If you follow me on Instagram (askmehowiknowcb), you know that I do 60 second videos, “teasers” to direct readers to my blog for a full recipe. I hope that you will be intrigued enough to check it out and read my always hilarious stories and fascinating culinary offerings.😂😂😂   I have posted a video on this Red Velvet/Cheesecake filled delight.  The idea was in one of my cooking magazines, and I decided to tailor the recipe in my own way.  Years ago I learned about making a Red Velvet cake with beets instead of Red Food coloring. (Its an old Southern tradition).  If that sounds crazy to you, don’t try it.  Just go buy a Betty Crocker or Duncan Hines mix.  But, remember,  it still has that poison food coloring in it!  Eat at your own risk!!!  What I want you to do is trust me that this cake tastes just as smooth and velvety as the kind with the coloring in it.  I will say that in my research I saw several recipes that called for pureed RAW beets.  That’s where I draw the line!!!   I have tried lots of things over the years with raw beets (smoothies, etc.), and while I am a beet lover, I am a RAW beet hater!  I just don’t like the last of dirt.  Another thing you can do to simplify the process is to buy canned beets (not pickled), and puree them to make a cup of puree.  So, here goes:

RED VELVET/CHEESECAKE FILLED CAKE

Cheesecake “filling”.

2- 8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup sugar

2 beaten eggs

1 cup heavy cream or 1/2 cup milk + 1/2 cup sour cream

1 tsp. vanilla

Mix thoroughly and put into a 9 cake pan, lined with greased wax paper.  Bake in a pan of  water at 300 degrees  about 1 hour, 10 minutes, or till a knife comes out clean.

RED VELVET CAKE

2 or 3 beets, cooked (see below)

Juice of 1 large lemon

2 tsp. white vinegar

1 Tbs. vanilla

2 cups cake flour (you can make cake flour  by adding 1 Tbs. cornstarch sifted into 1 cup flour). To be honest, I don’t think regular all purpose flour would hurt.).  Cake flour is supposed to make it just slightly lighter.  Up to you!

3 Tbs. unsweetened cocoa

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

1 3/4 cups granulated sugar

3/4 cup softened butter

3/4 cup buttermilk

3 beaten eggs

Sift together all dry ingredients:  flour, salt, baking powder, soda, cocoa.  Set aside.

Puree beets till smooth in food processor.   Separately,  cream sugar and butter till smooth.  Add to beets, and mix in vinegar, lemon juice, vanilla, eggs and add it to the butter mixture.  Mix till smooth.

In a large mixing bowl, alternate dry and wet ingredients in about 3 additions.  Mix all till smooth and divide into two 9″ cake pans (be sure it’s the  the same size as the cheesecake).  Bake at 350 degrees about 20 minutes, or till the knife comes out clean.

Assemble the cake putting cheesecake in the middle.  Frost with Cream cheese frosting.  See my Instagram for my “How to decorate a cake with No Talent”,  for my method of frosting cakes.