Saturday, March 6, 2010

Red Velvet Cake

RED VELVET CAKE

RECIPCE COMPLIMENTS OF BEKERELLA

INSPIRATION COMPLIMENTS OF MY SISTER IN LAW, NICOLE



Have you ever checked out Bakerellas website? I discovered her probably close to two years ago now, and have been ooooohhhhing and aaaahhhing over everything she creates ever since! One of her more recent posts was on red velvet cake. Something I have heard of, but had never tasted or attempted to make myself. Well, one day about two weeks ago, my sister in law, Nicole called me and told me that SHE had made a red velvet cake and I had to come try it, so I did. I mean, really, who am I to turn down sweets....let alone FREE SWEETS prepared by one of our cities best pastry chefs! Yes, I am "lucky" enough to have not only a sister in law who is a pastry chef, but my brother in law (her husband) is a chef as well. I say "lucky" because I think the real luck is that I haven't gained my weight in the delicious foods they've prepared over the past few years!!! Anyway, back to the cake. So, I tried hers, I liked it, and she inspired me to make my very own cake. It was not complicated, but it wasn't easy either. And by easy I mean, opening a box, adding eggs, oil, and water and mixing. Oh no. This baby was made from scratch....ALL THE WAY. Below you will find the recipe, compliments of Bakerella. Enjoy the cake (I stored mine in the fridge and served it with COLD milk!), and Bakerellas website, http://www.bakerella.com/

Red Velvet Cake

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 Tablespoon cocoa
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups oil1 cup buttermilk
1 Tablespoon vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 oz. red food coloring

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease and flour two 8 inch cake pans.
Lightly stir eggs in a medium bowl with a wire whisk. Add remaining liquid ingredients and stir together with whisk until blended. Set aside.
Place all the dry ingredients in your mixing bowl and stir together really good with another wire whisk.
Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix on medium-high for about a minute or until completely combined.
Pour into cake pans and then drop the pans on the counter a few times to release any air bubbles.
Bake for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
After about ten minutes, remove from pans and cool completely on a wire rack. I also cover in plastic wrap while the cakes cool.
Then make the frosting.


Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
6 cups confectioners’ sugar

Sift sugar and set aside.
Beat cream cheese and butter on high until creamy. Add vanilla.
Then, add the sugar in batches. Scrape down the sides in between each addition.
And frost away.