By Emily
I have made a few red velvet cake recipes and so far this is the best I've found. My only complaint would be that the color was not a deep red like I anticipated. But the flavor is great, and it was SO moist, which I think is much more important than the color. Next time I will try adding an additional pack of red food dye to see if that's the missing link. I made it for my son's 1st birthday and it was a hit - AND a huge mess to clean up. He had an icing mohawk for the rest of the party and red velvet cake somehow made it's way into his diaper. All signs of a good 1st birthday... and a good cake!
What you'll need:
2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp fine salt
1 tsp cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil (plus more to grease cake pans, if using)
1 cup buttermilk, at room temp
2 large eggs, at room temp
2 Tbls red food coloring
1 tsp white distilled vinegar
1 tsp vanilla extract
Crushed pecans for garnish (optional)
1 pound cream cheese, softened
4 cups sifted confectioners sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
Directions for the cake/cupcakes:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil and flour 3 cake pans, or cupcake tin, whichever you are using.
In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. In another large bowl, whisk together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla.
Using a standing mixer, mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined and a smooth batter is formed.
Divide the cake batter evenly among the prepared cake pans. Place the pans in the oven evenly spaced apart. Bake, rotating the pans halfway through the cooking, until the cake pulls away from the side of the pans, and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean, about 30 minutes.
Remove the cakes from the oven and run a knife around the edges to loosen them from the sides of the pans. One at a time, invert the cakes onto a plate and then re-invert them onto a cooling rack, rounded-sides up. Let cool completely.
Directions for the frosting:
In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or with a hand-held electric mixer in a large bowl, mix the cream cheese, sugar, and butter on low speed until incorporated. Increase the speed to high, and mix until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. (Occasionally turn the mixer off, and scrape the down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.)Reduce the speed of the mixer to low. Add the vanilla, raise the speed to high and mix briefly until fluffy (scrape down the bowl occasionally). Store in the refrigerator until somewhat stiff, before using. Frost the cake or cupcakes. Sprinkle the top with the pecans, if using.
2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp fine salt
1 tsp cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil (plus more to grease cake pans, if using)
1 cup buttermilk, at room temp
2 large eggs, at room temp
2 Tbls red food coloring
1 tsp white distilled vinegar
1 tsp vanilla extract
Crushed pecans for garnish (optional)
1 pound cream cheese, softened
4 cups sifted confectioners sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
Directions for the cake/cupcakes:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil and flour 3 cake pans, or cupcake tin, whichever you are using.
In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. In another large bowl, whisk together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla.
Using a standing mixer, mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined and a smooth batter is formed.
Divide the cake batter evenly among the prepared cake pans. Place the pans in the oven evenly spaced apart. Bake, rotating the pans halfway through the cooking, until the cake pulls away from the side of the pans, and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean, about 30 minutes.
Remove the cakes from the oven and run a knife around the edges to loosen them from the sides of the pans. One at a time, invert the cakes onto a plate and then re-invert them onto a cooling rack, rounded-sides up. Let cool completely.
Directions for the frosting:
In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or with a hand-held electric mixer in a large bowl, mix the cream cheese, sugar, and butter on low speed until incorporated. Increase the speed to high, and mix until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. (Occasionally turn the mixer off, and scrape the down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.)Reduce the speed of the mixer to low. Add the vanilla, raise the speed to high and mix briefly until fluffy (scrape down the bowl occasionally). Store in the refrigerator until somewhat stiff, before using. Frost the cake or cupcakes. Sprinkle the top with the pecans, if using.
