FREE HOME PLANNER
SAMPLE!
I was trying to come up with something yummy (and new!) for a special Valentine's Treat, and my friend Susan suggested Red Velvet Cake. YUMMMMM! Well, the only one we'd ever made at our house came out of a box (my hubby tried to make it as a surprise for my birthday one year, and it wasn't like the real red velvet cake I love!) so I decided it was time to try out the real thing.
I found the recipe for the cake from Paula Deen and figured I'd just use my favorite cream cheese recipe. The cake was very moist (which seems to be the problem with most red velvet cakes) but the center fell in! So, thankfully Susan came to the rescue again suggesting I simply turn it into a trifle (doesn't everything look yummy in a trifle bowl?) It really is pretty good, so if the cake works out you'll have a beautiful cake (be sure to let it bake the full baking time), and if not just turn it into a trifle! Here's the recipe:
Red Velvet Cake
2 cups sugar
1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
I used I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Sticks because I was out of butter!
2 eggs
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 ounces red food coloring
2 1/2 cups cake flour
I used regular flour and just sifted it
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon vinegar
Cream Cheese Frosting
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a mixing bowl, cream the sugar and butter, beat until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time and mix well after each addition. Mix cocoa and food coloring together and then add to sugar mixture; mix well. Sift together flour and salt (Martha Stewart says that instead of sifting you can just use a whisk and whisk well – I hate sifting so I listen to Martha!) Add flour mixture to the creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk. Blend in vanilla. In a small bowl, combine baking soda and vinegar and add to mixture (your kids will love watching it bubble!) Pour batter into 3 (8-inch) round greased and floured pans. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from heat and cool completely before frosting.
Frosting
Beat cream cheese and butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar and salt, beating until blended. Stir in vanilla.
If you want to make as a trifle, break up the cake rounds and layer in trifle bowl alternately with cream cheese frosting (break up one cake round, then layer with half the cream cheese frosting, then break up other cake round and layer again with the rest of the cream cheese frosting. I tried breaking it up into 3 layers and ended up with too much cake and not enough frosting – I had to make another 1/2 recipe of the frosting to have enough!) Recipe adapted from Paula Deen at the Food Network. Enjoy!
Note: the baking deals are pretty non-existent this week at Publix, probably because it's all about The Super Bowl! Thankfully I had most of the items in my pantry (except the buttermilk – be sure to look for the smallest carton), and I'm betting you will too!
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