I don't remember ever having a red velvet cake. Maybe I mistake it for that strawberry cake stuck in my memory, but I believe that was a light pink rather than red. I don't really know.
All I know is I decided to make it. Why?
I felt the urge to bake a cake. I had already made a carrot cake, italian cream cake, tres leches cake, butterscotch upside down sour cream apple cake, and a few chocolate cakes. I didn't feel like repeats, though there are many versions of them all. I wanted something new. Something racy!
Red Velvet cake seemed to be the answer. I looked up recipes, finally deciding on an adaptation of Rebecca Rather's. I read the recipe and thought that 1/4 cup of red food coloring was unnecessary. So I added probably 1 to 2 Tbsp. I completely left out the vinegar, didn't have it. Did I mention I mixed it all in a pasta pot?
No? Oh, let me explain then. I had no mixing bowl. It was being used for a salad, so I looked at what I did have and chose the pasta pot as a suitable substituion. Luckily, the food coloring didn't stain it.
The cake came out great! The red that I see on all other red velvet cakes. It tasted heavely. I think that the cream cheese frosting is a little strong for the cake because it over powers the cake. However, my boyfriend disagreed. We do have our differences.
Now what do I bake?
Sexy Red Velvet Cake
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cubed and softened
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 Tbsp red food coloring
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups cake flour
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup sour cream
Preheat oven to 350. Grease 8 x 8 pan with butter.
Cream butter and sugar on medium-high for two minutes. Mix in one egg at a time, beating after each addition. Turn mixer off and add food coloring and cocoa powder to bowl. Turn on low until just incorporated and then beat on medium for 4 minutes.
Sift together the flours, salt, and baking soda and set aside. Stir buttermilk and vanilla together. Add dry ingredients to the bowl in three batches, alternately with the buttermilk in two batches, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Beat on medium until just combined. Add sour cream and vinegar and beat on low until combined.
Fill pan up half way and bake for 35-45 mins. Cool before frosting.
Cream Cheese Frosting,
8 oz cream cheese, soften
5 Tbsp butter, softened
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar
Cream cream cheese, butter, and vanilla on med-high speed. Sift the powdered sugar after measuring. Add the powdered sugar to the bowl in batches, beating on low until just combined and then beating on high until desired consistency is reached. For a stiffer icing, add more powdered sugar.
Note: I had a thin layer of cream cheese between each layer, if you want more double frosting recipe.
6 comments:
OMG! Love red velvet cake, looks so delicious and the great smell coming from buttermilk!
looks lovely and RED, even though you left out some dye. i guess you don't need that much after all. red velvet is still one of those cakes i have yet to make.
I have never tried red velvet cake. It's not really an Australian thing. But I do love the name. It just sounds so decadent.
I still have yet to try the red velvet cake. I just thought of something. Does it pretty much taste like chocolate cake just with a red tint or is there a different flavor? I love CC frosting!
So you left out the vinegar? I have always wondered why it was necessary any way! Weird. I think I will do the same..it kinda gives it a funny taste any way.
Your red velvet cake looks delicious! You only baked it in a one layer 8 x 8 pan? I want to try this for Christmas. Thanks. Kathy
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