I think of Red Velvet Cake as being one of those quintessentially American cakes, with several versions, depending on where you live in the U.S.
The Craig Claiborne version has raisins, walnuts, or pecans and bourbon in the frosting; some are egg-less, newer versions have cream cheese frosting. The ingredients all the versions I’ve seen have in common are buttermilk, vinegar, and red food dye. If that sounds like an unlikely combination perhaps it is, but don’t knock it until you try it: red velvet cake is amazing.
Assemble all your ingredients before you start. Chefs call this “Mise en place” and this prep work makes life much easier, especially when baking a cake with several steps. Watch out for the red food coloring, no matter what I do I always get red fingers, but I think that’s part of the fun!
Serves 6 – 8
Batter
1/2 cup butter, cut into small pieces
1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk. You can use 2 % without compromising the taste
2 – 3 tbsp red food coloring. You can add more, it’s up to you, but I don’t like the cake to be cherry red!
1 tablespoons vinegar
1 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups sifted cake flour. You must sift the flour or the measurement will be off
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder. Hershey’s works just fine!
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoons salt
Frosting
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup cold water
1 cup butter, cut into small pieces
1 cup granulated sugar
2 teasponn pure vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease two 9″ cake pans. Cut circles in parchment paper and grease. Line the bottom of the pans with circles of parchment paper and grease the paper. Make sure you grease the pans enough; it will make it much easier to get the cakes out of the pans.
Cream butter and sugar together until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, beating in gradually.
In a small bowl, combine liquids: buttermilk, food coloring, vinegar and vanilla extract, mixing well. In another small bowl combine dry ingredients: flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.
Alternate dry and wet ingredients, mixing thoroughly as you go along. End with dry ingredients, making sure the batter is smooth and creamy.
Bake for 30 – 35 minutes. The cake will be ready when it springs back in the middle when pressed lightly. Cool on wire rack for 5 minutes, the cakes will begin to separate from the side of the pans. Remove cakes from pan and cool completely on the rack.
Frosting
Mix flour and water in a pan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly so the mixture is smooth and creamy with no lumps. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring constantly until the mixture is smooth and silky looking, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cool thoroughly, about 1/2 hour. In a bowl, cream butter, sugar and vanilla. Add flour mixture and beat until light and fluffy. The frosting should be smooth and creamy when you’re done, the sugar completely dissolved.
Divide the frosting between the layers and on top. I don’t frost the sides.
