Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Here it is! The cake you’ve been waiting for, in plenty of time for Valentine’s Day - and it freezes well! If the history of Red Velvet Cake interests you, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_velvet_cake

Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting:

To Prepare the Cake:

½ c. shortening

1 c. granulated sugar

½ c. brown sugar

2 eggs, at room temperature

1 oz. (28 g) square unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled

1 oz. (28 g) square bitter-sweet chocolate, melted and cooled

1-¾ c. all-purpose flour

1-½ tsp. baking soda

¾ tsp. salt

1-¼ c. buttermilk

1 tbsp. white vinegar

1 tsp. white vanilla extract

1-to-2 tbsp. liquid red food coloring (see Cake Note)

Preheat oven to 350 deg. F.  Grease two 9-in. layer cake pans, dusting with sifted cocoa. Set aside. Using electric mixer, beat together shortening, sugars, and eggs until well creamed. Beat in melted chocolate. In small, separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Beat in vinegar, vanilla, and food coloring. Beginning and ending with dry ingredients, alternate portions of flour mixture and buttermilk  on low speed until batter is well mixed, occasionally scraping sides of bowl. 

Increase mixer speed to high, beating about 3 min. Spoon into prepared pans, banging each two or three times on work surface to reduce air bubbles and smooth batter. Bake 35-to-40 min., until toothpick inserted at center of cakes comes out dry. Cool on wire racks, icing with Cream Cheese Frosting.

Cake Note: With a single tablespoon of red food coloring, my cake turned out reddish-brown. For a more intense red color, use 2 tbsp. (1 fl. oz. or 28 mL). Although some cooks use even more red food coloring than that, I’m not comfortable putting that much red dye into my body. 

To Prepare the Cream Cheese Frosting:

One 8 oz. (250 g) pkg. brick-style cream cheese, softened (see Frosting Note)

1 c. butter, softened

2 tsp. white vanilla extract

5 c. sifted icing sugar (“confectioners” or “powdered” sugar)
Sugar hearts or sprinkles, as garnish (optional)

Using an electric mixer, combine cream cheese, butter, and vanilla. Gradually add sifted icing sugar. Frost center, sides, and top of cooled cake, chilling layers until set. Makes enough to ice a 9-in. layer cake or a 9 x13-in. cake. 

Note: The proportions and ingredients of Cream Cheese Frostings vary, according to taste. That’s why you’ll find other Cream Cheese Frostings in the Index. This cake is also delicious with Buttercream Frosting, also in the Index.

Beat well: Chocolate batter should be thick, creamy, and red!

Want the chocolate batter redder? Use more food coloring!

The true test ... Is it tasty? YES!

A sample is ample: This is a very rich cake!

I can see this cake being served at the end of a splendid meal ... in one of the world’s most romantic restaurants ... with ... with ... with ... Robert De Niro! Just as in the video, below. Alas! I have to start planning tonight’s dinner. We’re having left over meat loaf. 

Coming up: A Valentine’s treat ... Vanilla Cupcakes with Cherry Filling.