Red velvet cake is a chocolate cake prepared by adding red food coloring to the cake to give it the well known red color. Originally this red color was obtained by adding beets! Well, I think I will take the food coloring!

This cake has been very popular for many centuries. The most basic ingredients for this basic cake are flour, baking soda, buttermilk, vanilla extract, sugar, cocoa powder, vinegar, eggs, and salt. Ingredients required for the preparation of red velvet cake, as all other cakes also, should be measured using measuring cups or spoons. Different ingredients have different ways to measure, in order to receive the accurate amount of ingredients.

Mixing the ingredients together for this scrumptious cake is the initial step in the preparation of a red velvet cake. You can use spatulas, hand blenders, or electric blenders to prepare batter for a red velvet cake. After done mixing the ingredients, the oven needs to be preheated. This basically means that the oven needs to be at the proper temperature before the cake ever enters the oven for baking. Don’t forget this important step!

The baking pans need to be greased before baking. You can use non-stick cooking spray, butter and flour, or butter and powdered sugar. As for baking time, it is usually based on the size of the red velvet cake being baked and the type of oven being used. Typically, these cakes are baked at 350° F, but all recipes are different so be sure never to assume. Read all recipes carefully.

After baking, all red velvet cakes must be left for cooling for around 5-15 minutes and then removed from the pans. Frosting is spread on the cake once the cake is COMPLETELY cool, no sooner or the frosting may melt right off the cake. Usually cream cheese icing is preferred for red velvet cakes but other frostings are also creative choices. A true Southern lady wouldn’t dream of any other frosting except the cream cheese version.

These delicious red velvet cakes are most popular in South America and the southern United States, although they are popular in other areas too. Red velvet cakes are also sometimes called “devil’s attraction” because of the red color. The red color, in today’s baking world, is traditionally caused by red food coloring. Sorry to burst your bubble but for those of you who are wondering, red food dye hasn’t always been the “red” of choice. Back in the older days, people used beets to make the original red cake. I don’t know about you, but the thought of beets in my cake seems a bit disgusting.

If you are interested in purchasing one of these red velvet cakes for a special event or occasion, they start at around $10, and go up from there based on the size you may need. They may be prepared in tier structures for wedding celebrations or in single layers for a special afternoon snack.

For diet conscious people, low fat red velvet cakes can be prepared using low calorie sugar, cream, and a chocolate supplement which may contain less fat but it definitely does not lack in flavor so do not worry about what you might be missing out on.

The red velvet cake can be purchased in bakeries or pastry stores. Some specialty stores even offer home delivery packs and those special cakes can be ordered online, via internet, or over the phone.

No matter how you slice it, the red velvet cake is a classic and can be enjoyed for any occasion. They have an original color which never goes unnoticed and a yummy flavor which is sure to tantalize taste buds.

A red velvet cake is your solution for any craving for a cake break so dig in.

Shrimp Cheesecake

Time after time I wondered about making this particular cheesecake; will it be good or will it be a fly by night idea? After all, who ever heard of putting shrimp into cheesecake?! Well it turned out to be a fantastic idea and you just can’t believe how good it really is…

1 pound cream cheese (get a good solid cream cheese not one of those presoftened ones)
1/2 pound sour cream
1 1/2 pounds fresh medium shrimp
1/3 cup green bell peppers chopped fine
1/3 cup red bell peppers chopped fine
1 large clove garlic minced
2 ounces butter
3 medium eggs
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup heavy cream
6 ounces shredded New York State sharp Cheese pepper as you like it.

Lining For Pan:

10 ounces dried unflavored bread crumbs
6 ounces melted butter

Tomato Sauce:

1/4 cup chopped onions
1 medium bay leaf
1 1/2 teaspoons dried italian seasoning
1 clove minced garlic
2 tablespoon olive oil
28 ounces crushed tomatoes (canned)

Cook, clean, and chop your shrimp.

Saute peppers, garlic, onions, in 2 ounces melted butter for 6-7 minutes on medium heat, add your shrimp and cook for 2 more minutes, drain well and put aside.

Beat your cream cheese so it is smooth, then add your sour cream and mix until fairly fluffy, add your eggs one at a time mixing well after each one.

On low speed gradually add the heavy cream until blended. Stir in the shrimp and vegitable mixture and sharp cheese now add the pepper.

Prepair your 10 inch x 2 inch springform pan:
In a medium mixing bowl place your bread crumbs and your melted butter, blend them together well.

Using melted butter and a pastry brush, butter the sides of your springform pan.

Press the buttered bread crumbs to the sides of the pan and the remainder to the bottom of the pan.

Pour the cheesecake into the pan and place in a preheated 300 degree oven for 55 minutes or until jelled( it might be slightly wiggly in the center but thats OK, but not much ) after 55 minutes shut OFF the oven and let it remain in there for 3 hours, then remove it and let it cool, when cool, remove it from the pan.

Prepair your tomato sauce while your cheesecake is cooling:

Saute your onions, garlic,and italian seasoning,and bay leaf in hot oil until vegitables are tender, add your tomatoes, simmer about 30 minutes uncovered on low heat or until you reach your desired consistency, remove the bay leaf from your sauce.

Serve hot over room temperature cheesecake.

About The Author

Andrew Krause is a Chef and Pastry Chef for over 30 years, at present I own a Gourmet Bakery called The Cheese Confectioner. You can visit my site at Free Gourmet Cheesecake Recipes

Technorati Tags : cream cheesecake butter ounces

OK. There are many sensational cheescake recipes from around the world. Connoisseurs will, no doubt have enjoyed baked versus cold, French versus New York cheesecakes and many more as well. Perhaps you are looking for a refreshing change. Why not try this traditional, sensational Aussie cheesecake!

Ingredients

Filling

250 grams of reduced fat cream cheese (room temperature)
1 cup of reduced fat condensed milk (room temperature)
juice of two lemons
lemon zest from one lemon
1 cup whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
2 cups of finely crushed plain sweet biscuit crumbs
2 rounded teaspoons of cocoa powder
2-3 oz of melted butter

Topping

1 cup passionfruit pulp
2 rounded teaspoons of gelatin

2 oz of hot water

Directions

Base

1. Thoroughly mix biscuit crumbs, sifted cocoa powder and melted butter.

2. Press firmly into the base of greased cheesecake pan.

3. Place in the refrigerator to set whilst preparing the filling.

Plain biscuits can vary in butter content. If you find the base does not form a ball when squeezed in your fist, add a little more melted butter to ensure the base will hold together when cold.

Filling

1. In an electric mixer, beat cream cheese until softened and fluffy.

2. Add condensed milk, lemon zest and vanilla essence until well combined.

3. In a separate container, with very clean beaters, whisk the cream until firm peaks form. Set aside.

4. Add the lemon juice to the cream cheese and condensed milk mixture. Beat well. The lemon juice will start to react and cause the mixture to thicken.

5. On a very slow speed beat in the whipped cream until just combined.

6. Pour mixture onto chilled biscuit base.

7. Place cheesecake into the refrigerator for 3 hours to firm up.

Topping

1. Dissolve the gelatin powder in the hot water according to manufacturer’s directions.

2. Mix dissolved gelatin into passionfruit pulp and place in the refrigerator in a small bowl.

3. When nearly set, but still pourable, pour passionfruit and gelatin mixture over the chilled cheesecase.

4. Return to the refrigerator and chill several hours before serving.

What’s your favorite birthday cake? For me, nothing beats cheesecake. In fact, I can’t imagine what the world was like before cheesecake was created!

Turns out, you’d have to search back pretty far to find a time when the Earth was cheesecake free. In fact, way back in 776 BC, long before the first Cheesecake Factory opened, the Greeks are said to have served cheesecake to the athletes at the first Olympic games. The Romans soon caught on and spread the divine taste of cheesecake throughout Europe. From there it was only a matter of time before European immigrants brought their cherished cheesecake recipes to America.

It seems that every region of the globe has embraced cheesecake in one form or another, adapting the recipe to local tastes and adding local flavors. In America, cheesecakes are typically made with a cream cheese base, but even here we vary the recipe by region. New York cheesecake is famous for its ultra-smooth texture and decadently rich flavor– achieved by adding extra egg yolks and a hint of lemon – and you’ll find other regional variations from Chicago-style to Pennsylvania Dutch. Many American bakers add sour cream for a creamy cheesecake that can be frozen without compromising taste or texture.

Italian cheesecakes generally use ricotta cheese, which makes them drier than their American cousins. The French prefer Neufchatel cheese and often add gelatin for a light and airy consistency. The Greeks might use ricotta, mizithra, farmers, feta, Swiss, or a combination of cheeses, while the Germans typically rely on cottage cheese or quark. The Japanese incorporate cornstarch and whipped egg whites into their cheesecakes for a more custard-like effect, and I’ve even heard you can find cheesecake in vending machines in Japan. Now why didn’t I think of that?

You’d be hard pressed to find a culture that doesn’t like or didn’t enjoy a good cheesecake. Culinary historians cite cheesecake recipes dating back to the first century AD, with additional recipes floating around from the centuries that followed. You’ll find every imaginable flavor and topping in today’s cheesecake recipes, but the basic premise, baking creamy cheese with wheat and sweetener, has stood the test of time.

And let’s not forget savory cheesecakes featuring blue cheese, garlic, seafood, chiles, and other tasty cheese-friendly flavors, or vegan versions of cheesecake-like desserts made with tofu. With so many varieties, you’d need a lot more than a Cheesecake of the Month club to sample them all!

Clearly, cheesecake has lived long and continues to prosper. Whether it’s a birthday cake, anniversary treat, or just a Make-Everyday-Special indulgence, cheesecake is an ancient delight that will never go out of style!