Red Velvet Cake

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For some reason, I was never a fan of red velvet cake. I didn’t really understand why people raved about it so much. I think it’s because I didn’t see why you would add a ton of red food coloring to an otherwise ordinary cake.

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This recipe made me realize. Most recipes for red velvet cake that I found only had two tablespoons of cocoa powder. This one uses a half cup, making the chocolate taste much stronger in the final product. The cake is moist and has a nice crumb. It is a really excellent cake.

While the cream cheese frosting was good, I was not impressed by it. When I make this cake again, I will use the cream cheese frosting from my carrot cake recipe.

Of course, you also have to make sure you carry it flat, or else the cake will fall apart…

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RED VELVET CAKE
Based on this recipe.

INGREDIENTS

Cake:
3 cups (384 g) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (46 g) dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
2 1/4 cups (453 g, 1 lb. box) box light brown sugar
3 tbsp. (~1.5 oz.) red food coloring
2 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 3/4 cups buttermilk, room temperature

Frosting:
20 oz. Philadelphia Original Cream Cheese, softened at room temperature
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
2 tsp. vanilla extract
7 1/4 cups (907 g, 2 lb. bag) powdered sugar

DIRECTIONS:

  1. For the cake: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour two 9″ cake pans. Line with parchment paper, then butter and flour the parchment paper.
  2. In a large bowl, sift flour with cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  3. On medium-high speed using an electric mixer, cream the butter with the brown sugar.
  4. Reduce mixer to low speed and add the red food coloring and vanilla until combined. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until aerated and pale (about two minutes).
  5. Reduce the speed to medium and add the eggs, one-at-a-time, beating thoroughly between each addition and using a spatula to scrape the bowl as necessary.
  6. Reduce the speed to low and add one-third of the dry ingredients, followed by half of the buttermilk. Repeat, finishing with the final third of the dry ingredients.
  7. Scrape sides of bowl with spatula and divide the batter between the cake pans.
  8. Bake for approximately 40 minutes or until tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cake pans cool for about 10 minutes, then invert the cakes onto a cooling rack until completely cooled.
  9. For the frosting: Beat the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla together with an electric mixer on low speed to combine. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until aerated and light (about two minutes).
  10. Stop the mixer and add a few cups of the powdered sugar, incorporating it on low speed until combined. Repeat with remaining sugar in two additions.
  11. Once all powdered sugar is added, increase speed to medium-high and beat until fluffy (about one minute).
  12. Assemble and frost the cakes as desired.

One thought on “Red Velvet Cake”

  1. Pingback: Red Velvet Cheesecake Cake | The Viscious Cycle

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