V is for Valentine & Red Velvet Cake
It is February and that only means one thing; Spring is less than 6 weeks away. Every February 14th we celebrate a Holiday flooded with candy, cupcakes and chocolate sales. That's right, it's Valentine's Day.
Although we may not all celebrate this holiday, I thought it would only be right to get some sweet and tasty treats out of it. I will be posting new and delicious recipes until Valentine's Day! So get to bakin' and don't forget to do plenty of tasting along the way.
This year, and every year for friends and family that share their birthdays with me, I make a special birthday cake designed for each special birthday request. This year, my step-daughter requested none other than a fluffy red velvet cake with a simple vanilla butter cream frosting. Another great flavor for this cake is cream cheese, but they both taste great when your cake is moist and delicious.
It just so happens that I make red velvet cake, cupcakes and many other great assortments near Valentines Day, so I'm excited to share the success of this cake as my first Valentine's Day recipe. The more coloring you use, the better the cake will look, but feel free to use your own creative and natural "food coloring" as well. In this recipe, I use 1 entire bottle of red food coloring, but it is a lot healthier to bake without the coloring's and dyes in food. If you can help it, find ways to naturally color you cakes and bakes like using beet juice. (Just remember to add a splash of lemon juice to the cake batter, so the beets don't react to the baking powder in this recipe- to alter and/or lose the color).
This recipe is inspired by none other than my baking friend, Betty, but you can spruce it how however you please. I have adjusted the levels of cocoa powder in this recipe to tone the chocolate down a notch, but please feel free to add more or less to your chocolate craving desires. The key to a beautiful and perfectly round cake starts in the batter. Make sure you have blended all the clumps out of your batter, but be careful not to over beat your cake. If you are using round cake pans, make sure your batter has settled and your oven rack is even before baking. When cakes have completely cooled, place each upside down on your cake plate or frosting station. First frost the bottom layer and be sure to store in a cool refrigerator before and after frosting each to reduce slipping or moving of the cake layers. The softer the frosting the easier it is for your cake layers to move around so add a scoop more of powdered sugar if your frosting seems too runny.
When your first layer has been frosted and removed from cooling, place your second layer of cake upside down and over top of frosting. You will now have a flat surface to frost. Though you may also cut the uneven and round top off of your cake, you will lose some of your height, so I prefer the "upside down" method instead. However, your cakes are now upside down, so you will notice gaps that you must fill with extra frosting to keep your cake in perfect shape. Using a piping bag, squeeze frosting into each layer or gap until even. Smooth entire cake and place into the refrigerator before cutting.
This year, and every year for friends and family that share their birthdays with me, I make a special birthday cake designed for each special birthday request. This year, my step-daughter requested none other than a fluffy red velvet cake with a simple vanilla butter cream frosting. Another great flavor for this cake is cream cheese, but they both taste great when your cake is moist and delicious.
It just so happens that I make red velvet cake, cupcakes and many other great assortments near Valentines Day, so I'm excited to share the success of this cake as my first Valentine's Day recipe. The more coloring you use, the better the cake will look, but feel free to use your own creative and natural "food coloring" as well. In this recipe, I use 1 entire bottle of red food coloring, but it is a lot healthier to bake without the coloring's and dyes in food. If you can help it, find ways to naturally color you cakes and bakes like using beet juice. (Just remember to add a splash of lemon juice to the cake batter, so the beets don't react to the baking powder in this recipe- to alter and/or lose the color). This recipe is inspired by none other than my baking friend, Betty, but you can spruce it how however you please. I have adjusted the levels of cocoa powder in this recipe to tone the chocolate down a notch, but please feel free to add more or less to your chocolate craving desires. The key to a beautiful and perfectly round cake starts in the batter. Make sure you have blended all the clumps out of your batter, but be careful not to over beat your cake. If you are using round cake pans, make sure your batter has settled and your oven rack is even before baking. When cakes have completely cooled, place each upside down on your cake plate or frosting station. First frost the bottom layer and be sure to store in a cool refrigerator before and after frosting each to reduce slipping or moving of the cake layers. The softer the frosting the easier it is for your cake layers to move around so add a scoop more of powdered sugar if your frosting seems too runny.When your first layer has been frosted and removed from cooling, place your second layer of cake upside down and over top of frosting. You will now have a flat surface to frost. Though you may also cut the uneven and round top off of your cake, you will lose some of your height, so I prefer the "upside down" method instead. However, your cakes are now upside down, so you will notice gaps that you must fill with extra frosting to keep your cake in perfect shape. Using a piping bag, squeeze frosting into each layer or gap until even. Smooth entire cake and place into the refrigerator before cutting.
Red Velvet Cake 2 1/4 Cups All-Purpose Flour
1/4 Cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Cup Margarine
1 1/2 Cups Granulated Sugar
2 Large Eggs, Room Temperature
1 Bottle Red Food Coloring
2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
1 Cup Milk
2 Tablespoons White Vinegar
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
Cooking Spray
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl add flour, unsweetened cocoa powder and salt. Stir until mixed and set aside. In a separate mixing bowl or stand mixer add margarine, sugar and two eggs. Blend on a medium speed until well mixed, scraping sides to stir completely. Add food coloring and stir, slowly, until completely colored. Add vanilla and stir. Add dry ingredients to batter and blend on a low speed until completely mixed. In a large cup or small mixing bowl add milk and 1 tablespoon vinegar. Stir and let sit for one minute. Pour milk mixture into batter and blend until all ingredients are completely combined. Heavily spray and flour 2, 9 inch round cake pans. Pour equal portions of batter into each cake pan and place both, side-by-side into preheated oven. Bake for 30 minutes, or until fully cooked. A tooth pick inserted into the center should remove clean. Remove cakes from heat and place each onto a cooling rack until completely cool and room temperature. (Makes 1 two-layer, 9-inch round cake, about 12 servings)
Vanilla Butter Cream Frosting
5 Cups Powdered Sugar
2/3 Cup Cold Butter
3 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
In a medium-sized mixing bowl add powdered sugar and butter. Using a stand mixer or electric beaters, blend on a medium speed until well mixed and lumpy. Add vanilla extract and mix until fluffy and completely blended.
To frost, place one completely cooled cake layer face-down on cake plate or frosting station. Spread with cool frosting until completely covered. Add second layer, face-down over top frosted cake. Frost, filling all gaps with frosting until smooth and completely frosted. Place in a cool refrigerator until ready to serve.
(Frosts an entire 9-inch, double-layer cake)
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Blog, & Photos Copyright ©Amorie Keys, 2015 . Red Velvet Cake Recipe by ©Betty Crocker, re-written by ©Amorie Keys. (©Honey, I'm Home, & ©Leftover Legacies, ©Humbly Homemade, ©Broke Momma Cooks). All Photos and recipes are subject to copyright. Follow Honey, I'm Home on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram & Twitter.
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