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Southern Red Velvet Cake




Source of Recipe


Cakeman Raven, Cakeman Raven Confectionery, NYC


Recipe Introduction


We aren’t big fans of Red Velvet Cake – we find it underwhelming, at best and tasteless, at worst. And I usually find cream cheese frosting cloyingly sweet. But I do birthday cakes for Mike’s staff and one of them requested Red Velvet. Mike said that everyone loved it and some said it was the best they had ever had. Someone said that it didn’t have a chemical taste like so many did. Mike said that the texture and crumb were very good. So now I’ve got a go-to recipe! The only change that I made was in the amount of cocoa. The original recipe called for ONE TEASPOON of cocoa. I thought that sounded ridiculous and since most of the other recipes I found called for 2 heaping tablespoons, that what I did. I also used gel food coloring, not liquid which may explain the “chemical” comment.


Recipe Link: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/southern-red-velvet-cake-recipe.html

List of Ingredients




CAKE LAYERS:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon fine salt
2 heaping TBS. cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 tablespoons red food coloring (1 ounce)
1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Frosting, recipe follows
Crushed pecans, for garnish – I used about 2 cups
Pecan halves, for garnish

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:
1 pound cream cheese, softened
4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter (1 cup), softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract


Recipe



CAKE LAYERS:
Heat the oven to 350F. Spray 3 (9-inch) cake pans with baking spray and line with parchment paper.

Sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer whisk the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar and vanilla. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined and smooth. Place the batter in the pans and bake until they pass the toothpick test – about 30 minutes. Rotate the pans half way through baking.

Cool cakes in pans for 10 minutes. Then invert onto racks and cool completely and frost. Pat the chopped pecans on to the sides of the frosted cake and decorate the top with the pecan halves. REFRIGERATE. Take the cake out of the refrigerator about 2 hours before serving.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:
Whip the softened cream cheese with the whip attachment of your stand mixer. Add the butter and mix thoroughly, scraping down the sides as needed. Slowly add in the confectioner’s sugar. When it is completely incorporated, add the vanilla and mix. Increase speed to high and whip until fluffy – about 5 minutes. Refrigerate for at least one hour and up to 3 days before using – the frosting should be a bit stiff.