Red Velvet Cake

I found some photos from about a month ago when I last made this cake, so I decided to go ahead and post them. I cannot tell a lie, red velvet is probably the greatest baked invention since the beginning of time. Personally, it’s one of my favorites…when done right. Not everyone likes it, or so I’m told (though I can’t imagine what must be wrong with those people), but you should definitely try it before you knock it.

For those of you that have never had it and have no idea what it is (like me up until a year or two ago), I’ll give you a brief explanation. It’s a light chocolate cake tinted red. The only thing red about it is the food coloring. It’s not dense and rich like regular chocolate cakes…it’s light and airy without the intense toothache-inducing chocolate flavor of say, a Devil’s Food cake. In short, it is amazing, especially with cream cheese icing. Try it, you’ll like it!

Red Velvet Cake
Prep Time: Approx. 30-45 minutes

This recipe is from Emeril Lagasse, oddly enough, with slight modifications by me.

FOR THE CAKE

2 1/2 cups sifted (or wisked) cake flour
2 teaspoons cocoa powder (I usually throw in a tad more just because I like it)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) margarine, softened
2 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
2 ounces red food coloring
1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

FOR THE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened (I usually get low-fat or light cream cheese)
1/2 cup (1 stick) margarine, softened
1 pound box confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

I wouldn’t say this recipe is tough, but it’s probably not for beginning bakers. Also, this is a very RED cake—and if you’re even a slightly messy baker, RED will get everywhere. Basically, wear an apron and move anything out of the way that you don’t want to have the appearance of being bloodstained for quite a long time.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare two 9-inch cake pans (lots of nonstick cooking spray or butter and flour). In a medium bowl, combine your dry ingredients (flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt) and wisk it or sift it together so it’s well mixed and fine. Set that bowl aside. In another bowl, cream together the sugar and butter. Then beat in the eggs, one at a time. Alternate between adding the dry ingredient mixture and buttermilk slowly. Then, when the mixture is smooth and creamy, beat in all the food coloring and the vinegar.

This mixture should have the appearance and texture of very smooth ketchup. Thus why I don’t have a picture of this part…it’s not the most attractive batter.

At this point, divide the batter evenly into the two cake pans. Make sure they are smooth and pretty, then bake them side-by-side in your oven for about 20-30 minutes. Just test it by sticking a toothpick or fork in the center—if it comes out clean, it’s done. Carefully put the layers on cooling racks and cool.

While your cake is baking, it’s a good time to clean up your cake supplies so they aren’t stained red forever. It’s also a good time to make the frosting, which is very quick and easy.

In a large bowl, combine the softened cream cheese with the softened butter until smooth. Then add the confectioners’ sugar and mix until fluffy, then quickly beat in the vanilla. Chill this in the fridge until you’re ready to use it. It should look something like this—very smooth and creamy:

Now, when your cake has cooled completely, it’s time to assemble and frost it. If you have a cake decorating stand, awesome—use that. I use a lazy Susan. If you don’t have either, just do your best with a plate. Ice away!

Note before you start icing: It’s almost impossible to keep red crumbs out of your icing while you spread it. I recommend setting aside a small amount of frosting with which to do a thin “primer” layer to trap all the crumbs, then chilling the whole thing in the fridge for a few minutes, then doing the final, “pretty” layer of icing. Remember, it’s not about how it looks, it’s about the taste—so don’t worry yourself too much about appearances. And trust me, no one’s going to care about how this cake looks after they taste it.

This is seriously so delicious, so definitely try it. Homemade is better than anything you’ll buy in a store or any boxed mix, so give it a go!