Hey!
Things look a little different around here — I’m still ironing out some kinks and organizing the blog. A huge thank-you to Seth from Boy Meets Food for giving the site a fresh look.
You might be thinking, “another red velvet cake recipe?”
Not just any red velvet. This is, hands down, one of the best red velvet cakes I’ve ever tasted — in my opinion, the best — and it’s surprisingly simple.
The recipe comes from a family friend we call “Pretty Patty.” She’s beautiful, kind, and an incredible baker who has inspired my love of baking. She’s made this cake for birthdays, graduations, and big family celebrations. Around here, our graduation parties were even bigger than my wedding — and that wedding was big.
Maybe that sounds a little over-the-top, but we know how to celebrate.
I adore the color of the batter. It feeds my love of glitter and sparkles.
It may make me seem flaky and immature, but pink batter makes me happy — and it stains my hands.
My first three attempts at this cake were disasters. It was funny in hindsight — one day I’ll share those photos. Fortunately, I’ve calmed my drama-queen tendencies.
Now I leave the drama to my husband; he’s perfected it.
For this batch I used two mini cake pans, about 4 inches each. That gave us a cute small cake to enjoy, and helped me fit into my pants the next few days. Small pans are a blessing.
Five layers of pure deliciousness — amazing.
Cream cheese frosting is my favorite. To me, red velvet isn’t complete without it. It’s a staple in my life, which is why I eat it often.
My friend Caitlin (who has never had red velvet) needs to fix that — Caitlin, come over so I can fatten you up.
Red Velvet Cake
3/4 cup shortening
2 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
3 tablespoons cocoa
3 tablespoons red food coloring
3 cups cake flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 1/3 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 tablespoons vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour your cake pan(s).
Cream the shortening and sugar, then add the eggs. Gradually add the cocoa and red food coloring. Sift together the cake flour and salt, then add the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour. Stir in the vanilla and beat for 2 minutes.
Mix the baking soda and vinegar, add to the batter, and stir until combined.
Bake for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cream Cheese Frosting
3 (8 oz) blocks cream cheese, softened
1 stick butter, softened
1/2 tablespoon vanilla
About 16 oz powdered sugar (one bag), adjust to taste
Beat the butter and cream cheese together until smooth. Add the vanilla, then gradually mix in the powdered sugar until the frosting reaches your desired consistency and sweetness.
The cake turns out moist with a light, delicate flavor. Some say red velvet is just a variation of chocolate cake, but the texture and cream cheese frosting make it special. I suppose I still carry a little diva in me — and that’s fine by me.