Red Velvet Cake

It’s been a really long time since I baked a cake. I don’t even remember the last one I did bake. So, last weekend I thought it was just time for one. And what could be better than a good old Red Velvet Cake? With all that yummy cream cheese and toasted pecans. How can you resist something like that?

Red Velvet cake is actually a chocolate layer with red food coloring added and then frosted with a cream cheese icing. I started wondering about the origins of Red Velvet, a cake well known throughout the South, so I did a little internet searching. Turns out not much is known about its origins, but there is general agreement on its popularity!  I love this quote from Angie Mosier, a food writer from Atlanta, who said “It’s the Dolly Parton of cakes: a little bit tacky but you love her!” Perfect description of the luscious Red Velvet.

If you want to make a Red Velvet Cake for you and your family, then here’s what you need:

½ cup vegetable shortening
1 ½ cups sugar
2 eggs
4 tblsp. unsweetened cocoa
1 oz. red food coloring
½  tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
2 ½ cups flour, sifted
1 tblsp vinegar
1 tsp baking soda

Here’s what you do:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease and flour three 8-inch cake pans and set aside. You could use two 9-inch pans, but I think the 8-inchers make a prettier cake. Whatever floats your boat.

Cream together the shortening and sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Continue beating for 1 minute on medium speed.

Add the cocoa and red food coloring to the creamed mixture.  Folks, let me tell you that red food coloring and KitchenAid mixers have no respect for your kitchen cabinets, countertops, nor your clothing. More shirts have been ruined while making Red Velvet cakes. So, when I get to this step, I turn off the mixer and very gently and easily stir the coloring in by hand. Some people make a paste of the cocoa and food coloring and then add the paste to the creamed mixture. That also helps prevent splashing of the red food coloring. Of course, it helps if you’re not the world’s biggest klutz. I just happen to be.

Add the vanilla to the buttermilk and set aside. And there’s that vanilla again. Just in case you missed my waxing rhapsodic about Albany Drug Company vanilla back in February, feel free to jump over here and read about it. It’s so, so good.

Sift the flour with the salt.

Alternately add the flour and buttermilk to the creamed mixture. Blend the vinegar and baking soda and beat it into the mixture. Sorry I don’t have a picture of the baking soda and vinegar reaction but it happens so fast you don’t even have time to pick up your camera. If you have little ones around your house, call them in when you start to do it. They’ll love it. All that violent fizzing just really excites them.

Divide the batter between the cake pans and bake 20-28 minutes. I know that’s a big time difference, but it depends on your oven, the weather, and lots of other stuff. Just start checking it at about 20 minutes.

Remove from oven and allow to cool in pans for approximately 10 minutes. Turn out layers onto a rack to cool completely.

For the frosting:

½ cup butter
8 oz. cream cheese
½ tsp vanilla flavoring
1 lb. confectioner’s sugar
1 cup chopped, toasted pecans (additional ½ cup to sprinkle on top if desired)

There’s no way to mess this up. You just basically dump it all in the mixer together and crank it up. Beat the butter and cream cheese until light and creamy. Add the vanilla and confectioner’s sugar and beat well. Stir in the pecans.

Prepare your cake plate or pedestal. I like to put some strips of wax paper around the edges to keep the plate clean while I frost the cake. I tend to not be the neatest cake froster. Also, I put a little dollop of frosting on the cake plate to help hold the bottom layer. It keeps it from slipping around on the plate.

Spread frosting between the layers, on top and sides of cake. Sprinkle top with additional toasted pecans. See how clean and neat that cake plate is? I told you.

Enjoy!