Recipe: Doughmakers Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

RED VELVET CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

1/4 pound (1 stick) butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 ounces red food coloring
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 1/2 cups cake flour
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda dissolved in 1 tablespoon vinegar
Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe follows)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans with solid vegetable shortening and then lightly flour them.

Cream together the butter, sugar, and eggs in a large bowl. Add the food coloring and cocoa powder. Alternately add half of the cake flour, half of the buttermilk, and half of the salt. Mix after each addition and then repeat. Stir in the vanilla.

Fold in the baking soda and vinegar. Pour the mixture evenly into the prepared pans.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool slightly in the pans, about 10 minutes. Loosen the sides by running a thin knife along the edge of the pans. Turn the cakes out onto a wire rack and allow to cool completely.

Place the bottom layer on a cake base and frost the top. Place the second layer on the first then frost the top and sides.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

1/4 pound (1 stick) butter, softened
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoons milk
4 to 5 cups confectioners' sugar

Cream together the butter, cream cheese, and milk. Add the confectioners' sugar until you reach the desired consistency. Additional milk can be used to thin the frosting if needed.

Makes 1 (9-inch, 2-layer) cake, 8 servings
Source: The Doughmakers Cookbook by Bette LaPlante and Diane Cuvelier