Birthday treat for the Sweet

Red Velvet cake is my husband's cake of choice. I have to admit that I don't think I had even tasted Red Velvet before I met him. In fact, I think the only time I had even heard of it was on the movie Steel Magnolias. I don't like the whole concept of so much red food coloring going into one cake, so I rarely make this cake. But it is quite tasty. And it was worth it to make my husband's day extra special!  The frosting can be made so many ways-- but I prefer the one with cream cheese, which is included with this recipe. So, it was a  Red Velvet treat for my Sweet husband... and the kids are still wired from the red dye...

This recipe originally came from Cook's Illustrated, but of course I  have made various modifications~

Red Velvet Cake
makes one 9-inch 2 layer cake

2 1/2 c all purpose flour
1 1/2 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
1 c. buttermilk
1 T vinegar
2 large eggs
2 T Hershey's unsweetened cocoa powder
2 T (one 1-oz bottle) red food coloring
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 c. granulated sugar

Frosting
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
4 c. powdered sugar
2   8 oz pkgs cream cheese, cut into pieces, softened
1 1/2 t. vanilla extract
1/4 t. salt

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour two  9-inch cake pans. In small bowl, stir together flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside. Whisk buttermilk, vinegar, vanilla, and eggs together in large Pyrex measuring cup.

Beat together butter and sugar until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add  half of flour mixture followed by half of buttermilk mixture, beating 30 seconds after each addition. Repeat with other half of flour mixture and other half of buttermilk mixture. In small bowl, mix together cocoa and food coloring to make a paste. Add this to cake batter, beating until incorporated. Pour into prepared pans and bake on center rack for 20-25 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cool cakes in pans for 10 min, then turn onto racks to cool completely.

For the frosting, beat butter and sugar until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add cream cheese gradually and beat until incorporated. Add vanilla and salt and beat until well mixed.

When cakes are cooled, spread about 2 cups of frosting on one cake layer. Top with second layer and spread remaining frosting on sides and top of cake. Cover and serve immediately, or refrigerate until ready to serve, up to 3 days.

Enjoy!