Aunt Marilyns Red Velvet Cake Recipes

GRANDMA'S RED VELVET CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in food coloring, vinegar and vanilla. In another bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating well after each addition., Pour into 2 greased and floured 9-in. round baking pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 20-25 minutes. Cool layers 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely. , For frosting, combine water and cornstarch in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until thickened and opaque, 2-3 minutes. Cool to room temperature. Beat butter and vanilla until light and fluffy. Beat in cornstarch mixture. Gradually add confectioners' sugar; beat until light and fluffy. Spread between layers and over top and sides of cake.

RED VELVET CAKE RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 335°F and prepare three 6" x 2" pans or two 8" x 2" cake pans with cake goop or your preferred pan release. It also works well in all pans from a bundt pan to a cupcake.
• Combine the eggs, vegetable oil, buttermilk, vinegar, butter, vanilla, and red food coloring in a medium bowl and set it aside. I recommend using food coloring gel instead of liquid food coloring. My favorite brands are ChefMaster, and Americolor super red.
• Combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda in the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Mix this on low speed for a few seconds to combine.
• Add the liquid ingredients to the dry and mix on medium speed until the batter is fully incorporated and smooth (about 1 minute). Don't forget to scrape the bowl to ensure all the ingredients are evenly mixed.
• Divide the cake batter evenly between the prepared cake pans (I like to use my scale for accuracy).
• Bake the cakes for 35-40 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the tops bounce back when lightly touched.
• Cool the cakes in the pans for about 10 minutes, then flip them out onto a cooling rack to finish cooling.
• If you are going to layer and frost the same day, pop the cake layers into the freezer for about an hour, no need to wrap them. Otherwise, wrap the layers in plastic wrap and freeze them for up to a week. Pro-Tip: Wrapping the cakes while they're still warm seals in all of the moisture, making them safe to freeze.
• Place the softened butter in the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Mix on low until it is smooth and lump-free.
• Add in the softened cream cheese and combine on low until smooth and completely homogeneous. Scrape the bowl to make sure it is all incorporated.
• Add in the powdered sugar one cup at a time, mixing on low to avoid throwing powdered sugar out of the bowl.
• Add the vanilla extract and salt. A traditional vanilla flavor from vanilla extract goes well with cream cheese, but I love using orange extract or lemon extract for a unique taste.
• If you are not going to use the frosting immediately, cover it and place it in the refrigerator.
• Trim the tops of the cake layers off and save them in a bowl. You will use these to make crumbs to decorate the cake.
• Place the first chilled cake layer on a cake board, add a large scoop of cream cheese frosting, and spread evenly across the cake layer. A chilled cake will be easier to frost with the cream cheese frosting.
• Place the second layer of cake on top and repeat the filling and layering process.
• Frost the exterior of the cake with a crumb coat to lock in those red crumbs. Chill the cake for a few minutes before applying the final coat.
• Apply enough cream cheese frosting to cover the outside of the cake evenly. Cream cheese frosting can make really pretty spatula patterns, but I choose to do a simple smooth finish using a bench scraper.
• Crumble the extra cake trimmings into crumbs and gently press them into the sides of the cake, and then sprinkle on top as well.
• Using your piping tip of choice, pipe dollops of cream cheese frosting on top of the cake.
• This cake will last for about 4 days in the refrigerator, I recommend covering the cake in plastic wrap after cutting so that it doesn't dry out.

AUNT MARILYN'S RED VELVET CAKE

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 350°F Grease and line with wax paper 2-9" cake pans ICING BASE (thickener): Cook over medium heat, 3 T all-purpose flour and 1 cup milk, stirring constantly until thickened. Set aside. As it cools, stir frequently.
• 2. CAKE: Mix together: 1/2 c shortening 1 1/2 c sugar 2 eggs 1 t salt 2 1/4 c cake flour 1 c buttermilk 1 t vanilla extract PASTE: 2 oz red food coloring 2 T cocoa powder Make paste of 2 and add to mixture
• 3. When all ingredients are mixed, add: 1 T white vinegar mixed with 1 t baking soda and fold into cake. DO NOT BEAT. Divide into 2 cake pans and bake 30-35 minutes.
• 4. When cakes are cooled, slice through layers and ice between, making a 4-layer cake. Ice sides and top and press chopped walnuts into sides, only. Keep cake cool.
• 5. ICING: Cream together, 1 lb. butter, 1 cup sugar, and 1 t vanilla extract. Beat thickener into sugar/butter mixture and whip until lite and fluffy.
• 6. Aunt Marilyn's Personal Notes: 1 cake recipe = 32 cupcakes A single icing recipe is sufficient For any red cakes I make, I increase the amount of icing by 1 1/2 times. NOTE: I have found that this icing recipe quantities is sufficient for a 4-layer cake. I don't know if what she wrote was the "increase 1 1/2 times" or the "single" icing recipe. ~Carolyn

RED VELVET BIRTHDAY CAKE

Steps:

• Place an oven rack in the middle position. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Grease two 8-inch cake pans with nonstick spray and line with parchment paper.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the butter, coconut oil and granulated sugar. Cream together on medium speed, scraping the bottom and sides with a rubber spatula as needed, until pale and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. With the mixer running, add the eggs, one at a time, beating each until fully incorporated. Add the food coloring, vanilla and vinegar and mix to combine. Add the dry ingredients and buttermilk in 2 to 3 alternating additions and beat until just combined. Divide the batter between the cake pans, spreading it out evenly.
• Bake until the sides of the cakes start to pull away from the pans and a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 to 15 minutes in the pans, then invert onto racks and let cool completely.
• Trim the top of each cake layer to make a flat surface. Place the bottom cake layer on a turntable or something easy to rotate. Dollop about a third of the Frosting on the cake layer and spread with an offset spatula in an even layer to the edge. Top with the second cake layer, cut-side down. Frost the sides and top, then decorate with chopped pistachios or sprinkles as desired. Use icing gel to write "Happy Birthday," if desired.
• Cream together the butter and cream cheese in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until smooth. Add the powdered sugar, salt and vanilla and whip, scraping down the sides as necessary, until combined, light and fluffy, 4 to 5 minutes.

SYLVIA'S RED VELVET CAKE

Steps:

• For the Cake:
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Grease and flour 2 (9-inch) cake pans. In a medium bowl or on a piece of waxed paper, sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a large bowl, cream together sugar and butter. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time. Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk. Beat in food coloring and vinegar, then add vanilla. Spread the batter evenly in the pans.
• Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Turn out onto a rack to cool.
• For the Frosting:
• In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese and butter. Beat in confectioners' sugar until fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Stir in pecans. Use frosting to fill and ice cake.
• Slice and serve on individual plates.