Red Velvet Cake

By criscrossqz

Bobby Flay's cake was a loser to this recipe on Showdown! I've made it several times and it's really good! ... Red Velvet Cake was invented during WWII, when chocolate was rationed. The red food color and very little cocoa powder was intended to give you the feel of chocolate, while using very little of it. True Red Velvet cake has LOTS of red food coloring, and really doesn't taste like chocolate at all

Ingredients

• Cake:
• 2-1/2 cups cake flour
• 1-1/2 cups sugar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1-1/2 cups vegetable oil
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 TB (1 oz) red food color
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 tsp white vinegar
• Frosting:
• 12 oz cream cheese, softened
• 12 oz. butter, softened
• 1-1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 cups powdered suar
• 1-1/2 cups chopped pecans for garnish (optional)

Details

Servings 12

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350. Grease & flour (or baking spray) 3 8" cake pans. Sift together flour, sugar, baking soda, cocoa & salt into a medium bowl. Beat eggs, oil, buttermilk, food color, vanilla and vinegar in a large bowl with electric mixer, until well blended. Add dry ingredients and beat until smooth (at least 2 minutes). Divide batter evenly between 3 pans. Bake (rotating pans halfway through) until toothpick comes out clean (about 25-30 minutes). Let cook 5 minutes ~ then invert each onto a plate, then invert back onto wire racks to cool completely.

Frosting:
Beat cream cheese, butter & vanilla together in large bowl with electric mixer until combined ~ add sugar and beat until light and fluffy (5-7 minutes)

Put 1 cake layer on plate ~ spread 1/4 frosting on top. Repeat with other layers ~ frost top & sides and sprinkle with nuts (if desired) or press them onto the sides with your hands. Chill for a couple of hours to set the frosting