My Favorite Red Velvet Cake

I purchased a cookbook back in the early 1970s from one of my co-workers and in it was a recipe for a Red Velvet Cake.  I baked one and it quickly became one of the favorite cakes in our household for Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.

I purchased a new cookbook at BJ's yesterday and in it was another version of Red Velvet Cake.  Although the recipe below is my current favorite, I plan to check out the recipe in my new cookbook.  I've seen plenty of Red Velvet cake recipes but they normally call for shortening or vegetable oil.  The thing I love about my current recipe is that it calls for the use of butter, as does the recipe in my new cookbook.  There are a few differences between the two recipes, more or less of some ingredients.  I plan to bake one of each during the upcoming holiday season to determine if there are visual and taste differences.

My Favorite Red Velvet Cake (Currently)

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 2 heaping tbsps cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 oz red food color
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 Tbsp white vinegar

1. Preheat oven to 350 F
2. Grease cake pans & line with parchment paper.  Flour pans.
3. Cream butter, sugar, and vanilla together.  Add eggs, one at a time.
4. Make a thin paste of cocoa powder and red food color.  Add to creamed mixture.
5. Sift flour and salt together and add alternately with buttermilk, 1 tablespoon at a time, beginning and ending with flour.
6. Mix baking soda and vinegar together and blend into batter.
7. Bake at 350F 20-30 minutes (depending on oven temperature)
8. Frost with Cream Cheese Frosting.

Here's the recipe for the Red Velvet Cake in my new cookbook.  

Red Velvet Cake Inspired by California Pizza Kitchen

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
• 1 bottle (1 ounce) red food coloring
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon white or cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1. Preheat oven to 350F.  Spray three 9-inch round  cake pans with nonstick cooking spray.  Line bottoms of pans with parchment paper; spray with cooking spray.
2. For cake, combine flour, cocoa, and salt in medium bowl, mix well.  Combine buttermilk, food coloring and 1 teaspoon vanilla in small bowl; mix well.
3. Beat granulated sugar and 1 cup butter in large bowl with electric mixer at medium speed 5 minutes or until light and fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating until well blended after each edition.  Add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk mixture, beating at low speed after each addition.  Stir vinegar into baking sodden small bowl.  Add to batter; stir gently until blended.  Pour batter into prepared pans.
4. Bake about 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted into centers comes out clean.  Cool in pans 10 minutes.  Invert onto wire racks; peel off parchment and cool completely.

Frosting

• 2 packages (8 ounces each) team cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
• 6 cups powdered sugar
• 14 cup milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 4 ounces white chocolate, shaved with vegetable peeler

1. For frosting, beat cream cheese and 1/2 cup butter in large bowl with electric mixer at medium speed until creamy.  Add powdered sugar, milk, and 2 teaspoons vanilla; beat at low speed until blended.  Beat at medium speed until smooth.
2. Place o ne cake layer on serving plate.  Top with 1 1/2 cups frosting; speed evenly.  Top with second cake layer; spread with 1 1/2 cups frosting.  Top with remaining cake layer; spread remaining frosting over top and side of cake.  Press white chocolate shavings into side of cake.