Red Velvet Cheesecake Cups

I don’t understand everyone’s epic beef with Valentine’s Day.

True, it’s a big fat over-commercialized Hallmark holiday, but hey…what isn’t anymore?

And a holiday is a holiday. It’s a publicly recognized excuse to celebrate. Who can honestly disapprove of  good-natured celebrating?

On top of that, this holiday in particular allows you to turn your life pink and red  and pretty for 24 hours,  AND you have to appreciate the massive chocolate sale to ensue the day after all the pink pandemonium.

Seriously, lose the bitter…unless it’s bittersweet…chocolate.

Bad joke. Sorry, you know I’m all about them.

Anyways, I’m a single lady, I have no prospects of romance in my immediate future, I don’t even have a cat. Even still, I feel neither reprimanded for my solitude by cupid, nor excluded from all the St. Val. Day love.

 

Check out the hearts everywhere. Valentine’s Day is obviously a day for serious lovin…there’s no official legislature designating who exactly you have to love on.  Doesn’t have to be a hubby, wife, boyfriend, girlfriend, friend with benefits, or any other various form of romantic interest.

Not that you shouldn’t be loving on every other day of the year, but let’s be honest, everything is more fun when it’s themed. So get in the spirit and show absolutely anyone you care about that they’re special to ya.

Coincidentally enough, these red velvet cheesecake cups are but one of many ways you can do just that.

Red velvet and Valentine’s seem to go hand in hand. I’m talking red velvet cake, red velvet cookies, red velvet cupcakes, red velvet brownies, red velvet doughnuts, red velvet cake rolls, red velvet pancakes, red velvet cheesecakes, red velvet everywhere!!

No complaints from the peanut gallery. I’m a major red velvet fan. I’ll probably even have my couch upholstered in it.

 

 

While I wouldn’t recommend it for making a legit cake, I find some packaged red velvet a totally acceptable little shortcut for projects like this. Filled with cheesecake and draped with delicate white chocolate, these little cuppies really elevate the potential of your baked good from a box.

I believe in cake mix couture. No shame.

I also have a strange love for the smell of  dry packaged cake mix. Weird?

 

 

If you prefer to avoid the overhanging edge on your cheesecake cups, simply don’t press the red velvet dough all the way up the sides of the cupcake pans, as the dough does expand with baking. Just saying though, the little edge is delightfully crisp and cookie-like and allows for more white chocolate coverage. I deem it a bonus.

 

Alright then, February 14th …get ready, get pumped, break out your brightest pink sweater, and show the world some love.

February 15th…I’ll see you in the candy aisle. It’s going down.

 

Red Velvet Cheesecake Cups

• 1 box red velvet cake mix (I used Duncan Hines)
• 1 large egg
• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened

For the filling

• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 large egg

For the glaze

• 12 ounces good-quality white chocolate
• 2 tbsp cream

Preheat oven to 350 F and thoroughly grease a standard 12 cup muffin pan.

In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese until fluffy. Beat in the sugar, egg, and vanilla. Set aside

In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, egg  and butter with a hand mixer on low-speed until evenly combined. Press the dough into the bottom and along sides of each cup in the prepared muffin pan.

Spoon the cream cheese mixture into the center of each cup and bake for 40-45 minutes or until centers are set. Allow cheesecake cups to cool in pan for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a platter and transfer to a wire rack in order to cool completely.

In the mean time, melt the white chocolate in a medium heavy bottom saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly. Whisk in the cream until smooth. Spoon the warm chocolate over each cooled cake. Garnish as you please.