Everyone has some version of a red velvet cake recipe. The one I will always use, is my Grandmother's. She make it every Christmas, of course, because it's a gorgeous dark red color and the cream cheese frosting is tinted green. It actually tastes fabulous. I made it for my Daughters first birthday. Tip-when a 1 year old eats red velvet cake all over her, it tends to look like she has measles...very cute.
Ingredients:
Cake-
1/2 cup butter
1 & 1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 tbl cocoa
2 ounces red food color
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk
2 & 1/4 cup flour
1 & 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tbl vinegar
Frosting-
3/4 pound cream cheese softened
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
3 cups confectioners sugar
1 tsp vanilla
green food coloring (optional)
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease & flour the bottom of a 13 x 9 pan or 2 9" round pans.
2. Cream together the butter, granulated sugar, and eggs.
3. In small bowl, make a paste of the cocoa and the red food coloring, then add to creamed mixture.
4. In another bowl, mix the vanilla, salt, and buttermilk together.
5. Add the buttermilk mixture, alternating with the flour, to the other mixture, mixing well.
6. Add the baking soda and vinegar...do not beat, FOLD into mixture.
7. Pour into prepared pan and bake 30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.
8. Prepare frosting...in large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth,
9. On low speed, gradually beat in confectioner's sugar and vanilla. Increase speed to med-hi, beat until smooth and fluffy (about 2 minutes). If using food coloring, add desired amount to achieve desired color at this point.
10. If using 2 round pans, use about 1 cup of the frosting between the layers, and then use the rest to use for the top and sides.
