Red Velvet Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1½ cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cocoa powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1½ cups vegetable or canola oil
1 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) red food coloring
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon butter
For the Icing:
12 ounces full-fat cream cheese, softened
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
Pinch of salt, to taste
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease three 8-inch round cake pans with butter or baking spray.
Sift flour, sugar, baking soda, cocoa and salt into a mixing bowl. In another bowl, using a handheld mixer, or in a stand mixer fitted with a whisk or paddle attachment, beat eggs, oil, buttermilk, food coloring, vanilla and apple cider vinegar until combined. Add dry ingredients and beat until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Pour the batter into the three prepared pans.Place cakes in preheated oven and bake, rotating halfway through, until a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cakes rest for 10 minutes before removing them from the pans. Once removed, let cakes cool completely before decorating.
In a bowl using a handheld mixer, or in a stand mixer fitted with a whisk or paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter together on medium-high speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the vanilla, sifted confectioners’ sugar and a pinch of salt; beat on low speed until fluffy, about 30 seconds.
Put 1 cake layer on a cake plate; spread 1/4 of the frosting on top. Set another layer on top and repeat frosting. Set remaining layer on top and frost top and all sides with the remaining frosting.
