After many requests, and blogging about this cake ad nauseum, I am finally posting the recipe. It was truly just inertia that prevented me from doing so earlier. I can't even say it was laziness -- after all, how hard is it to copy and paste?
Red on red; the batter after the food coloring is added. |
My recipe is a (very) slight variation on one developed by Arthur Schwartz who posted it to his website, foodmaven.com, a few years ago. It is a true crowd pleaser. No matter how many other things I bake, I am constantly besieged with requests for this cake. This is the recipe I used when I baked and sold cakes to some local cafes for a few years. I hardly made any money, but the ooohs and aaaahs I got when I dropped off the cakes were priceless.
The "essential" wet (glass of wine) and dry ingredients. |
Almost done! |
Red Velvet Cake
2 1/4 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup plus one tablespoon cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
2 eggs
2 teaspoons to 1 bottle red food coloring
1 teaspoon real vanilla extract
1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup plus one tablespoon cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
2 eggs
2 teaspoons to 1 bottle red food coloring
1 teaspoon real vanilla extract
1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
1 cup buttermilk
Grease and flour two 9 inch cake pans. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, and cocoa. Set aside.
In another mixing bowl, beat the sugar and oil together until well blended. A standing or hand-held mixer works best for this.
Add eggs, one at a time, blending well between additions. (Blend the last one in until the mixture is smooth.)
Blend in food coloring, vanilla, and vinegar. Scrape bowl down with a rubber spatula.
Alternately blend in flour and buttermilk , (starting and ending with the flour) using about a third of each at a time and scraping sides of bowl a couple of times. Make sure not to overbeat or use the electric mixer on high -- this will toughen the cake.
Immediately pour into prepared pans and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
On a wire rack, cool cakes in pans for 5 minutes. Remove cakes from pans and cool completely on rack.
Fill and frost.
Cream Cheese Frosting
1 8-ounce package cream cheese (at room temperature)
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter (at room temperature)
16 ounces confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Milk, as needed
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter (at room temperature)
16 ounces confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Milk, as needed
In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth.
Add butter and continue to beat smooth and well incorporated with the cream cheese.
Beat in the sugar a little at a time, then the vanilla.
If frosting is too thick to spread easily, beat in cold milk a tablespoon or so at a time until of spreading consistency.
You can sift cocoa powder and cinnamon atop the cake, if you like.
Serve and feel the love.
You can sift cocoa powder and cinnamon atop the cake, if you like.
Serve and feel the love.
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