Red Velvet Cake
Rich and dense red velvet cake made with cocoa and topped with a classic cream cheese frosting. |
Cake:
- 16 Tbsp. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2½ cups cake flour
- 2 Tbsp. cocoa powder
- 1 Tbsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 Tbsp. red food coloring
- 1 Tbsp. distilled white vinegar
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
Frosting:
- 16 oz. cream cheese
- 8 oz. (2 sticks) butter
- 3 cups confectioners' sugar
- 1½ tsp. vanilla extract
Make the cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two 8" or 9" cake pans and set aside.
Whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and set aside. Whisk together the buttermilk, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla in another bowl and set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. On low speed, add the dry ingredients and wet ingredients, alternating between the two, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Increase the speed to high and beat until the batter is smooth, about 5 seconds.
Pour the batter into the prepared pans. Smooth the tops and tap the pans lightly to pop any air bubbles. Bake the cakes about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cakes cool about 20 minutes in the cake pans before removing them onto a wire rack to cool completely before frosting (about 45 minutes or more).
Make the frosting: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, on low speed, cream the butter. Once the butter is well creamed, add the cream cheese and cream together. Stop to scrape the sides of the bowl several times. Beat in the vanilla extract. Gradually add the powdered sugar and mix until smooth.
Frost the cakes once they are completely cool so as to not melt the frosting, and feel free to decorate!