one of my foodie friends, sheri, emailed + asked if i had a good red velvet cake recipe. i had actually never made a red velvet cake before + figured this was a good excuse to try! i looked through a bunch of recipes + settled on bobby flay’s version. for the frosting, i decided to use the same cream cheese frosting (from martha stewart) that i used in my pumpkin whoopie pies, as everyone raved so much about it.
if you’ve never tried red velvet cake, its flavor is basically a mild chocolate one, so the color + the frosting is where it really shines. people have different opinions on the color, + it can vary anywhere from bright red to red-brown. for me, the bright red color isn’t as appealing, so i made mine reddish-brown. you can definitely punch it up + make it redder by adding more food coloring.
the verdict? six of us sampled this cake a few nights ago + everyone was very pleased with the flavors of both the cake + the frosting. i will say that this makes *a lot* of fairly rich cake – you could probably serve over a dozen people with this recipe. if you’re looking for another great dessert idea, this would make a wonderfully festive addition to your holiday meals!
red velvet cake
adapted from bobby flay
ingredients
3 3/4 cups flour
3 tablespoons dutch processed cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 1/4 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cups vegetable oil
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon red food coloring
1 1/2 cups buttermilk, at room temperature
frosting (recipe below)directions
preheat the oven to 350 degrees. butter + flour two (9-inch) cake pans + line each pan with a round of parchment paper.
whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in a small bowl
cream the butter, sugar and oil in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light + fluffy. add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl + beat until incorporated. beat in the vanilla, vinegar + food coloring.
add the flour mixture to the batter in 3 batches alternating with the buttermilk, mixing well after each addition. divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans + bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. cool on a baking rack for 15 minutes before removing the cake from the pans. let cool completely before frosting. slice each cake into 2 layers + frost.
cream cheese frosting
adapted from martha stewart
ingredients
6 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
16 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 teaspoon pure vanilla extractdirections
make the filling: sift confectioner’ sugar into a medium bowl; set aside. in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter until smooth. add cream cheese + beat until well combined. add confectioners’ sugar + vanilla, beat just until smooth.
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{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
A favorite!!!!!!!
which recipe do you use? since this is the first one i’ve ever made, i’d love to try a few different recipes for comparison if you have one to share! =) i’m also thinking of converting the recipe into whoopie pies, since those are so easy to put together + such a crowd pleaser.
Amy–I have never made Red Velvet Cake, so I added it to my list of new recipes to try this year. I am going to use the recipe I found on Bakerella’s website…I’m hoping it’ll turn out good. If not, I’ll probably use the recipe you posted today. I will say that i am opting to make it very, very red…i think the kiddos will like it
bakerella’s looks tasty + i have had success with some of her recipes, so i say give it a try! one thing i do like about hers is that it only has two layers – the four layers of this one meant that i needed to make *a lot* of frosting for the cake, + personally, i prefer a two-layer. if i do this recipe again, I think i’d drop down to two layers of cake with a thicker layer of frosting. let me know how bakerella’s turns out- i can’t wait to hear! (+ yes, the kids surely will love the super-red coloring of the cake!)
Thank you so much for trying out the recipe and making it. I can’t wait to bake it this weekend! I love the idea of red velvet whoopie pies
yes! i just think whoopie pies are so much easier to bake + frost than a 4 layer cake! plus, if it’s for a party, then you don’t have to worry about slicing it – everyone can just grab one + go!
if you’re going to convert this to whoopie pies, you might want to halve the frosting recipe (but not the cake recipe). that would make you about two dozen whoopie pies. although i would have extra cream cheese, etc. on hand in case you run out of frosting a few pies short! =)
Red velvet is my BILs favorite cake…I’ve promised to make him one for his b’day for years, but never have. Maybe this year!! Come by my blog when you get a chance…having another giveaway, and think you’d love it!!
you would be the best sister-in-law in the world if you made him a fancy red velvet cake. like i said to some of the previous commenters, i think these would convert wonderfully to red velvet whoopie pies or even cupcakes – i’d just adjust down the amount of frosting (+ the cooking time) because you wouldn’t need quite as much. =) i’ll pop over to your blog now – this just might be my lucky giveaway win!
thanks to amy for red velvet inspiration! and for the record–red velvet whoopie pies are delightful. (i’m going to my first holiday cookie share this evening, and i wanted to bring something special.)
the frosting analysis was spot-on–half of the amount used for the four-layer cake is perfect. just like the pumpkin whoopie pies, they took 15 minutes to bake in the oven, then just a few minutes to cool before assembly.
this is so fabulous, julie! i can’t wait to hear how they go over at your holiday cookie swap. i’m glad you confirmed the amount of frosting needed. i guessed about half would do it, + it’s good to know that’s spot on. have an awesome time at your party + eat some cookies for me!
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