Red Velvet CAKE

I believe this might be the most delicious food adventure I have had in a while. Of course one cannot go wrong with cake, but a cake made from SCRATCH….pure beauty. I got the idea to make a red velvet cake from this one show called Cook’s Country…part of America’s Test Kitchen. The host guy is kinda nerdy and always wears his red apron:

But anyways, they were cooking red velvet cake and it just looked so good that I found the recipe online and gave it a try. I’m pretty sure this is the first time I have made a cake like this:

(click on the link if you want to see the larger picture file. It’s pretty amazing!)

The batter was, really, like velvet. I had to use a whole bottle of red food coloring, which still wasn’t the 2 tablespoons they called for. It was probably about 1 1/2 tablespoons. So I guess it could’ve been a little more red. But it tasted SO GOOD. And usually I can’t really handle eating a lot of cake, but I have to restrain myself with this one. I will post the recipe here, to encourage you to try it.

Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Serves 12

Cake

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

Pinch salt

1 cup buttermilk

1 tablespoon white vinegar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs

2 tablespoons natural cocoa powder

2 tablespoons red food coloring

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter , softened

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

Frosting

16 tablespoons unsalted butter , softened

4 cups confectioners' sugar 

16 ounces cream cheese , cut into 8 pieces, softened

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Pinch salt

1. For the cake: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9-inch cake pans. Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl. Whisk buttermilk, vinegar, vanilla, and eggs in large measuring cup. Mix cocoa with food coloring in small bowl until a smooth paste forms.

2. With electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter and sugar together until fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping down bowl as necessary. Add one-third of flour mixture and beat on medium-low speed until just incorporated, about 30 seconds. Add half of buttermilk mixture and beat on low speed until combined, about 30 seconds. Scrape down bowl as necessary and repeat with half of remaining flour mixture, remaining buttermilk mixture, and finally remaining flour mixture. Scrape down bowl, add cocoa mixture, and beat on medium speed until completely incorporated, about 30 seconds. Using rubber spatula, give batter final stir. Scrape into prepared pans and bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool cakes in pans 10 minutes then turn out onto rack to cool completely, at least 30 minutes.

3. For the frosting: With electric mixer, beat butter and sugar on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add cream cheese, one piece at a time, and beat until incorporated, about 30 seconds. Beat in vanilla and salt. Refrigerate until ready to use.

4. When cakes are cooled, spread about 2 cups frosting on one cake layer. Top with second cake layer and spread top and sides of cake with remaining frosting. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve, up to 3 days.

You’ll notice how it said that it serves 12…and there are only two of us. So I gave some away….and there is even some left. Want a slice???