Red Velvet Cake

Last week when my friend, Sheila Ballweg-Pulju, and I discussed her recipe for the Bittersweet Chocolate Truffle Tart, we reminisced about other chocolate recipes. Red Velvet Cake was one of them. The attractive, elegant cake — with its own special frosting — enjoyed celebrity status during our teen years and has recently become quite fashionable again. I appreciate that Sheila is sharing the original recipe she received from a friend around 45 years ago. One thing that hasn’t changed in all these years is how this rich, luscious confection still evokes pure chocolate happiness! CJK

Red Velvet Cake

(Sheila Ballweg-Pulju)

Cake

1 cup butter or shortening

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 tsp. cocoa powder

2 oz. red food coloring*

2 1/2 cups cake flour

1 tsp. salt

1 cup buttermilk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. vinegar

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch cake pans.

In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter or shortening, eggs and sugar. In a separate small bowl, mix together the cocoa and food coloring to form a paste. Add the paste to the shortening mixture. Sift the flour and salt together and add to the batter alternately with the buttermilk in three additions. Add the vanilla extract. Fold in the baking soda and vinegar.

Pour the batter into the cake pans. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool on a cooling rack and then invert the cakes from the pans.

White Frosting 

2 tbsp. flour

1 cup milk

1 cup unsalted butter

1 cup confectioner’s sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Over medium heat, cook the flour and milk until thickened. Let cool. With an electric mixer, cream together the butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. Beat in the flour mixture.

Frost the top of the first layer with frosting and set the second layer on top. Then frost the entire cake with remaining frosting.

A note from Sheila: *In a pinch, I have used one (1 oz.) bottle of red food coloring and 1 oz. of water and was pleased with the results although the cake’s color was not as intense as the original. I usually use butter when I prepare the cake — it adds richness.

I have often made cupcakes with this recipe as well. They are a little less work than making a layer cake and turn out so pretty. (Bake them in the preheated oven until the tops spring back when lightly pressed — about 20 to 25 minutes. Cool them in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove from the pan and cool completely before frosting.)

A note from Carol: Sheila’s recipe for the Bittersweet Chocolate Truffle Tart was posted on Food, Faith and Fellowship on Feb. 7.