Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Red Velvet If You Please



I missed last months cake for The Cake Slice Bakers but there was no way I was going to miss the cake this month. After all, it is one of my favorite cakes ever- Red Velvet Cake! I'll eat this cake any which way I can get it. I'll eat it in cupcake form, cake balls, from the grocery store bakery department and from a box. I don't discriminate when it comes to Red Velvet :-)



Props to you if you got the musical reference (turn your speakers on!) in my title :-) I was however a little hesitant when it came to the frosting. It's a milk and flour cooked frosting in which you add butter, sugar, nuts and coconut. I liked the texture in it but I've made a cooked frosting before and it was a disaster. That doesn't mean this one would have been bad but I went the cream cheese frosting route- always a winner in my book! I left out the coconut but I did add the chopped pecans and it was delicious!


I ate a slice of this cake immediately after I frosted it and while it was fall apart tender and oh so moist, it didn't make for a lovely picture. So I refrigerated it then sliced it for a cleaner slice. Pretty, no? I had a slice of this cold and a slice at room temperature and the room temperature slice was much better so keep that in mind when you eat this.



If you've never had Red Velvet cake before let me tell you a bit about it. It's not a white cake colored red (as I once read and was very offended by) and it's not a chocolate cake either although it does have a tiny bit of cocoa in it. It's a slightly tangy cake and moist (if it's a good recipe). And it just happens to be red, although I'm sure you could color it any color you'd like or leave it out if you don't care for the dye-- but that's part of the appeal, dontcha think?

 

Red Velvet Cake
from Southern Cakes

Printer Friendly Version
  • 2½ cups all purpose flour
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup buttermilk*
  • 2 tbsp cocoa powder
  • 2 tbsp red food colouring
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) butter
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1½ tsp baking soda
  • 1 tbsp cider vinegar or white vinegar
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans and line them with waxed paper or kitchen parchment. Grease the paper and flour the pans.

Prepare three separate mixtures for the batter. Combine the flour and salt in a medium bowl and use a fork to mix them together well. Combine the cocoa powder and the red food coloring in a small bowl, mashing and stirring them together to make a thick smooth paste.

In a large bowl, beat the butter with a mixer at low speed for 1 minute until creamy and soft. Add the sugar and then beat well for 3 to 4 minutes, stopping to scrape down the bowl now and then. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each one until the mixture is creamy, fluffy and smooth. Scrape the cocoa-food coloring paste into the batter and beat to mix it in evenly.


Combine the vanilla with the milk. Add a third of the flour mixture and then about half the milk, beating the batter with a mixer at low speed. Mix only enough to make the flour or liquid disappear into the batter. Mix in another third of the flour, the rest of the milk and then the last of the flour in the same way.

In a small bowl, combine the baking soda and vinegar and stir well. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to quickly mix this last mixture into the red batter, folding it in gently by hand. Scrape the batter into the prepared pans.

Bake at 350F for 20 to 25 minutes until the layers are spring back when touched lightly in the center and are just beginning to pull away from the sides of the pans.

Cool the cakes in the pans on wire racks for 15 minutes. Then turn them out onto the racks, remove the paper and turn top side up again to cool completely. Frost with frosting of your choice.

NOTE: If you can’t find buttermilk, stir 1 tbsp lemon juice or vinegar into 1 cup of milk and leave to stand for 10 minutes before using.

Cream Cheese Pecan Frosting from Monica H.
  • 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 8 ounces softened cream cheese
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 cup chopped pecans
Using an electric mixer, beat the butter at medium speed until creamy. Add the cream cheese and beat until combined. Then add the vanilla extract and powdered sugar and beat at low speed, occasionally stopping to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, until light and fluffy. Fold in chopped pecans. Use immediately.

Be sure to check out all the other Cake Slice Bakers' creations!

58 comments:

Memória said...

What a BEAUTIFUL, red cake! It is intensely red. I've yet to make this yummy dessert; I need to change that soon.

I recognized the song in the title only after you mentioned it haha.

Diane Schmidt said...

Looks delicious!

Katie said...

Your cake looks fab and so moist. I love how it is a deep dark red colour, mine was a little too dark. Love the sound of the cream cheese frosting.

Jean Badgley said...

OH WOW...I should NOT be reading this at one in the morning...I want to start making this right NOW...looks wonderful..but so do all the cakes you make...wish I had a piece right this very minute...

Rachel said...

Fabulous!

Donna-FFW said...

Yes, I think the red is part of the charm of this cake. It looks beautiful as always and the frosting sounds like heaven!

cookies and cups said...

Mmmmm, pecans in the frosting. That sounds great! The cake looks beautiful too! I am going to bookmark this recipe!

Jo said...

Monica, you did really, really good with this challenge. I love how your cake has turned out .. a real red velvet. Love the pictures as well.

Zsofi Anna said...

Oh, this looks glorious. I have a coworker who's always pining for red velvet cake so I might just have to make this.

Zsofi Anna said...

Oh, and of course I got the song reference! Hee hee.

Unknown said...

Yummy! I didn't actually know that Red Velvet wasn't a chocolate cake dyed red. Whoops! I'm glad to know that!

natalia said...

Ciao Monica ! Your cake is so beautiful ! I loved it room temp too !

♥peachkins♥ said...

I love seeing red velvet cakes because I love the color!

vanillasugarblog said...

don't you hate those annoying spam comments? I get so many of them.
I still want to buy those mini cake pans, they are just too cute. Can't wait to move and have an oven again. I miss making cakes. I am so jealous over this masterpiece.

Sue said...

I love red velvet cake. I quit making it after the red food coloring scare...but, I still eat it. I just don't want to see how much food coloring I'm putting in it! This looks yummy!

Sue

Ruth's Photo Blog said...

That looks delicious.I would love a slice with a cup of coffee.Yummy!!!
Blessings,Ruth

Foodiewife said...

I have never eaten red velvet cake. Can you believe it? I really, REALLY, need to do it. I think it's pretty.
PS: You got spammed, I see... those crazy computer codes. That's why I had to turn on moderation.

Ingrid_3Bs said...

Mmmmmm, that does looks soooo good!

My favorite photo is of the bottle of red food coloring. You always take such interesting ones.

Hey, I checked out your printable page! Very cool...you did it!
~ingrid

Natalie said...

i've only had red velvet cake one or two times (i think?) and never made it...it's on my to-bake list! :) thanks for the recipe!

Melissa said...

It looks amazing! I will have to try out this recipe very soon. My hubby and MIL are red velvet FIENDS! :-D

Debbie said...

This is exactly the cake my husband has been asking me to make. It looks delicious Monica! I love the frosting too with the pecans. I'll let you know if I make it!

Diana's Cocina said...

What a beautiful cake! If you have any leftovers let me know! ;)

Lissaloo said...

Totally gorgeous! I am really really wanting to run upstairs and bake one right now!!! I am loving the nuts in the frosting idea too, yummy! :)

mbc said...

Love the cake, love the frosting, LOVE the title. I'll be singing that song all day now, if you please!!

Juliana said...

Lovely red velvet cake...like your frosting with pecan...yummie! Nice pictures as well :-)

Patricia @ ButterYum said...

Lovely color. Some red velvet cakes are more brown than red, but this one is really lovely.

:)
ButterYum

Lulu the Baker said...

Your cake is so lovely. Great job! Good call on the frosting; it was very weird. :)

Leslie Harris said...

LOL! I got the musical reference of your title! The whole time I was preparing mine, I was singing my version of "Red Velvet"!

As always, your cake looks stunning!

oneordinaryday said...

Your cake turned out beautifully, Monica. Great pics, as always!!!

Anonymous said...

Red velvet is so fun to make, not to mention DELICIOUS! This looks just lovely, I might whip one up for Valentine's Day!

Pink Little Cake said...

I love red velvet cake. The frosting sounds yummy.

Kerstin said...

Your cream cheese frosting sounds SO much better to me! Gorgeous cake, as usual :)

Anonymous said...

I too found that red velvet tends to get very dense when its refrigerated. So I agree with you to eat this cake at room temperature. Great pictures by the way!

Diana's Cocina said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Julie said...

Truly beautiful pics! Certainly makes me wish for some red velvet :)

OvenDelights said...

Yummy as always! I will have to try the cooked frosting next time, it's hard to step out of the box sometimes!

Sofia said...

Monica, your cake looks delicious

Unknown said...

So pretty! I have never had red velvet cake in any form...now you made me feel I am missing out!! I better fix that asap :)
Thanks Monica, as usual perfect!!

steph- whisk/spoon said...

that's a beauty! cream cheese frosting is always delicious!!

Sharon B said...

Hi from Seattle. New to your blog, but I'm liking what I find. I made my first red velvet cake this past Christmas. I used Paula Deen's recipe, which is very similar to yours (3 layers, tho) and her cream cheese frosting with marshmallow creme. It was a keeper. I will definitely try your frosting the next time around. And yes, I got the music reference. I've got the Alannah Myles song playing over and over in my head.

Roz | La Bella Vita Cucina said...

You've truly got the gift. I'm so glad that your results turned out better than mine; but I'll still be on the prowl for other recipes. Your photos are over the top too! Talk to you soon! Roz

Roz | La Bella Vita Cucina said...

P.S....but I'm glad that we are on the same wave length by going with a cream cheese frosting! Roz

Heather at Kitchen Concoctions said...

Red velvet cake is one of my favorites!! I am constantly on the hunt for THE perfect red velvet cake recipe. So I will have to give this one a try!

http://www.heatherskitchenconcoctions.com/

Kathleen said...

Love, love,love red velvet cake! I've tried about 8 versions still searching for my version of perfect! I just book marked your recipe!

Mini Baker said...

I love the addition of the pecans! your cake looks amazing!!
-Mini :)

White Toast with Butter said...

As soon as I red the title - I was singing the song. I opened up my Taste of the South magazine (I'm a New Yorker) and on page 49 there is a recipe for Red Velvet Fusion...it is a bundt cake with a cream cheese mixture in the middle. I will e-mail the recipe to you.

Monica H said...

Andrew's Mom- YES! Please send it my way. Thank you!

White Toast with Butter said...

Monica - e-mailed it. Check spam folder just in case because the subject was Red Velvet Fusion. ;-)
Jenny

Cathie said...

I make a similar version as cupcakes & they are definitely a hit. Also make buttermilk myself as I never buy any!
loved visiting your blog, fabulous recipes

Deana Sidney said...

I'm getting red velvet on the brain these days... what a great version and lovely photo!

Allison said...

Your blog is a daily treat! Thank you. My husband requested a red velvet cake this weekend for his B-Day. I have never made one. You seem to have quite a few red velvet items on your blog ... if I were to make one would this be the one? I have this cookbook but, wondering if one of your other delicious treats would be better. I want to wow him.

Allison said...

Thank you so much for your advice. I made the red velvet from Southern Cakes. I noticed in your recipes you do not mention what you did with the vanilla. I believe the recipe in the book mixes it with the buttermilk but, not sure if you did that. The cake came out great and thanks for the inspiration. Your pie today look amazing!

Unknown said...

This cake looked like it tasted wonderful!!

I made a red velvet cake this past weekend for a customer and it looked great, just like yours does. Unfortunately for me I didn't get a chance to taste the cake :-(, but the customer LOVED it. I told myself I have to make one for me and my family this weekend, because I really wanted to have some of the one I made last weekend!!

Christelle Roberts said...

This cake came out really well and I recommend it to anyone adventurous to try it.
check out my blog
http://chris1990.tumblr.com/

Judy said...

Red velvet cake has such an interesting history. I particularly love the French buttercream frosting that the Waldorf Astoria Hotel made famous with their red velvet cake, but hardly anyone uses it any more because you have to cook the custard, cool it, then whip in the butter. But it's so so so delicious. Tastes like whipped cream.

Anonymous said...

Hi! Just wanted to know where I am I supposed to add the vanilla extract. Is it with the paste? Thanks! By the way, beautiful cake & sure looks yummy :)

Monica H said...

Hi Anonymous :-)

Sorry about that, I thought it was in there, but I will correct the recipe to reflect that. I added the vanilla to the milk.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you like the cake!

Monica H

Andreea said...

Hi Monica,

This is the first comment I've made on you blog! I have tried many of the recipes on here and they have all turned out so delicious!! Thank you! This cake is my next project, but am going to make it Purple as that goes with the color theme. I hope it turns out half as gorgeous as yours did :)

Andreea

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