Red Velvet Cake

Valentine's day at our house is not complete without a decadent red velvet cake.  My husband and I celebrate our anniversary and well, every holiday, with this all time favorite dessert.  I am no baker by any means, but I do want to learn.  MJ is 6 months right now, but I can just imagine how much fun it will be to cook and bake together :)

Here's a recipe that I followed

For cakes:

• 1 1/4 cups vegetable shortening
• 2 cups granulated sugar, plus more for sprinkling the parchment paper
• 1 Tbsp. unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 4 1/2 tsp. (2 tubes) red food coloring gel
• 3 cups cake flour, plus more for flouring the cake pans
• 1 1/4 tsp. fine sea salt
• 1 1/4 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1 1/4 tsp. distilled white vinegar
• 3 extra-large eggs
• 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
• 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter (approx.), nonstick spray or vegetable oil, for greasing the cake pans

For frosting: 
(Makes about 3 cups, enough to fill and ice one 9-inch cake)

• Two 8-ounce packages cream cheese [I used reduced-fat cream cheese]
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups powdered (10X) sugar, sifted (I used 1 1/4 cups)

Directions

To make cakes: 
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350˚F. 

Put shortening, sugar, cocoa, food coloring, flour, salt, vanilla, baking soda and vinegar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. (You can use a hand mixer if you allow the shortening to soften at room temperature before beginning.) Mix to combine, starting at low speed, then raise the speed to low-medium and mix for about 1 minute. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing for 1 minute after each is absorbed into the mixture. Add the buttermilk in two portions, stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl between additions. 

Grease two 9-inch cake pans (2 inches deep) with the butter and flour them. 

Divide the batter evenly between the two pans, using a rubber spatula to scrape down the bowl and get as much batter as possible out. 

Bake until the cakes begin to pull from the sides of the pans and are springy to the touch, 35-40 minutes. 

Remove cakes from the oven and let cool for at least 30 minutes, preferably 1 hour. The cakes should be at room temperature before you remove them from the pan. Put a piece of parchment paper on a cookie sheet, sprinkle with sugar and one at a time, turn the pans over and turn the cakes out onto the parchment; the sugar will keep them from sticking. 

Refrigerate or freeze until ready to decorate with cream cheese frosting. [VERY IMPORTANT!  This really helps to get the frosting on right.  Suggest baking the cake overnight and frost the next day]

To make frosting: 
Place cream cheese and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix at medium speed until creamy, approximately 30 seconds. 

With the motor running, pour in the vanilla and mix for 30 seconds. Add the sugar, a little at a time and mix until smooth, approximately 1 minute after the last addition. Use right away or refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 days. 

Read more: http://www.oprah.com/food/Buddy-Valastros-Red-Velvet-Cake-with-Cream-Cheese-Frosting-Recipe#ixzz2w8i3vEJi

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