Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
INGREDIENTS
  • 2 1/2 cups plain flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 Tbsp. cocoa powder
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 2 cups Wesson oil
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • 2 oz. red food coloring
  • Cream Cheese Frosting
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 2 ounces butter, softened
  • 16 ounces powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 cup pecans, chopped and toasted
  • (I usually double the amount of frosting and use about 1.5 of the amount -- I freeze the rest -- but I really like frosting.)
DIRECTIONS
  1. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder.
  2. In another large bowl, cream sugar and oil.
  3. Add eggs one at a time to sugar/oil mixure and beat well with each addition.
  4. Mix in one third of the dry ingredient mixture, mix, then alternate with one third of the buttermilk. Repeat twice more, mixing well between each addition.
  5. In a small bowl, mix vinegar and food coloring. Add to batter.
  6. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30-35 minutes or until the cakes pull away from the side of the pans and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean.
  7. Cream Cheese Frosting
  8. Mix together cream cheese and butter.
  9. Add powered sugar a little at a time until well blended.
  10. Add vanilla and mix well.
  11. Frost cake. Tip: You can dip your offset spatula (or whatever your using to frost the cake if it's metal) in a glass of warm water to help keep the frosting smooth).
RECIPE BACKSTORY
This is our family recipe for Red Velvet Cake, which we always make during the holidays (although it's good any time!) I believe this particular recipe was published in a North Carolina newspaper many, many years ago.