Red Velvet Cake Of Urban Legend Fame Recipes

RED VELVET CAKE (OF URBAN LEGEND FAME)

Steps:

• Begin making the cake: cream shortening, sugar, eggs, flavors.
• Make a paste of cocoa and food coloring, add to first mixture.
• Alternately add flour and buttermilk.
• Mix soda and vinegar in small bowl; add to batter; blend.
• Bake in 3-9" or 10" pans for 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees; let cool completely
• Make frosting: cook milk, flour, salt, until thick; stirring constantly; let cool.
• Cream shortening and sugar very well; add flavors - combine with the first mixture; beat well.
• Cover cake with frosting.
• Tell legend while serving.
• Reference: Brunvand, "The Vanishing Hitchhiker," NY: WW Norton, 1981, 154-160; more information coming in Brunvand,"The Brain Drain and other Timely Tales" Urbana: Univ of Ill Press, 1999.
• The Adams products, of course, may be substituted if you do not live in Texas or nearby where they are sold.
• Note from Julie: for St. Patrick's Day, substitute *green* food coloring and make Green Velvet Cake! Or during Halloween, mix red and yellow to make orange.

THE REAL RED VELVET CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (163 degrees C). Line the bottoms of three 9-inch cake pans with parchment paper. Spray the sides with cooking spray.
• Sift all-purpose flour, cake flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl.
• Microwave buttermilk just until warm, about 30 seconds. Stir in vanilla extract.
• Beat brown sugar and butter together in a bowl until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly before each addition. Blend in the flour mixture and buttermilk in 3 additions until fully combined. Let mixer run on low for 5 minutes. Distribute the cake batter between the prepared cake pans.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center the cakes comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes.
• Let cool for 15 minutes in the pans. Turn cakes out and let cool completely on a wire rack, at least 30 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour or overnight.
• Meanwhile, whisk sugar, milk, flour, and salt together in a medium saucepan for the frosting. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens and begins to simmer, about 10 minutes. Pour into a medium bowl and chill for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Beat butter until smooth, about 5 minutes. Slowly add the milk and flour mixture, 1/4 cup at a time, beating in between each addition and scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally. Mix in the vanilla extract.
• Level the cake layers before assembling the cake. Scoop about 2/3 cup of frosting onto the first layer and spread into an even layer. Repeat with the second and third cake layers. Frost the outsides of the cake with thin layer of frosting to catch any crumbs and chill for 20 minutes.
• Finish frosting the cake with remaining frosting. Cut and serve.

TENDER RED VELVET CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Steps:

• FOR THE CAKE:.
• Place oven rack in the middle position and heat oven to 350°F.
• Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans.
• Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl.
• Whisk buttermilk, vinegar, vanilla, and eggs in large measuring cup.
• Mix cocoa with food coloring in small bowl until a smooth paste forms.
• Beat butter and sugar together on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping down bowl as necessary.
• Add one-third of flour mixture and beat on medium-low speed until just incorporated, about 30 seconds.
• Add half of buttermilk mixture and beat on low speed until combined, about 30 seconds. Scrape down bowl as necessary and repeat with half of remaining flour mixture, remaining buttermilk mixture, and finally remaining flour mixture.
• Scrape down bowl, add cocoa mixture, and beat on medium speed until completly incorporated, about 30 seconds.
• Using rubber spatula, give batter final stir.
• Scrape into prepared pans and bake until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean, about 25 minutes.
• Cool cakes in pans 10 minmutes then turn out onto rack to cool completely, at least 30 minutes.
• FROSTING:.
• Using electric mixer, beat butter and sugar on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes.
• Add cream cheese, one piece at a time, and beat until incorporated, about 30 seconds.
• Beat in vanilla and salt.
• Refrigerate until ready to use.
• When cakes are cooled, spread about 2 cups frosting on one cake layer. Top with second cake layer and spread top and sides of cake with remaining frosting.
• Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve, up to 3 days.