Farmall Cub

Be careful making a red velvet cake, a little bit of red goes a long way. The kitchen can end up looking like a crime scene. That is the red part, velvet describes the fine texture and smooth taste.


Ingredients for cake(everything must be a room temperature)

3/4 cup salted butter, plus extra for the cake pans
2 1/2 cups cake flour, plus extra for the cake pans
1/4 cup powdered unsweetened cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 ounces liquid red food coloring
3 tablespoons warm water
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon white vinegar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter two 9" round cake pans, line with wax paper and butter again. Dust with flour.

In a separate bowl, combine and sift flour, cocoa and baking powder. Set aside.

Combine butter and sugar in the mixer, beat at medium speed for 15 minutes until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at at time and beat thoroughly after each addition. Add vanilla, food coloring and water; beat and scrape down the bowl and beaters until well combined. Add the flour-cocoa-baking powder mixture, alternating with the buttermilk, and beat at low speed until thoroughly mixed and smooth.

In a small bowl, combine baking soda and vinegar and immediately pour into batter. Beat at medium for only 10 seconds, do not over beat!

Pour equal amounts of batter into prepared cake pans. Bake for 25-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center of each cake comes out clean.

Remove cakes from oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes before turning them out onto a wire rack to finish cooling. Using a long serrated knife, trim the top of each cake flat.



Ingredients for Icing (everything at room temperature)
1/2 cup salted butter
8 ounce cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cream butter unti light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add cream cheese and cream with butter, about 2 minutes more. Add sugar and vanilla and beat until smooth, about 2 more minutes. You can fold in 1/4 cup of finely chopped walnuts, if you so choose, and spread the icing on cake.

Warning - this is just barely enough icing for the cake! Increasing the recipe by 50% is perfect, doubling is too much. Eat up the leftover cream cheese on some fresh bagels.

thanks for the recipe! my sister makes a mean red velvet cake as well

Miss Farmall wrote:thanks for the recipe! my sister makes a mean red velvet cake as well

Aren't you going to share it?

Sheri makes a mean RVC that Dad really likes. The problem with most RVCs is the cream cheese icing. Dad and I both feel this makes the cake too sweet. Sheri's recipe has a more subtle icing. If I wander into the kitchen later, I may grab it and post it.

I agree, John. Eagerly awaiting your recipe.

Here's the one Sheri uses:

Waldorf Astoria Red Velvet Cake

Cake:
1/2 cup shortening
1 1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/4 cup sifted cake flour
1 cup buttermilk
2 oz red food coloring
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon vinegar

Cream shortening and sugar. Add eggs, 1 at a time; mix after each addition. Add vanilla; then alternate flour and buttermilk. Make paste of cocoa with food coloring and add to mixture. Dissolve baking soda in vinegar and add. Pour into 2 floured, greased 9-inch layer pans. Bake at 350F for 30 minutes, then cool.


Icing:
3 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup butter
1 cup powdered sugar

In a saucepan, mix flour, milk and salt. Cook mixture, stirring constantly until thick. Cool until cold, then add vanilla. Cream butter, sugar, and the flour paste together a little at a time. Beat until fluffy.


Sheri actually likes to start the flour paste mixture first, then puts it in the fridge to cool while she mixes the cake batter. Then, she finishes the icing while the cake cools.

And I can attest to the quality of Sheri's red velvet cake. It's g-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-d!

Thanks, your recipe looks very much like my old red velvet cake recipe that I can no longer find. CSI probably bagged it at my last crime scene, red food coloring sure goes a long way. I like the cooked icing better as well, the cream cheese overpowers the cake.