Posted by Susan L. on November 16, 1997 at 11:32:16:
In Reply to: Strudel & Red Velvet Cake posted by Dawn Petersen on November 10, 1997 at 10:50:03:
: Also, my fiance's mother loves red velvet cake - whatever that is. I can't find a recipe - we didn't learn that in french pastry school!
Dear Dawn,
Red velvet cake is just another part of our dioxin-laced landscape in the American South, like white sugar and deep-fried breaded catfish. (Guaranteed to make you drop dead while out watching your doctor jog.) On the plus side, it can be mighty tasty ... but, oh, that red food coloring! This recipe makes exactly one.
Hope y'all like it,
Susan
Red Velvet Cake (Serves 12 - 15)
1/2 cup butter or shortening
2 eggs
1-1/2 cup sugar
1 to 3 oz. red food coloring (so how red do you want it to be?)
2 tablespoons cocoa
2-1/2 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vinegar
1 teaspoon soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
Preheat oven to 350 °F. Grease and flour two 8-inch round pans. Cream together butter, eggs, and sugar. Make a paste by adding part of the food coloring to the cocoa. Add paste and the rest of the food coloring to creamed mixture. Sift together flour and salt, then gradually mix into creamed mixture, alternating with buttermilk. Add vinegar, soda, and vanilla, mixing well after each. Pour batter into pans. Bake for 30 minutes. Cool on rack for 10 minutes. Remove cakes from pans and cool completely.
Frosting
1 cup butter
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons flour
Cream together butter and sugar until fluffy. In saucepan, cook milk and flour until thick, then cool. Add vanilla to creamed mixture. Gradually add milk, beating constantly, until desired consistency is achieved. Frost cake. After frosting, cover and keep refrigerated.