Friday, December 3, 2010

And The Winner Is…


Of all the cakes I make, the red velvet seems to be the clear winner of the Most Requested Cake award. I’m not quite sure why because there are so many more interesting cakes out there to try. What I remember about red velvet cakes as a kid was that it was not very moist and that it had a very distinct chocolate flavor that I found quite unappealing. But this cake is amazingly good, moist, and the cocoa is barely noticeable at all. Maybe that is why people keep asking for it.

One thing I think is essential when I bake layer cakes is parchment paper. I am sort of anal so I always spend way more time than necessary cutting out my parchment paper in circles for my layer pans so everything is just so. Ssssh…don’t judge me. I have looked in all of the stores for round parchment paper but have never been able to find it. Something told me to check online today and there they were on Amazon. So I will absolutely have to bake another layer cake once they get here so I can give them a whirl. It’s the little things folks. (Parchment Rounds, $6.49 at Amazon.com)

Red Velvet Cake

2 ½ c AP flour
1 tsp cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
1 ½ c granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 ½ c canola oil
1 1-oz bottle red food coloring
1 tsp vinegar
1 tsp vanilla
1 c buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350. Line 4 round layer cake pans with parchment paper.

Sift flour, cocoa, and baking soda together. Beat sugar and eggs together in a large bowl until mixture becomes a pale yellow color, approximately 3-5 minutes.

In separate bowl combine oil, food coloring, vinegar and vanilla extract. Fold this mixture in with the egg mixture. Add the flour mixture and the buttermilk to the wet mixture, starting and ending with the flour. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake for 25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

2 8-oz. pkg of Philadelphia cream cheese
2 sticks margarine
1 box confectioner’s sugar
½ tsp vanilla

1 c chopped walnuts, lightly toasted (optional)

Allow butter and cream cheese to get to room temperature. Cream butter and cream cheese together. Increase speed of mixture to high and beat for 3 minutes. Reduce speed and incorporate confectioner’s sugar slowly. Add vanilla. Increase speed to high and beat for about 3 more minutes.

Once cake cools, frost layers. Add toasted nuts to cake top for garnish.


All photographs are actual pictures of the recipe listed, baked by Virtually Everything Sweet, and cannot be used without the owner’s consent.

7 comments:

  1. I may have to try this because I absolutely love red velvet anything, especially cupcakes! I have a question though. My mom bakes a lot and never uses parchment paper, she does spray her pans with Baker's secret. What's the difference? Thanks!

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  2. Hi Annette! Baker's secret works fine. But parchment paper and cupcake liners eliminate the sticking and are easier in terms of less clean-up. So it just makes life a little easier. Let me know how the cake turns out if you try it.

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  3. I too am anal about parchment paper! have you every tried unbleached,chlorine free parchment paper? You can get it at Earthfare or Bloom. It's thinner and easier to cut. Let me know how it goes with those rounds!

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  4. Yolanda, I have not tried that yet. Will get some the next time I head to Bloom and let you know my thoughts.

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  5. Patrice, you are so creative, I remember when I came over your house for my wedding invitations how anal you were about your recipes all layed out in a book that were placed in the platic covers...LOL. I had no idea that you were that much into it. It's great and I love red velvet cake, I try to stay away from it though because I don't know how to just eat a small piece. I only eat it during the holidays. I tried to bake one before but I'm not much of a baker and my cake did not rise...LOL. It was too funny. I have to remember you when I need some desserts.

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  6. OMG Angie, you took me way back with that one! I did have those sheet covers, didn't I? Lol. Well not much has changed in terms of me being anal. Thank goodness for server space cause I'd be out of storage by now! I am definitely passionate about cooking and baking...brings me so much pleasure. Please do remember to call on me when you want some of that red velvet. Happy Holidays!

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