How To Make Red Velvet Cake

Learn the fundamentals of baking by making a red velvet cake with LearnToCook.com. Red velvet cake is a rich chocolate-flavored cake with a unique reddish color, typically with layers of buttercream or cream cheese icing. The intense red color and chocolate flavor comes from the small amount of cocoa powder and red dye that is added into the batter.  We will first whisk together whole eggs, butter milk, vanilla, and vinegar; this will be the wet ingredients for the recipe. In a mixer or a bowl, cream together the sugar and room temperature butter.  While you wait for the sugar and butter to cream, mix together the cocoa powder and red color. Then mix in the cocoa mix. Now, start alternating the wet and dry ingredients to ensure that they are mixed completely. Once all ingredients are mixed together you will evenly divide the batter into two 8 inch baking pans.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 20-30 minutes or until you insert a toothpick and it comes out clean. As Chef Susie suggests you can use the batter not only for making a cake but also for cupcakes. There’s a red velvet dessert to go with any occasion. For more great cooking demonstration videos, subscribe to the LearnToCookOnline YouTube channel.

RED VELVET CAKE RECIPE:

Ingredients:

1 ½ cup Sugar
12 Tbsp Butter
1 cup Buttermilk
2 Large Eggs
1 Tbsp White Vinegar
1 ¼ tsp Vanilla
2 ¼ cup All Purpose Flour
1 ½ tsp Baking Soda
1 pinch Salt
2¼ Tbsp Cocoa Powder
2¼ Tbsp Red Food Color

Preparation Steps:
1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Soften the butter.
2. Grease and flour pans.
3. In a large bowl, sift the flour, baking soda, and salt.
4. In a separate bowl, mix buttermilk, eggs, vanilla, and vinegar.
5. In a mixing bowl, cream the sugar and butter.
6. Sift the cocoa into a small bowl and add the red color.
7. Add the cocoa and color to the butter and sugar mixture.
8. Add alternately the dry ingredients and the buttermilk mixture. Make sure you scrape down the bowl when adding ingredients.

Cooking Steps:
1. For cakes, divide the batter between two pans making them both the same to ensure even baking. Bake for 30-40 minutes until the cake springs back when touched or pulls away from the sides of the pan.

Plating:
1. Trim the top of the cake to make a flat top.
2. Fill a piping bag with cream cheese icing and pipe over the cake evenly, then spread evenly with a palette knife. A cutting guide can be used to mark out even portions of the cake.
3. Decorate with remaining cream cheese icing and garnish with glazed orange slices, raspberries, or other suitable decorations.

Cream Cheese Icing:

Ingredients:
1 pound cream cheese at room temperature
3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 pounds confectioners’ sugar, sifted

Meanwhile, make the frosting. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, on low speed, cream together the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla extract. Add the confectioners’ sugar and mix until smooth.

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