B. Smith's Red Velvet Cake
Based on a version that appeared in Epicurious. It's a good recipe if you use the right type and the right amount of flour. If you do not have a scale, sift the cake flour and then measure or just use 1 ¾ cups. If you do have a scale, weigh out 210 grams. Also, I feel like the baking powder amount in the original recipe is a little high compared to others. Next time I might try it with just ½ teaspoon.
Servings 12
Cost 5
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups sifted cake flour (210 grams, which would be about 1 ¾ cup unsifted (210 grams)
- 2 tablespoons natural unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder (I think ½ would work but haven't tested)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup buttermilk at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons red food coloring 1 oz bottle
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon vinegar
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened (114 grams)
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar (300 grams)
- 2 large eggs
Frosting
- 16 ounce cream cheese room temperature
- ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups powdered sugar
Berries
- 6 cups berries, use a mix of rasberries and blueberries. I don't see why you couldn't throw in blackberries.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray two 9-inch round pans with flour added cooking spray or rub with shortening and dust with flour. The original recipe calls for 9 inch pans. I think 8 inch pans would work too.
- Whisk together sifted cake flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt; set aside.
- In a measuring cup, mix together the buttermilk, red food coloring, vanilla and vinegar.
- In a mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar until creamy, scraping the bowl often. Beat in the eggs one by one.
- Add the flour mixture and buttermilk mixture alternately.
- Beat with an electric mixer until smooth, stopping to scrape the bowl.
- Divide batter between pans and bake cakes on center rack for 25-28 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted in center comes out clean. If using 8 inch pans, the cakes will probably take a little longer.
- Cool in pans on racks 10 minutes. Turn cakes out onto racks and let cool completely.
Frosting
- Beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl until smooth. Beat in vanilla. Add powdered sugar and beat until smooth.
- To frost the cake, frost a layer and embed a mixture of fresh raspberries and blueberries in the frosting. Stack on the second layer. Frost the cake and arrange the rest of the berries decoratively.