Red Velvet Cheesecake

Ingredients

• 0.3 cup butter softened
• 0.5 cup buttermilk whole
• 3 ounce cream cheese softened
• 4 large eggs lightly beaten
• 1.5 cups regular graham cracker crumbs 
• 1.5 cups granulated sugar 
• 12 servings garnish: mint sprigs fresh
• 2 cups powdered sugar 
• 2 ounce food coloring red
• 1 cup cup heavy whipping cream sour
• 3 tablespoons cocoa unsweetened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• 1 teaspoon distilled vinegar white

Equipment

• frying pan
• oven
• knife
• wire rack
• hand mixer
• springform pan

Directions

1. Stir together crumbs, melted butter, and 1 tablespoon granulated sugar; press mixture into bottom of a 9-inch springform pan.Beat 3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese and 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar at medium-low speed with an electric mixer 1 minute.
2. Add eggs and next 6 ingredients, mixing on low speed just until fully combined.
3. Pour batter into prepared crust.
4. Bake at 325° for 10 minutes; reduce heat to 300°, and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until center is firm. Run knife along outer edge of cheesecake. Turn oven off.
5. Let cheesecake stand in oven 30 minutes.
6. Remove cheesecake from oven; cool in pan on a wire rack 30 minutes. Cover and chill 8 hours.Beat 1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese and 1/4 cup butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth; gradually add powdered sugar and vanilla, beating until smooth.
7. Spread evenly over top of cheesecake.
8. Remove sides of springform pan.
9. Garnish, if desired.This recipe was created by Rhonda Y. Coker of Columbia, South Carolina and appeared in the Southern Living issue dated December 2004.