Smooth...Like Velvet. Red Velvet.

Red Velvet cakes are interesting to me.  They're technically a chocolate cake, but most of the cakes I've tasted don't have a strong chocolate flavor.  Also...they're bright red.  A lot of red velvet cakes take an entire bottle of red liquid food color, which can't be good for you.

This recipe is a good one.  It doesn't require a whole bottle of red liquid food color...just a lot of the red paste food color.  I'm not sure if that's much better for you, but it's at least a little less expensive.  You can pick the paste color up at any JoAnn's, Michael's, or A.C. Moore.  Heck, WalMart even stocks the stuff - just head to their craft/wedding aisle and look for the cake decorating stuff.

Most of what I bake is relatively easy, and this cake is no exception.  Sure, I enjoy the complicated, showy stuff too, but I'm certainly not going to spend 8 hours on dessert when I have 10 people coming to our one bedroom apartment for dinner and eek! our couch isn't here yet, so where exactly is everyone going to sit?  See, easy will win out almost every time.

For some reason this cake came out with big holes throughout.  I think it has something to do with the final step, where you combine the vinegar and baking soda and then add it to the cake batter.  I think mine may not have gotten mixed in all the way.  It still tasted good, just looked a little weird.

If you need a cake that's a little bit different, not too complicated, and needs to impress, this is a good one.  Although the cinnamon frosting isn't my absolute favorite, it's still good and people will love it.  I think next time I might make a more traditional French or Italian buttercream, but flavor it with the cinnamon to see if that works a little better.  Go forth, and bake!

Red Hot Velvet Cake with Cinnamon Buttercream

Adapted from Baked

For the cake:

1/4 c. dark unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tbs. red gel food coloring

1/4 c. boiling water

6 tbs. unsalted butter, softened, cut into small pieces

2 tbs. vegetable shortening, at room temperature (does anyone actually keep shortening at anything other than room temp.?)

1 2/3 c. sugar

3 large eggs

1 c. buttermilk

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

2 1/2 c. cake flour (I love cake flour.  It's my favorite kind of flour.)

1 tsp. fine salt (I used regular salt)

1 tsp. baking soda

1. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F and butter three (yes 3!) 8 inch cake pans - the round ones.  Line them with parchment paper, then butter the parchment, and flour them.  Make sure to get rid of any extra flour.

2. Whisk the cocoa powder, red food color, and boiling water in a medium bowl.

3. In the bowl of your mixer, with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and shortening, then scrape down the bowl and add the sugar.  Keep beating until it gets nice and fluffy - it should take about 5 minutes.  Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition.

4. Stir the butter milk and vanilla into the bright red cocoa mixture.

5. Sift the flour and salt into a different bowl.  Put your mixer on low and then add the flour mixture to the cocoa mixture in 3 additions, beginning and ending with the flour.  Mix it until it's all incorporated.

6. In a small bowl (a dinner bowl, really) combine the vinegar and baking soda.  Stir it until it all dissolves - it'll fizz, be aware.  Dump this into the mixer bowl and stir it until it's combined.  This is where my trouble came in, I think.  Make sure you give it a good stir...I don't think I did, and that's why I got big holes in my cakes.

7. Divide the batter into the 3 pans and level the tops.  Bake about 30 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through.  The cakes are done when a toothpick goes in the center and comes out clean.  Cool the cakes on a rack for 20 minutes, then take them out of the pans and let them cool completely.  Don't forget to remove the parchment.

Cinnamon Frosting
(This is a good frosting, it's just not my favorite.  It was kind of heavy.  I think I'm going to try a true buttercream next time.  But this works, and people will like it.)

1 1/2 c. sugar

1/4 c. all-purpose flour

1 1/2 c. milk

1/4 c. heavy cream

1 1/2 c. unsalted butter, soft (not melty), and cut into small pieces

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

2 tsp. cinnamon

1. Grab your favorite medium saucepan (heavy bottomed is best, but my plain old non-stick Calphalon worked too) and whisk the sugar and flour together.  Add the milk and the cream then cook it all over medium heat.  Stir/whisk it every now and then to keep it from sticking.

2. When the mixture has thickened and come to a boil, transfer it to the bowl of an electric mixer (you did do dishes while your cakes were baking, right?) and beat it on high speed with the paddle attachment until the mixture is completely cool.

3. Reduce the speed to low, add the butter, and beat well.  Turn the mixer up to medium high and beat it until it's light and fluffy.  Add the vanilla and cinnamon and mix until it's combined.

From this point it's up to you - if you think the frosting is too soft, put it in the fridge, and once it's stiffened up a bit you can beat it until it's the right consistency.  If it's too hard, put it over a pot of boiling water (not in the water, put your bowl over top a saucepan with a little bit of water in the bottom of the saucepan) and beat it with a wooden spoon until it's a good spreadable, but the cake won't fall over, consistency.

Now we put it all together.  Place one layer of the cake onto a cake stand, pretty plate, or whatever you happen to be using.  Put about 1 1/4 c. frosting on top, and spread it evenly.  Top with the next layer, then more frosting, and finally, the third layer.  Do a crumb coat if you'd like (I didn't, but I was rushing), then finish by frosting the outside of the cake.  I got out the piping bag and made some dots all around the cake, then added a few redhots, but that's up to you.  Pretty...and impressive.