Stefanie’s Ultimate Red Velvet Cake Cheesecake

The Cheesecake Factory

After finding several one of a kind menu items around the world, it seems a little cliché to want to get a cheesecake at The Cheesecake Factory. But, being my birthday and after watching an amazing performance by the cast of Wicked at the Orpheum Theater, nothing sounded more enjoyable (and cliché) than a nice late-night cheesecake with the family while overlooking the lights of Union Square.

I briefly looked at the endless list of cheesecakes and made a quick decision in wanting a nice and simple slice of “The Original”; the classic creamy cheesecake with a sour cream topping and a graham cracker crust. I immediately closed the menu shut, but the back cover of the menu instantly changed my mind.

How can anyone be so clever in combining two of my favorite cakes into one? Without any hesitation, I placed my order as soon as our server approached the table and in no time, a group of servers were standing before us with my cake in hand.

The extra sprinkles, lit candle, chocolate written “Happy Birthday to You” and everyone singing the birthday song made the cake look much more appetizing than the picture on the back cover of the menu.

With layers of extremely moist red velvet cake between thick layers of creamy cheesecake, covered in a special Cheesecake Factory cream cheese frosting and white chocolate curls, it’s no wonder “Stefanie’s Ultimate Red Velvet Cake Cheesecake” was the winner to The Cheesecake Factory’s “What’s your flavor?” contest in April.

From January 28th, through February 28th, nearly 10,000 contest submissions were made; each consisting of a unique idea for a new cheesecake flavor. The winner would receive a trip for two to Los Angeles, CA and the chance to have a cheesecake named after them and produced by The Cheesecake Factory, which, in Cheesecake Factory’s 30 years, will be the very first menu addition name after a guest.

Only one entry per person was allowed but each submission may have included any or all the following: a video, a photo, an audio file and a text description of the flavor combination. Five finalists were chosen on the basis of cheesecake flavor combination and creativity and each idea was posted online for public vote. The winner was graded on the basis of receiving the most public votes during the voting phase (50%), cheesecake flavor combination (25%), and creativity of submission (25%).

At the end of about 20,000 votes and weeks of intense anticipation, the winning cheesecake flavor was chosen and introduced on July 30th, 2009; National Cheesecake Day. Congratulations to Stefanie Gaxiola; a Redondo Beach resident who probably didn’t need the trip to Los Angeles. Nonetheless, thank goodness for her creativity and wonderful pallet, for I have found the perfect birthday cake.

In addition, because The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated and Feeding America has created a wonderful partnership, 25 cents from the sale of each slice will be donated to the national hunger-relief organization that helps feed more than 25 million hungry Americans each year.


P.S., I loved the cake so much that I went back the next evening to get it again!

P.P.S., The only reason I didn’t get it a third time is because on the second night, I discovered The Cheesecake Factory is so kind in showing the calorie content per slice in the display case!