Red Velvet Cake

Red Velvet Cake

(Read the related story here:  https://wp.me/s1lazE-red)

I got so wrapped up in telling the story of Granny’s lily and this cake  that I  forgot to take pictures of preparing the cake batter.   I was writing and baking at the same time.   Life’s really not about perfection!  I’ve had this recipe in my file for over 30 years.  I’m not exactly sure where I got it but I know it’s a family recipe.   The card is in my handwriting.  The original recipe called for margarine in the icing but I use butter instead.

For the cake:

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 cups salad oil ( this seems like a lot.  I’ve tried cutting back a little but the cake is too dry.  You just need to go on and add it all and eat smaller pieces.  You only live once)

2 eggs, beaten

1 tsp. vinegar

1 to 2 ounces red food coloring  – don’t skimp on this or else the batter won’t look like velvet.  The amount of red food coloring that you need to get the correct red velvet color will depend on the type of cocoa that you use.  For this cake, I used Dutch processed which is very dark and I only needed one ounce of red.  I have used lighter cocoa powders before and had to use up to 2 ounces of red food coloring.

2 1/2 cups  all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

2 tbsp. cocoa ( I use Dutch processed)

1 cup buttermilk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Cream sugar and oil in mixing bowl.  Add eggs and beat well.  Add vinegar and food coloring. and beat well.  Sift flour, soda, salt and cocoa together  and add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk.  Mix in 1 tsp. vanilla.  Pour into 2 greased and floured cake pans.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.   Cool completely before icing.

For the icing:

1 stick butter, softened

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 pound powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup chopped pecans (puh-cahns not pee-cans.  Pee-can is something you keep under your bed.)

Cream butter and cream cheese.  Slowly blend in powdered sugar.  Add vanilla and blend.  Add pecans and blend.  Frost cooled cake.  Cut yourself a nice slice and don’t think about the two cups of oil.  Or the butter.  Or the cream cheese.

Here’s where the pictures pick up.

Red Velvet Cake

This is what the cakes look like after they’ve baked.

For the icing, start by creaming softened butter and cream cheese.

Slowly beat in 1 pound of powdered sugar

Add vanilla, blend well.

Add pecans. Blend well.

Half the frosting goes on one layer and…..

Stack the second layer on top and frost with the second half of the icing.

Pull the icing down over the sides of the cake and completely cover the cake.

Think about your Grandmother.

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