Red Velvet Cake

Today is my friend Annie's sons first Birthday. She asked me if I would mind making the cake(s) for his birthday party and of course I could not say no. Annie knew she wanted a chocolate cake for her son but she also thought that a red velvet cake sounded good. Of course I was up for that challenge since I had never made or even ate a red velvet cake before. I asked around on my favorite cooking board and Annie recommended the one she had made for her brother's high school graduation. I went ahead and used that recipe and it turned out excellent.


This cake came together very quickly and was pretty easy to work with and frost. Everyone at the party loved the cake and some even went back for seconds. This is definitely a cake that I will make again if I am ever feeling the urge for a fun red cake. The cream cheese frosting went perfectly with the flavor of this cake.


Red Velvet Cake
Source: Annie's Eats

-Serves 12 to 14 -

Ingredients
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1 tsp white vinegar
2 1/2 cups cake flour
1 tsp baking soda
3 tbsp cocoa powder
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
5/8 ounce bottle red food coloring

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350F. Line the bottom of two 9-inch round cake pans with parchment paper. Cream the eggs, sugar, oil and vinegar. Sift the cake flour, baking soda, and cocoa together. Add the flour mixture to the creamed ingredients while beating. Slowly add the buttermilk. While still beating, add the vanilla and the food coloring. Pour into prepared cake pans and bake for about 25 minutes. Press lightly; if the layers are spongy, then the cake is done. Frost the cooled layers, assemble and frost the top and sides.

Cream Cheese Frosting
Adapted from: Cook's Illustrated

Ingredients
12 ounces cream cheese , softened but still cool
7 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter softened, but still cool
2 tablespoon sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

Directions
Mix cream cheese, butter, sour cream, and vanilla at medium high speed in clean bowl of standing mixer fitted with whisk attachment ( or in large bowl using handheld mixer) until well combined, about 30 seconds, scraping down bowl with rubber spatula as needed. Add confectioners’ sugar and mix until very fluffy, about 1 minute.