Cake Baking

I always make red velvet cupcakes. Nothing against the cupcake...it's actually quite cute and endearing. I enjoy cupcakes very much. But every once in a while, a girl wants to make a full-blown cake. The whole shebang. Though, as you can see above, I couldn't resist making a few cuties in my ramekins. Now, I didn't go too crazy this time around (we're not talking wedding cake), but it was exciting to make layers and frost 'em all and make it look purdy. So here's to cake!

Oh, did I mention I went all out? Buttermilk and delicious cream cheese frosting included.

Here's what you'll need:

THE CAKE

2 1/2 Cups cake flour (I use Swan variety)
3 Tablespoons unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 Cups White Sugar
8 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, softened
2 Eggs
1 1/4 Cups Buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoons White Vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
2 oz Red Food Coloring

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Line bottom of two 9-inch cake pans (basically just a 9x9 pan) with wax/parchment paper. Butter the paper. Flour the edges of the pans.

3. Combine cake flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl and whisk together.

4. Combine sugar and butter in a large bowl and beat with a mixer until well blended. Add eggs and beat until well blended. Add flour mixture, milk, vinegar, vanilla and food coloring. Beat well.

5. Pour batter into two prepared 9-inch pans and bake at 350 Degrees for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick or knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes in the pan before turning cake out onto cooling racks. If cake is sticking in pan, gently run a sharp knife along the sides of the pan to loosen cake. Carefully remove parchment paper and cool cakes completely before frosting.

THE FROSTING

16oz Cream Cheese
1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter, room temperature
1 3/4 Cups Powdered Sugar (more or less to taste)
1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract

1. Blend cream cheese and butter in your mixer. Add in powdered sugar and vanilla, and beat until well combined.

NOW FROST THAT CAKE!

1. Make sure your cakes are fully cooled before frosting!

2. If your cakes have risen in the center (this tends to happen), level off the cake carefully with a sharp serrated knife.

3. Plop (yes, I said plop) half of your frosting on one cake in large spoonfuls spaced out over the top of the cake. Carefully spread the frosting over the cake using very little pressure. Applying too much pressure may make the cake crumble a bit, and no one wants crumbs messing up a beautiful frosting job!

4. Place second cake on top of frosting, gently pressing down. Plop the rest of the frosting on top of second cake and spread as you did before. Decorate top of cake with red sprinkles if you'd like, I think they add a fun little touch!

Now, you may ask, "Why did you not frost the sides of your cake?" And I would answer you this: Red velvet cake not only tastes delicious, it's frickin' gorgeous! People always ask me what makes it so red, and never believe me when I say it's simply red food coloring enhanced by a bit of cocoa. The people have spoken! They love the red! So show off the red!

But I suppose if you want to frost the side, you can frost the side. Just make a little more frosting. Add in an additional 8oz Cream Cheese, 1/4 Cup Butter, 3/4 Cup Powdered Sugar, and 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract.