Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Red Velvet Cake


Giz wrote most of this post, and made the red part of the cake. Psychgrad organized the post, made the icing and iced the cake. Go teamwork!:

My younger brother (Psychgrad's uncle) who travels back and forth to NYC a fair amount constantly raves about a red velvet cake that he would take a taxi across town for on any given day. To hear this coming from him is shocking actually since he's what one might call obsessively concerned about healthy eating. He generally would never eat sugar and the greatest treat you would ever find in his home would be plain almonds. I mean, there's absolutely nothing wrong with all of that but it just begs the question "how did you ever come to find and even put this so called glory cake past your lips? I just don't get it". I've adopted the smile and nod philosophy and since he's offered me his kingdom for a red velvet cake, I figure an hour or so of my time might just be worth a kingdom.

This red velvet cake comes from Magnolia.



Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp white vinegar
3 large eggs
1 (1-ounce) bottle liquid red food colouring (tasteless variety)
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk

Process:

1. Beat butter at medium speed with stand mixer (paddle attachment) or electric mixer until fluffy.
2. Gradually add sugar, vanilla and vinegar, beating well.
3. Add eggs, 1 at a time beating until blended after each addition.
4. Add food colouring, beating until combined.
5. Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Add to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed until blended after each addition.
6. Pour into 2 greased and floured 9 inch round cakepans.
7. Bake at 350F for 20 - 22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks for 5 minutes; remove from pans and cool on wire racks.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

1 (8 oz) package cream cheese at room temperature
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 (16 oz) package powdered sugar (2 cups)
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (if you want your icing to stay pure white use clear vanilla extract)
1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Beat cream cheese and butter until creamy; gradually add sugar and vanilla, beating well.



Somebody once told me it's dangerous to let children play with electrical machinery. Although Psychgrad had never used a stand mixer before (you've all heard her ungrateful daughter stories about not having room for anything in her small little kitchen), I did encourage her to take the Nike approach and "just do it". I so wish I could have had ALL of you in my kitchen to hear what came out of her mouth and when I walked into the kitchen was greet with...

Psychgrad's note:

I told her that her stand mixer was possessed*.

8. Spread icing between layers and on tops and sides of cake (it helps to have a cake spinner).











* Future attempts to make icing in a stand mixer should commence with a pre-beating of the butter/shortening to keep the devil in my mother's stand mixer appeased. StumbleUpon

31 comments:

Deeba PAB said...

I love the way you do things together...a little bit of this & that! Also love the idea of a red velvet cake, & my daughter has been after me for ages to make one.Maybe I just will one day! Very pretty indeed...great piping!

Dee said...

I have the same recipe but haven't had a reason to bake it yet. But I suppose greed I as good a reason as it gets :) I love how pretty your cake looks!

Elle said...

You guys crack me up! And at least it wasn't cocoa you got everywhere, that's stuff is hard to clean!

The cake looks absolutely amazing! I made a red velvet cake years ago and loved it, but I think it's time to try one again.

Anonymous said...

Very pretty classic cake! DOn't you love having a rotating cake stand?

grace said...

how does one improve chocolate? dye it red! :)

hooray for teamwork and hooray for red velvet cake!

April was in CA now MA said...

That was a very creative picture of the mixer...red and white look excellent together.

I may have to stop reading food blogs. All this screen licking is getting a bit ridiculous. Beautiful cake!

Anonymous said...

LOL!!!! That's my kitchen everytime I make frosting. I LOATHE powdered sugar for the mess it makes. Haha. But otherwise, this looks FANTASTIC! DH has always wanted to have red velvet cake and this looks like the perfect recipe. Starred!

Lot-O-Choc said...

Mm wow this looks delicious. Ive never tried red velvet cake before, whats it like?
Love the way youve decorated it as well.

Deborah said...

I must have gone to Magnolia on a bad day, because I was disappointed with their red velvet cupcakes. But this cake looks amazing! I love red velvet!

That Girl said...

Well I'm just dying to hear what you thought of the recipe!

OhioMom said...

Oh yummy ! I will have a wee slice:)

Valerie Harrison (bellini) said...

I have heard of the elusive Red Velvet Cake, but haven't had the pleasure of trying it yet. You do live 4 hours from me...I am on the Coquihalla now...wink...wink...if I didn't have to work that is:D Great collaberation ladies:D

Anonymous said...

This is my all time favorite cake since I was a little girl.

I love the decorating too!

Ruth Strong said...

I only discovered red velvet cake through people blogging about it. I've never seen it in real life before let alone tasted it!!!!!

You've inspired me to make this now, but I'll earmark it for a special event.

Great work and sorry the stand mixer is possessed!

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the advice on the pecan pie cupcakes! I love your blog! I'm definitely adding this to my blogroll!

RecipeGirl said...

That looks like a must-have cookbook (and a must-have-now-cake!!)

NĂºria said...

He, he, you are such a funny couple!!!
Giz... are you really on a diet? All these cakes you bake are awesome!!! :D

Nic said...

That looks beautiful! We don't have red velvet cake here, I might have to change that.

OhioMom said...

Giz

You Have Been Tagged !

giz said...

Nuria - you're hysterical - I don't eat what I bake - it's either in my freezer or I give it away. My mom got a good will package last night so now I need to bake some more.

Laura Paterson said...

Wow - that cake looks gorgeous! I'd never heard of a red velvet cake before.

ps. my kitchen looks like that anytime I attempt to bake ;)

Lori Lynn said...

The mixer story and photo, I got a kick out of that

Hopie said...

Mmmmm! Looks delicious! I would definitely trust Magnolia. I've stood in long lines to get some of their cupcakes, and they was worth every minute. I didn't even know they had a cookbook.

Anonymous said...

Beautiful cake! I love the part about the possessed mixer.... You only make that mistake once - right!?!?

xoxox Amy

Anonymous said...

Wonderful food blog! I have bookmarked it. There are so many recipes that I want to try.

Red velvet cake is definitely on my list of American food to eat, in addition to poutine, candied yams, pumpkin pie, pecan pie and turducken (chicken stuffed in a duck stuffed in a turkey).

Cakespy said...

I really like Magnolia's red velvet, but your decorating looks even better!!

glamah16 said...

Look at those cake decorating skillz!

test it comm said...

That cake looks good! Nicely decorated. I like the deep red of the cake. I will have to try a red velvet cake.

Rosie said...

I have the same recipe but as yet haven't baked it but looking at this I am so tempted now!! Great work folks :)

Rosie x

eatme_delicious said...

Yum looks like the cake turned out great! I have the other Magnolia recipe book and have liked the recipes so far.

Anonymous said...

I love red velvet cake!! I would willingly drive hours to eat it! I always make red velvet cupcake with raspberries on top for special occasions. I do have to say though, the amount of food coloring in it does creep me out a little.

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