Red Velvet Cake

Happy Valentine's Day ~~ One day late.

I will forever be running late. I really wanted to post this yesterday, but I had such a wonderful evening with my Sweetheart. We had Fillets, Lobster tails and steamed Vegetables for dinner at home. I decided we could splurge on a holiday. This is hardly pig out food   My Husband and I have started level two on Beachbody's Insanity. It is a kick butt cardio workout. We have worked out everyday. My Husband is of course seeing results, me... small changes.

As I was surfing around the internet, I came across this lovely recipe for Red Velvet Cake. I do not believe I have ever tasted a good Red Velvet cake. It is usually dry and flavorless, ahhh but not this cake.

This cake was baked in a 11 x 13 pan. The recipe call for two 9 inch round pans. I am sure you could also use a 9 x 13 pan for a taller cake. So many options for deliciousness. Did I also mention this fantastic cream cheese frosting. O my goodness.

Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
followed exactly by CooksCountry.com
December/January 2007

Ingredients
CAKE 
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
pinch salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 tablespoons red food coloring
1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar

FROSTING
2 sticks (16 tablespoons) unsalted butter softened
4 cups sifted confectioners sugar
16 ounces cream cheese cut into 8 pieces softened
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions
For the CAKE: Adjust oven racks to the middle of oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease your cake pan. Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk buttermilk, vinegar, vanilla, and eggs in large measuring bowl. Mix cocoa with food coloring in a small bowl until a smooth paste forms.

With a electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter and sugar together until fluffy for 2 minutes. Scrape down bowl as necessary. Add one third of the flour mixture and beat on medium speed until just incorporated. Add half of the buttermilk mixture and beat on low speed until combine. Scrape down bowl. Repeat with half of remaining flour mixture, remaining buttermilk mixture and finally flour mixture. Add the cocoa mixture on medium speed until completely incorporated. Using rubber spatula, give batter a final stir.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for approximately 25 minutes depending on the size of your pan. Bake until toothpick comes out clean. Cool cake in pan for 10 minutes and turn out and cool on racks for at least 30 minutes.

 For the FROSTING: With electric mixer, beat butter and sugar on medium speed until fluffy about 5 minutes. Add cream cheese, one piece at a time. Beat until incorporated. Beat in vanilla. Refrigerate until ready to use.

When cakes are cooled, spread frosting on the individual cake or cake layers. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

I placed cake in Valentine's liners to give out to my friends and neighbors

Soft and Moist and a Perfectly Cut Cake--Delicious