Description
These adorable little desserts blend a tender, cocoa-kissed red velvet foundation with a smooth, tangy cheesecake center—no giant springform or water bath required. Perfect for holiday fêtes, Valentine’s Day romance, or a quick after-dinner sweet fix, they bake in under ten minutes and pop right out of a mini muffin tin.
Ingredients
Scale
Velvet Cake Base
- 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup + 1 tbsp (30 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¾ cup (170 g) salted sweet cream butter, melted and cooled
- 1¼ cups (250 g) granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp red gel food coloring (I love Sunny Side Up Bakery’s)
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs, beaten and at room temperature
Cheesecake Center
- 8 oz (225 g) cream cheese, softened
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 large egg yolk
Instructions
- Prep the Pan & Oven
- Preheat to 350 °F (175 °C).
- Lightly grease a mini muffin tin with cooking spray.
- Whisk Dry Ingredients
- In a bowl, sift together the flour and cocoa powder. Set aside.
- Blend Wet Base
- In a separate bowl, whisk the melted butter with the sugar, red coloring, vanilla, and eggs until smooth.
- Combine the Base
- Fold the flour mixture into the wet ingredients until just mixed—avoid overworking the batter.
- Prepare the Filling
- Beat the cream cheese on medium-high for about 1 minute until creamy.
- Add sugar and vanilla; whip another 1–1½ minutes.
- Stir in the egg yolk until the mixture is uniform with no yellow streaks.
- Assemble Bites
- Spoon roughly 1 tbsp of the red velvet batter into each muffin cup.
- Transfer the cheesecake filling to a piping bag (or zip-top bag with a corner snipped off).
- Pipe about 2 tsp of the cheesecake mixture into the center of each red velvet base.
- Bake & Cool
- Bake for 8–9 minutes, just until the edges set and centers are slightly jiggly.
- Let the bites rest in the pan for 20–30 minutes before gently popping them out.
- Finish cooling on a wire rack until fully set.
Notes
Tips & Storage
- Yield: Approximately 42 mini bites (using a 1 Tbsp scoop).
- Fridge: Keep leftovers airtight in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Freezer: Flash-freeze on a tray, then store in a sealed container for up to 2 months; thaw overnight in the fridge.
- Pro Tricks:
- Always use room-temperature cream cheese for a silky filling.
- Create a tiny well in each red velvet cup with a greased ½ tsp measure to hold the cheesecake mixture perfectly.
- Lightly coat your scoop with nonstick spray to help portion the batter.
- Swap in Dutch-processed cocoa if you prefer.
- For a marbled look, drag a toothpick through the filling after piping.
- Oven temps vary—check at the lower end of baking time to avoid overbaking.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Rest Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 9 minutes
- Category: Desserts
Nutrition
- Calories: 93kcal
- Sugar: 7g
- Sodium: 46mg
- Fat: 6g
- Carbohydrates: 10g
- Fiber: 0.3g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 27mg