Red Velvet Cheesecake

Crust

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray the sides of a 9.5-inch springform pan with nonstick baking spray. Place a 3-inch wide parchment strip against the greased sides of the pan.
2. Add the oreo cookies with the filling still in them in a food processor. Pulse until the cookies are all crumbs.
3. Add in the melted butter and pulse until the butter has coated all of the crumbs.
4. Pour the crust mixture into the bottom of the prepared springform pan. Firmly press the crust into the pan as evenly as possible.
5. Place the crust in the freezer or fridge to firm up while preparing the cheesecake batter.

Cheesecake

1. Add the cream cheese to a large mixing bowl. Using a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese on medium until smooth.
2. Add in the sugar and cocoa powder. Continue to beat until incorporated.
3. Add the vanilla extract and then the eggs one at a time. Beat in the eggs just until incorporated and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl before adding the next.
4. Once all of the eggs are incorporated, add in the sour cream, buttermilk, vinegar, food color. Beat just until everything is incorporated. If the food coloring still has streaks after the buttermilk and heavy cream are incorporated, continue to stir with a spatula instead of a hand mixer.
5. Before adding the cheesecake mixture to the pan, wrap the outside of the springform pan with 2 layers of heavy-duty tin foil. You can skip the tin foil and add the cheesecake in a slightly larger pan to keep the cheesecake dry and then place the two pans in a third pan that’s filled with about 1 inch of hot water.
6. Pour the batter on top of the cookie crust.
7. Place the cheesecake in the preheated oven and bake for 1 hour 30 minutes to 1 hour 40 minutes or until the edges of the cheesecake are set and the center slightly jiggles like jello when the pan is jiggled back and forth. The cook time may vary so always give it the jiggle test and bake longer if the center moves like wet batter instead of jello that’s set up.
8. Once done, leave the cheesecake in the oven, turn the oven off, and leave the door slightly ajar until the cheesecake has cooled to room temperature.
9. Once cooled to room temperature, place in the refrigerator overnight to set up.
10. Before serving, prepare the cream cheese whipped cream and pipe swirls on top of the cheesecake.

Cream Cheese Whipped Cream

1. In a medium bowl, add in the cream cheese. Using a hand mixer, beat on medium speed until smooth.
2. Add in the whipped cream and continue to beat until soft peaks form.
3. Add in the powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Beat until stiff peaks form.
4. Add the whipped cream to a piping bag fitted with a star tip and pipe the whipped cream on top of the cheesecake.