Bloody Good Cheesecake
This Bloody Good Cheesecake Recipe is the spookiest Halloween treat that is sure to be the scary centerpiece of your party! Red velvet cheesecake is baked on a chocolate crust and covered in a blood red homemade gel frosting.
It's that time!!! Halloween is near! So here's what's up -- if you are new here, or you just forgot since last year, or if you maybe don't follow me on Instagram, then I should explain that I am just a tiny bit into Halloween. And by "tiny bit" I mean WE GO ALL OUT. So this year I decided to go a step beyond the usual handful of Halloween recipes that I share at kind of the last minute.
This year I have partnered with 7 other bloggers to bring you all kinds of Halloween fun - recipes, ideas, how I decorate my house, and... this Bloody Good Cheesecake.
Is this spooky and fun or what?
This bloody cheesecake recipes is actually just the creamiest red velvet. Plenty of chocolate, not too sweet, and with a chocolate graham crust. By itself the recipe is a little bit elegant. But the most compelling part of any Halloween dessert is really the presentation.
So to make this cake extra spooky I made homemade red gel frosting. It is SO easy. You'll never pay too much to fuss with a mediocre tube of gel frosting again.
There are a few elements going on here to make this cake all bloody and Halloween-ey. FIRST is the red gel frosting that I made with the help of this Wilton icing color. The second is the base I put the cake on. I used a cardboard cake round like this, but if you don't have any, I'll tell you that cutting a 10" circle from a pizza box and wrapping it in foil totally works.
Beneath the cardboard is a foam disc that I bought in the craft section at Walmart. I painted it black using some leftover chalkboard paint, but spray paint will also work. The foam is important because when you serve, you need to be able to get the knife to stand up in the cake without tipping over, plus you want it to be deep enough that it looks like you actually stabbed the cake.
I am SO excited to share with you guys over the next few weeks. Halloween is my favorite!
But if it's not your thing, this red velvet cheesecake will totally stand alone without the fake blood frosting.
Bloody Good Cheesecake
Be sure to make this cake a day ahead so it has the proper time to cool in the oven and then chill in the fridge before serving. Prep time listed includes chilling.
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 8 whole chocolate graham crackers, crushed into fine crumbs
- 5 tablespoons melted butter
For the Cake:
- 3 (8 ounce) blocks of cream cheese, at room temperature
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup dark unsweetened cocoa powder
- 4 large eggs, at rook temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
- red icing color (I usethis one from Wilton
For the Gel Frosting:
- ¼ cup COLD water
- 3 teaspoons cornstarch (see note)
- ¼ cup light corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- red icing color
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325F. Line a 9" springform pan with parchment paper or foil, letting the paper cover the edges of the bottom of the pan and closing the springform edge around it (this makes for easy removal later on).
- Combine the crushed chocolate grahams and melted butter until the crumbs are evenly coated. Press into the prepared pan.
- Beat the softened cream cheese and sugar until fluffy. Add the unsweetened cocoa and mix until combined, making sure to scrape down the sides and the bottom at least once.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well between each addition. The mix in the vanilla, salt and heavy cream.
- Add the red icing color until the batter is a deep red color. I started with ¼ teaspoon and ended up using maybe ½ - ¾ teaspoon total.
- Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and spread it over the crust.
- Bake for 20 minutes ate 325F. Then reduce the oven temperature to 225F and bake for 30 more minutes. Turn the oven off and DO NOT open the oven door. Just let the cheesecake stay in there until the oven cools to room temperature. This prevents cracking.
- Use a knife to gently loosen the sides of the cake from the pan before popping the springform sides open.
- To make the gel frosting, stir together the cold water and cornstarch until smooth. Pour it into a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Pour in the corn syrup and stir until the mixture is heated through and smooth. You will need to stir frequently; you can watch it thicken as it cooks.
- Remove the mixture from the burner after 1-2 minutes. Stir in the vanilla and red icing color. I used about ½ teaspoon of color to achieve the look here. Let the gel cool before spooning it over the cake.
- Refrigerate for 4 hours before serving.
Notes
For the cake pictured, I actually made 2 batches of the gel frosting. For the first batch I used 4 teaspoons of cornstarch. It makes a thicker gel. I spread it over the top of the cake and let it drip down the sides. Then I refrigerated the cake. That kept the drips in place. The second batch I made with 3 teaspoons of cornstarch and spooned it over the cake when serving. It looks like fake blood and is pretty great.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
16Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 181Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 64mgSodium: 142mgCarbohydrates: 23gFiber: 1gSugar: 19gProtein: 3g
Love Spooky Halloween Recipes? You should also try...
These Black Velvet Cupcakes with Raspberry Jam from Amanda at A Cookie Named Desire. DEEEPLY chocolate cupcakes with cream cheese frosting and raspberry jam. YESSS.
This Icky Intestines Bread looks pretty gross but it's really just puff pastry is filled with sweet cream cheese and raspberry sauce, rolled up into large and small intestine shapes, and baked for a sweet breakfast or dessert icky good Halloween treat.
Thanks for sharing! How far ahead of time can I make it?
Hi Vanessa! Cheesecake is totally good 3-4 days ahead as long as it's wrapped and refrigerated. I'd make the glaze the same day.
Hi Heather
I am new to making cheesecakes. Do you flip the cheesecake over to get the parchment paper off? Or what method do you use?
Thank you.
Holy cow! I pinned this recipe and went back to review it today as I'm baking it tonight for the big day tomorrow - as I was reading the recipe I noted you the author - blast from the past - Heather Tullos who used to live up the street from me Eleanor Hains Rodway. Of all the random things I pinned on Pinterest. Cheers to you and your blog all your recipes look fab and I cannot wait to try this cheesecake. Happy Halloween!
OMGGGGGG Eleanor! That is SO crazy. I still have pictures of us carving pumpkins with your dad. Happy Halloween!!! ❤️
I bake cheesecake often and was a bit concerned about the baking time and dropping the temperature. The cheesecakes I have made usually bake at least an hour on a higher temperature and n a water bath to prevent cracking. I decided to follow the recipe to a t and sure enough it was completely raw. Disappointed that I have to cone up with another dessert for my office Halloween party now 🙁 #pinterestfail
Hey Christine -- I'm sorry this didn't work for you. I bake Cheesecake ALL. THE. TIME. The low and slow method has literally never failed me and water baths are super annoying. Check your oven temp and -- if it doesn't look done it probably isn't. I always check and then keep it in longer if I feel unsure.
Christine your comment made me worried that I'd missed something here and so I made 3 cheesecakes in 3 days, following my own instructions EXACTLY. The cheesecake was done every time. In fact in 2 instances it cracked which lets me know it's not just done but TOO done. So I am addressing that in a new cheesecake post coming soon. If you followed the recipe "to a t" then your cheesecake should have been done. I'm sorry you had trouble with this, but I also make A LOT of cheesecake and with this particular ingredient list/set of instructions, "completely raw" or even just slightly undercooked is not an issue.
Hi! Wow! I love the Idea!!!!
Can I put the cake with the thicker blood gel on top in the freezer for a week?
And how long on advance can I make the lighter blood gel ? Do I keep it at room themperature?
Thanks a lot!! ????
Muhahahaha This is still one of my favorite Halloween cheesecakes!
???? it's tasty, too!
Thanks for this delicious recipe--I made three 4" cheesecakes and had some left over, which I poured into a small foil load pan. It was tasty yesterday but PERFECT this morning. It definitely needs that day to chill. Also, if you're using liquid food coloring, make sure you have a full bottle on hand--I ran out and now my cake is a bit more chocolate-colored than "red velvet." Still, it's delicious.
As for the blood, make sure you have that cornstarch completely dissolved before you cook, or you'll have lumps--blurgh. I added all the rest of my liquid food coloring and one single drop of blue, just to give it a bit of depth. With 4 tsp. cornstarch, it didn't drip down the sides for me, but that's OK, because I'm using a recipe I found for sugar glass and adding some blood-dipped glass to the cakes for a garnish.
For presentation, I found an old silver-plated candelabra I don't use, glued three foil-covered cardboard circles to the candle holders, and ow I have a perfect little cake presentation plate for three tiny cheesecakes. Can't wait to get to the party!
Happy Halloween, y'all!
*loaf pan. Geez.
Thanks for all the Tips Holly! Hope your Halloween was excellent!
You write that the eggs have to be at "rook temperature" - does it have to be rook, or could it be some other type of crow, such as jackdaw or even magpie? Haha, I'm kidding, I know it was a typo. Serious question: would another syrup do, instead of corn syrup (i.e. a syrup of equal thickness/runniness)? Some of these ingredients aren't always readily available in Europe.
Hi Nick!
Ha! Thanks for catching the typo. NOTED.
For your question -- this article explains really well both WHY I used corn syrup and also how to substitute. I hope it helps and points you towards something available in your area because that gel frosting is what MAKES this cake. Enjoy! http://www.epicurious.com/expert-advice/how-to-substitute-corn-syrup-article
Hi Heather,
Thanks for the answer and your tip. I have agave syrup and that is the first thing on the list of substitutes.
All the best,
Nick
PS. I hope you excuse my little bit of humour - I couldn't resist it 😀
Hi! This cake looks absolutely amazing! Would you be able to substitute something else instead of the corn syrup?
Hi Sophia!
Nope. The corn syrup is pretty crucial to get the texture of the gel frosting right. Sometimes when people have a problem with corn syrup (Karo syrup is the common brand name) they are confusing it with high fructose corn syrup. They are not the same thing. High fructose corn syrup is a food additive. Corn syrup adds glossiness to frostings and is used in baking.
I'm so excited to make this for my Halloween dinner party! This might be a silly question but is there any reason that regular red food coloring wouldn't work with the gel icing? I would rather avoid buying something I won't use often. Thank you!
Hi Denae! You can absolutely use red food coloring but! Your gel frosting may not be as thick. The Wilton Icing color is super cheap (you can get it at Walmart either in the baking aisle or the craft aisle; it's only a dollar or two). The Wilton Icing color is more concentrated and is a TRUE red, even if you just add a dab. With food coloring you know if you just add a little then it's pink and you have to add more to get a true red color. The icing color also has a thick consistency instead of a liquid like food coloring. So those are my reasons for using it, but all of that said I am always an advocate of using what you have on hand. If I can get out of an extra shopping trip or just want to use up some things then that's the direction I always go! Hope that helps!
This is brilliant. I love the REAL kitchen knife as opposed to a prop one.
Thanks Brenda!
Bahaha this is great! Blood never looked so appetizing
Heather! This is "Bloody Fantastic" haha. It would be 100% perfect for a Halloween party/dinner! Love the tips for getting the knife to stand up!
Thanks Angie! I had lots of fun with this. Can't wait to see your recipe!
You've pulled a Halloween trifecta!!! Your cheesecake is creepy, delicious and SO creative! I love how you figured out how to keep the knife upright. You know how to do Halloween right!!!
Thank you so much Liz! I'm super excited to see what everyone has come up with, Can't wait to share your cupcakes on Thursday!