Although a bit more labor-intensive, these are a lovely touch for a Valentine's treat to a special friend or neighbor!Red Velvet Layer:
1 cup vegetable oil
2-1/4 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 Tbl. milk
1 Tbl. vanilla
3-1/4 cups flour
3 Tbl. cocoa powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 Tbl. red food coloring
2 tsp. white vinegar
With non-stick spray, grease a jelly-roll pan and line the bottom with parchment. Spray the top of the parchment and the sides of the pan. With mixer, combine oil, sugar, eggs, milk, and vanilla. Add food coloring and vinegar. Beat well. Add dry ingredients. Batter will be thick. Set aside 2/3 cup of mixture. With long, metal spreading spatula, carefully spread rest of batter into the prepared pan, to reach all edges.
Add another 2 Tbl. milk to the remaining batter. Mix and set aside.
Cheesecake Layer:
10 oz. (1-1/4 pkgs.) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg + 1 egg white
1-1/2 tsp. vanilla
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add sugar and beat about 2 min. until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla, beating well. Pour cream cheese mixture on top of red velvet layer in pan and smooth mixture until it reaches all the edges.
Take reserved red batter and drizzle lines across white layer, zig-zagging across pan. Drag a knife through the top red and white layers to create swirls.
Bake about 30 min. or until edges begin to turn a very light golden and the center is done. Let cool. Dip a heart-shaped cookie cutter into some flour and cut out shapes.
