DenaJones: Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

I used to think that Red Velvet cake is just chocolate cake with red food coloring... I was completely WRONG!

Red Velvet Cake is very special buttermilk cake with southern roots and I have found this recipe to be one of my personal favorites. You can use this recipe to make a basic sheet cake, a three layer tiered cake, cupcakes or as the base for cake pops. The recipe will make either 3, 9-inch cakes for layering or approximately 24 cupcakes or 60-80 cake pops depending on the size of the pops you make.

INGREDIENTS:

FOR THE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:
Three 8-ounce packages of cream cheese softened to room temperature
5 cups confectioners sugar
1 1/2 cups UNSALTED butter, softened to room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

FOR CAKE:
2 Tablespoons UNSWEETENED cocoa powder
5 cups cake flour - make sure this is not self-rising cake flour
2 teaspoons KOSHER salt
3 cups sugar
3 cups canola oil
4 large eggs
4 Tablespoons red food coloring or one 2-ounce bottle - use food coloring to your color preference
5 teaspoons distilled white vinegar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups SHAKEN buttermilk
1 Tablespoon baking soda

How to Make your RED VELVET CAKE:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Determine what types of pans you want to use and spray all pans with non-stick spray to prep pans. I personally think they turn out better if you spread Crisco in all pans and dust cocoa powder, taping out the excess cocoa
3. In one bowl, whisk together: salt, cocoa and flour.
4. In a separate bowl: mix sugar and oil at a medium speed with an electric mixer with a paddle attachment until it is all combined and smooth. Add eggs, one at a time and well mix after adding each one. Mix in the vanilla and the food coloring to your own personal color preference.
5. Add the flour mixture from #3 in 3 separate batches, alternative adding buttermilk between each addition of the flour mixture and mix/beat well after each addition scraping down the side of the bowl as needed.
6. Stir together baking soda and vinegar in a separate small NONREACTIVE bowl. Add the baking soda mixture to the batter, mix at medium speed for 10-30 seconds.
7. Divide the batter equally among the pans you decided to use. Tap the pans after cake batter is added to remove bubbles.
8. Bake Cake until tester, such as toothpick, inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. Typically the baking process is 32-40 minutes.
9. Cool pans on a rack for at least 5 minutes before transferring anywhere. I personally like to cool cakes completely before frosting and sometimes if I have the time I will cover with tin foil and refrigerate for about 24 hours before frosting.
10. To make the frosting - in a standing mixture with the same paddle attachment or handheld electric mixer in a large bowl, mix the cream cheese and butter at a low speed until it is mixed. Add the sugar and vanilla, increase speed to high and mix until frosting is light and fluffy. I like mixing for about 6-8 minutes. Place frosting in the refrigerator prior to frosting cake or cupcakes for at least 15 minutes and up to 24 hours. It is important not to freeze this frosting prior to putting onto the cakes because the texture will change.
11. Add frosting and decorate - let your creative juices flow here and I am sure this will be a hit to your family as much as it has been to mine.