Baking Project #9: Red Velvet Cake

Red Velvet Cake. I am fascinated with the red velvet cake. The red cake is such a huge contrast to the white frosting. And the cream cheese frosting itself, can stand on its own. I swear, I can eat all of it little by little. But as fascinated as I am with the red velvet cake, I am actually afraid to make it AGAIN. I’d made it once and the top of the cake looked like a volcano crater. It just wouldn’t bake through. I even returned it in the oven and baked it twice the baking time but the result was the same. The side was already burnt but the top didn’t change much.  It was such a huge failure and made me think that it’s a very technical cake. And since I never went to a baking school, I thought I will just always fail.

Three years later, I was searching for a cake recipe that I could try. And thanks to Pinterest (again!) I found the one that I just knew would turn into a successful and delicious velvety cake. And I was right. The color, the texture and the taste it wasn’t just good, it was great. If you’re into red velvet cakes, you may try this recipe.

RECIPE__________________________________________________________________________

Red Velvet Cake

Ingredients:

For the cake

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 Tablespoon cocoa
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups oil
1 cup buttermilk
1 Tablespoon vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 oz. red food coloring

  

For the cream cheese frosting

8 oz cream cheese
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 cups powdered sugar

Instructions:

For the cake

1.       Preheat oven to 175 ^oCelsius.

2.       Grease and flour two 8 inch cake pans.

3.       Lightly stir eggs in a medium bowl with a wire whisk. Add remaining liquid ingredients and whisk until blended. Set aside.

4.       In the bowl of your mixer sift together all dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix on medium-high for about a minute or until completely combined.

5.       Pour into cake pans and then drop the pans on the counter a few times to release any air bubbles.

6.       Bake for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

7.       After about ten minutes, remove from pans and cool completely on a wire rack.

For the cream cheese frosting

Beat butter until fluffy. Add the cream cheese and mix until blended. Little by little and at low speed, add in powdered sugar. Beat in vanilla. 

Recipe for the red velvet cake was adapted from: Bakerella