Red Velvet Cake and GREAT Cream Cheese Frosting
Note: The Fantastic Frosting can be used on other cakes.
INGREDIENTS:
1 stick unsalted butter or shortening, softened
1 ½ cups sugar
2 large eggs
¼ cup red food coloring
2 teaspoons cocoa powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 ½ cups plus 5 tablespoons Cake Flour (Important)
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 teaspoon baking soda
PREPARATION:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line bottoms of two 9- by 2-inch buttered cake pans with parchment paper. Butter paper and flour pans, knocking out excess.
- In a large bowl with an electric mixer beat together butter or shortening and sugar until fluffy.
- Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
- In a small bowl whisk together food coloring and cocoa powder and add with salt to butter mixture, beating until blended.
- In another small bowl stir together buttermilk and vanilla.
- Add flour to butter mixture in batches alternately with buttermilk mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture and beating until batter is blended well.
- In another small bowl stir together vinegar and baking soda and gently stir into batter, do not beat.
- Divide batter between pans and smooth tops.
- Bake layers in middle of oven 35 to 40 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean.
- Cool cake layers in pans on racks 10 minutes before turning out onto racks.
- Remove paper from cakes and cool completely.
- Place 1 cake layer on a cake plate and spread evenly with about 1 cup frosting.
- Top with remaining cake layer and spread remaining frosting evenly over top and sides of cake.
Frosting
INGREDIENTS:
8 ounces cream cheese
1 cup milk
1 cup confectioners' sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 stick unsalted and butter
PREPARATION:
- In a small saucepan stir together milk and flour and cook, stirring constantly, over low heat until thick. Cool milk mixture.
- In a large bowl with an electric mixer beat together butter, cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until blended well.
- Add cool milk mixture and beat until spreadable.