[CottonBall]

I think a red velvet cake is basically a milk chocolate cake with lots of red dye in it. You could use a cake mix, for me those usually turn out better than my own. And just a simple cream cheese frosting. One stick of butter, one box of cream cheese, and I can’t remember the amount of powdered sugar....

[Jemian]

No! No, it is not. I’m hunting up a recipe now. But, it is a special type of chocolate using baker’s chocolate in the powdered form, sour cream, and a bottle of liquid red food coloring. It is the baker’s chocolate and sour cream which gives it a special flavor.

And don’t forget, a cream cheese frosting is a must.

[Jemian]

This recipe uses buttermilk instead of the sour cream I said earlier. Buttermilk is better.

Ingredients

Cake Layers

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 tsp. baking soda

• 1/2 tsp. baking powder

• 2 1/2 Tbsp. cocoa powder

• 1/2 tsp. salt

• 1 1/4 cups buttermilk, at room temperature

• 1 Tbsp. white vinegar

• 1/2 cup butter, softened

• 1 1/2 cups sugar

• 2 large eggs, at room temperature

• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

• 1 Tbsp. red food coloring

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 2 (8-oz.) pkgs. cream cheese, softened

• 1/2 cup butter, softened

• 10 cups powdered sugar

• 2 Tbsp. milk

• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease two 9-inch round baking pans and place a round piece of parchment paper cut to size in the bottom of each pan.

2. Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cocoa powder, and salt in a large bowl. Sift, and set aside. In a small bowl, combine the buttermilk and vinegar. Set aside.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in the eggs one at a time. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Mix in the vanilla extract and food coloring.

4. Beating on low, add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, alternating with the buttermilk. Begin and end with the flour mixture. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed.

5. Divide the batter between the two prepared cake pans. Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 22 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool the cakes in the pan for 15 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely, about 1 hour.

6. Make the Cream Cheese Frosting (instructions below).

7. To assemble, place one cake layer on a cake stand. Spread cream cheese frosting on top. Top with the second cake layer, and frost the outer layer of the cake with a crumb coating. Place the cake in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes. Finish frosting the cake with an offset spatula with the remaining cream cheese frosting until covered. Serve immediately, or put back in the fridge until ready to serve.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1. Beat the softened cream cheese and butter together with a hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer until creamy. With mixer on low, mix in half of the powdered sugar. Add the milk and vanilla extract, and then gradually mix in the remaining powdered sugar. Beat on low until smooth.

[JudyinCanada]

4 cups of powdered sugar, 1 stick of butter, 1 pkg. cream cheese....and Audrey throws in a good splash of vanilla. She made a delicious cream cheese icing for the carrot cake we sent up north last month.

I had never heard of Red Velvet cake until a couple of years ago. I’ve never made one. Now that I know they get slathered with cream cheese icing, I just may try one!

[Rusty0604]

Thanks. I was thinking it was red dye.