Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

This was my first attempt at making red velvet cupcakes, and both my DB and I loved it!
We invited our friends Kristie and Eddie over to celebrate their engagement, and Kristie’s favorite cake is red velvet. This was highly rated amongst many bloggers and I was put to ease at how easy it was to make it. The flavor had a slight tanginess and we both loved the end results. A traditional red velvet cake is a combination that isn’t too chocolatey, very moist, and not-too-sweet frosting. Not ever having tried red velvet cake to compare it to, but we loved it regardless.

I topped each cupcake with a heart-shaped cookie for a special touch.

Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting


For the cake

• 2-1/2 cups cake flour
• 1-1/2 cups sugar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 Tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 eggs
• 1-1/2 cups vegetable oil
• 1 cup buttermilk (or make your own homemade version here)
• 2 Tbsp (1 oz) red food coloring
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp white distilled vinegar

For the frosting**

• 12 oz (1-1/2 blocks) cream cheese, softened
• 12 oz (3 sticks) butter, softened
• 1 1/2 tsp clear vanilla extract
• 3 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1-1/2 cups chopped pecans (optional)

Directions:
For the cake

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Sift together flour, sugar, baking soda, cocoa, and salt into a medium bowl.
3. Beat eggs, oil, buttermilk, food coloring, vanilla, and vinegar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until well combined.
4. Add dry ingredients and beat until smooth, about 2 minutes.
5. Divide batter evenly between 3 greased and floured 8" round cake pans.
6. Bake cakes, rotating halfway through, until a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean, 25–30 minutes. (If baking cupcakes, bake for 20-22 minutes.)
7. Let cakes cool 5 minutes, then invert each onto a plate, then invert again onto a cooling rack. Let cakes cool completely.

For the frosting

1. Beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla together in a large bowl with an electric mixer until combined.
2. Add sugar and beat until frosting is light and fluffy, 5–7 minutes.
3. Put 1 cake layer on a cake plate, level off with a serrated knife, and spread one-quarter of the frosting on top.
4. Set another layer on top, level, and repeat frosting.
5. Set remaining layer on top, level, and frost top and sides with the remaining frosting.
6. Press pecans into the sides of the cake, if desired. **Tip: after leveling cake, turn it upside down to reduce numbers of crumbs. I also did a crumb coat on the outside, let it set for ten minutes, then finished with remaining frosting.
7. Chill for 2 hours to set frosting.

** Halve the batch of cream cheese frosting if you’re planning to use it for cupcakes.

Source: Originally from Saveur, Adapted from Cake Man Raven Confectionery, As seen on Apple A Day