Red Velvet Cake

I baked this red velvet cake and... oh my goodness... the batter alone is most definitely what dreams are made of. Trust me! I've scoured the internet and I've read a lot of comments on what a true red velvet is. There's all kinds of different information out there. What seems to be consistent is that the cake was made famous by New York's Waldorf Astoria Hotel. Which is strange to me because I always considered it a Southern Cake...  I mean Hello... On Steel Magnolias the groom's cake for Shelby's wedding was an armadillo shaped red velvet! But all historical information aside, this cake is a winner! I was really interested in trying a roux based frosting for this cake, but I decided to go with cream cheese because I was just too lazy to make the roux.

I threw out all the extra frosting before I realized I could have piped some pretty borders on it. It would have definitely covered up my bad icing job. But even though I think it's a little plain, my son gave me tons of encouragement by telling me how pretty it is. Love that kid!

And since it's my husband's birthday tomorrow, I decided to do an early blowing out of the birthday cake. Mostly because I was eager to cut a slice and I'm not baking another cake for tomorrow (he's getting a birthday cobbler). And also because my oldest just loves the whole thing... the song, the cheering, and especially blowing out them candles. He's a hoot! 

Red Velvet Cake

recipe from Hummingbird bakery

8 Tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 cup sugar

2 egg

5 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

4 Tablespoons red food coloring mixed with 2 Tablespoons water

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup buttermilk

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

3 teaspoons distilled white vinegar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease and flour two 8-inch or 9-inch round cake pans.  Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fit with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about three minutes.  Turn mixer to high and add  the eggs.  Scrape down the bowl and beat until well incorporated.

In a separate bowl mix together cocoa, vanilla and red food coloring to make a thick paste.  Add to the batter, mixing thoroughly until completely combined.  You may need to stop the mixer to scrape the bottom of the bowl, making sure that all the batter gets color.

Turn mixer to low and slowly add half of the buttermilk.  Add half of the flour and salt and mix until combined.  Scrape the bowl and repeat the process with the remaining milk and flour.  Beat on high until smooth.

Turn mixer to low and add baking soda and white vinegar.  Turn to high and beat a few more minutes.

Spoon batter into prepared cake pans and bake for 25-35 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center cupcake comes out clean.

Let rest in the pan for 20 minutes, then invert onto a cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

recipe from Hummingbird Bakery

4 2/3 cups powdered sugar, sifted

6 Tablespoons butter, room temperature

8 ounces cream cheese, cold 

Beat the powdered sugar, and butter together in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.  Mix on medium-slow speed until it comes together and is well mixed.

Add the cream cheese all at once and beat on medium to medium-high until incorporated.

Turn the mixer to medium-high and beat for 5 minutes, or until the frosting becomes light and fluffy. Do not over-beat as the frosting can become runny.

Extras

-I used 2 9-inch pans, but sliced the cake into four layers and I ended up needing double the frosting.

-I froze my cakes after it completely cooled because I read that it made cakes extra moist. I could not tell the difference, but it might be a trial and error kind of thing. 

-I only had one 2 oz bottle of red food coloring (McCormick Red) so I added an additional 1/4 tsp of gel (Americolor Super Red). 

Funfetti Cupcakes for Vday

For JJs Valentine's day party this year, I signed up to bring the cupcakes -- as usual. And in normal Liz fashion, I got way too stressed out about it. You see... I'm one of those nervous cooks, kind of like Ina Garten (at least that's how she describes herself). I can't serve anything unless it turns out just right. I always think that something is wrong. I want feedback on how I can improve a dish, but feel a little sad inside when someone doesn't like it. So, I'm just one big stressball until the whole eating experience is over. Things I'm working on though.

Back to the cupcakes. I normally make a chocolate cake with vanilla buttercream, but I wanted to do something fun, and the obvious choice was Funfetti. This was the first time I made it from scratch. It's basically a white cake with sprinkles, right? So that's exactly what I did. 

I still haven't found my HG of white cake recipes, but I tried one from King Arthur Flour for the first time and it turned out delicious. It was pretty easy to make, too! After I finished making the cake batter, I added some confetti quins. As someone who has made box cakes all her life, I was pretty impressed with the way it turned out. I topped it off with a pale pink buttercream and piped rosettes on top. My son loved them, and I hope you do, too! Enjoy!

Tender White Cake

from King Arthur Flour

makes a 2 layer cake or 20-24 cupcakes

2 3/4 cups (11.5 oz) unbleached cake flour

1 2/3 cups (11.75 oz) sugar; superfine sugar is best

1 tablespoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened

4 large egg whites + 1 whole large egg

1 cup (8 oz) full fat vanilla yogurt or whole milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon almond extract

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare two 8" x 2" or 9" x 2" round pans; a 9" x 13" pan; or 2 standard cupcake pans (20 to 24 cupcakes) by greasing and flouring; or lining with parchment, then greasing the parchment. Note: Make sure your 8" round pans are at least 2" deep; if they're not, use one of the other pan options.

Mix all of the dry ingredients on slow speed to blend. Add the soft butter and mix until evenly crumbly, like fine damp sand. It may form a paste, depending on the temperature of the butter, how much it's mixed, and granulation of the sugar used.

Add the egg whites one at a time, then the whole egg, beating well after each addition to begin building the structure of the cake. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl after each addition.

In a small bowl, whisk the yogurt (or milk) with the vanilla and almond extracts. Add this mixture, 1/3 at a time, to the batter. Beat 1 to 2 minutes after each addition, until fluffy. Be sure to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.

Pour the batter into the prepared pans. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes for 8" or 9" rounds; 36 to 42 minutes for a 9" x 13" x 2" sheet cake; or 18 to 20 minutes for cupcakes. A toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center will come out clean when done. Remove from the oven, remove from the pan, if desired (not advisable for a 9" x 13" sheet cake), cool on a rack, and frost.

Whipped Vanilla Frosting 

from Sweetapolita

3 sticks + 2 tablespoons (375 g) unsalted butter

3 1/2 cups (400 g) confectioners' sugar, sifted
3 tablespoons (45 ml) milk
1 tablespoon (15 ml) pure vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, whip butter for 8 minutes on medium speed until pale and creamy. 

Add remaining ingredients and mix on low speed for 1 minute, then on medium for 6 minutes. Frosting will be very light, creamy, and fluffy. 

Best used right away. 

Extras

- I weighed all my ingredients.

- I didn't have superfine sugar, so I blended regular granulated sugar in my blender 

- I am not an experienced enough cook to know what do with all those egg yolks, so I bought a carton of egg whites. 

- I used buttermilk instead of whole milk or yogurt.

- All my ingredients were room temperature
- I added confetti quins (they are also called sequins) after the batter was made. You can also use jimmies. I forgot to measure it, and I kind of eyeballed the amount.
- For my oven, the recommended cooking time of 18 minutes was too long. It's best to check on them even earlier, so they won't become too dry.

- I used heavy cream instead of milk in the frosting. I'm not sure if it makes a difference. 
- I piped the cupcakes with a Wilton 1M tip. 
- This is one of the best buttercreams I've ever tasted. It tastes like ice cream!