 cups of granulated sugar and whisk for 30 seconds to help dissolve the sugar.
Mix in 2 tsp cocoa powder, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp baking soda, and 1/2 tsp baking powder. Whisk until no clumps remain.
Add a squirt of red gel food coloring and mix until the batter is evenly colored a deep shade of red. Then mix in 2 1/2 cups of flour in two installments.
Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and bake for 27-30 minutes.
Remove pans from oven, and allow them to cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Carefully flip the layers out of the pans, and place them on a wire rack to finish cooling.
Level the cake tops with a serrated knife once they're fully cooled. Place the cake tops in a bowl and use a fork to crumble them. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside.
If you make these cake layers in advance and freeze them, let them thaw for about 15 minutes before making the cake. The cake layers should still be slightly cold to the touch, which will make it easier to assemble the cake.

Beat the butter and cream cheese on a medium speed for 30 seconds with a paddle attachment, until smooth.
Add in the vanilla and salt, and beat on low until the ingredients are fully incorporated.
Slowly mix in the powdered sugar on a very low speed, 1 cup at a time. If the frosting is too thick, add in a splash of heavy cream or milk (1 tablespoon at a time). If the frosting is too thin, add in more powdered sugar (1/4 cup at a time).
Cover the cream cheese frosting with a piece of plastic wrap, to prevent a crust from forming until you're ready to use it.

Place room temperature cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix on medium-high speed with the whisk attachment (or a hand mixer) until creamy and smooth.
Slowly add in the sweetened condensed milk and mix on a medium speed after each addition. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed to make sure the ingredients are fully incorporated.
Mix in the vanilla extract and lemon juice on medium speed.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until you are ready to fill your cake.

Stack and frost cake layers on a greaseproof cake board, using a dab of frosting to help stick the first cake layer to the board.
Pipe a ring of cream cheese frosting around the edge of the cake layer and fill with half of the cheesecake filling. Repeat with the next cake layer.
Add a thin coat of frosting around the cake to fully cover the cake layers. Smooth using a bench scraper, then chill the cake in the fridge (20 minutes) or freezer (5 minutes) until the frosting is firm to the touch.
Add a second, thicker layer of frosting to the cake, and smooth using a bench scraper.
Carefully press the reserved red velvet crumbs along the side of the cake with your hand.
Place the remaining cream cheese buttercream into a frosting bag fitted with a Wilton 1M frosting tip. Then pipe a border around the top of the cake and enjoy!

These cake layers can be made in advance! Learn how to properly wrap and freeze cake layers here.

If you have extra buttercream you don't use, it can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.