Red Velvet Squares with Cream Cheese Filling

By carvalhohm2

Red Velvet Squares with Cream Cheese Filling is the perfect holiday treat! Your guests will surely be impressed. Serve with whipped cream and or ice cream.

Ingredients

• 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 1/2 cups sifted cake flour
• 2 teaspoons Dutch-process cocoa powder*
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 ounces red food coloring
• 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon orange extract
• If you don't have or can't find Dutch-process cocoa powder, unsweetened cocoa powder can be substituted in its place, along with an additional 1/8 teaspoon baking soda.
• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg

Details

Servings 15
Preparation time 20mins
Cooking time 70mins
Adapted from whoneedsacape.com

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350ºF and grease and flour an 11"x9" pan. Cut butter into one-inch-thick pieces. Using a mixer at high speed, beat butter and sugar in a bowl until creamy. Reduce speed and add eggs one by one, blending mixture after each egg is added. Add buttermilk, blending again on the reduced speed, and set mixture aside.

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add food coloring and vinegar to milk mixture. In a separate large bowl, pour in both mixtures, alternating between the flour and milk mixture, and ending with flour to prevent lumps. Stir in vanilla and orange extracts and set aside.

After your cream cheese mixture is prepared (recipe below), pour 1/2 of the cake batter into your pan. Scoop large spoonfuls of cream cheese mixture over red velvet batter in pan. Spread evenly with a knife before pouring reserved batter over cream cheese layer. Use the knife to swirl gently.

Bake about 50 minutes. Cut into squares once completely cooled and dust with powdered sugar, if desired.