Red Velvet Cheesecake with Beets

Image and Recipe Copyright © 2003-2008 Jennifer Iserloh

Traditional red velvet cake calls for tons of red food coloring dye. My version uses beets to color this cheesecake naturally while adding extra nutrition.

Serves 8-10

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups reduced-fat graham cracker crumbs
2 tablespoons trans-fat free margarine, melted
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 (8-ounce) packages reduced-fat cream cheese, softened
2 (8-ounce) packages fat-free cream cheese, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
2 egg whites
3 tablespoons unsweetened powdered cocoa
1 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1 cup pureed canned or steamed beets
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven at 320° F. Coat a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray. Stir together graham cracker crumbs, margarine, and granulated sugar; press mixture into bottom of the pan. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and powdered sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each addition. Stir in vanilla and sour cream. Reserve 1 cup of the batter and set aside.

Stir in cocoa powder and pureed beets. Pour into pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Using the white reserved batter, spoon 5 large dots around in a circle, spaced evenly apart on top of the red batter. Moving clockwise, cut through the dots with a knife to form the hearts.

Bake for 45-50 minutes uncovered until the edges of the cheesecake begin to firm but center is still soft. Remove cheesecake from oven; run knife along outer edge of cheesecake and cool in pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Cover and chill 8 hours.

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Make It A Meal

Serve with Potato Leek Soup, Strawberry and Spinach Salad.

Wine Pairing

Rose, Beaujolais