Red Velvet Cake, Taste of the South

By MarieR

From Taste of the South, Spring 05.
Recipe development by Atwood's Bakery
(Taste of the South, Jan-Feb 2011 Issue-claims this is still the best Red Velvet Cake RECIPE.)

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1 teaspoon butter flavoring
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon red paste food coloring (We used Wilton’s®.)
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
• 2 1/2 cups sifted cake flour
• 1 recipe Atwood’s Bakery’s Cream-Cheese Frosting

Details

Servings 10
Preparation time 45mins
Cooking time 80mins

Preparation

Step 1

Yield: 1 (8- or 9-inch) 3-layer cake
Preparation: 45 minutes; Bake: 35 minutes; Cool: 1 hour

1.Preheat oven to 350º. Grease and flour three 8-inch or 9-inch round cake pans; set aside.
2.In a large bowl, cream together shortening and butter flavoring with an electric mixer at medium speed until smooth. Gradually add sugar and beat until mixture is light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
3.In a small bowl, combine red food coloring and cocoa powder to make a paste. Add to sugar mixture.
4.In another bowl, combine buttermilk, salt, baking soda, and vinegar. Add to sugar mixture, beating until just combined.
5.Slowly add flour to sugar mixture, beating until just combined.
6.Ladle batter into prepared pans, dividing equally. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. Let cake layers cool for 10 minutes in pans. Invert onto cooling racks and let cool completely. (If the cake layers have a dome, trim them with a serrated knife so that layers are flat, reserving the trimmed cake crumbs for garnish.)
7.Frost cake layers with Atwood’s Bakery’s Cream-Cheese Frosting.
8.If desired, toast reserved cake crumbs in the oven. Process toasted crumbs in a food processor until fine. Garnish top of cake with toasted crumbs.