When February rolls around everything seems to turn pink and red, but we’re not complaining, we’ll take any excuse to eat this delicious Southern Red Velvet Cake!
Ingredients
-
- Vegetable oil or spray for the pans
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 teaspoon cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons red food coloring
- 1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 1 pound cream cheese, softened
- 4 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
- 2 sticks unsalted butter (1 cup), softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil and flour 2 (9 by 1 1/2-inch round) cake pans.
- In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. In another large bowl, whisk together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla. Using a standing mixer, mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined and a smooth batter is formed.
- Divide the cake batter evenly among the prepared cake pans. Place the pans in the oven evenly spaced apart. Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean.
- While the cakes are baking, in a standing mixer or with a hand-held electric mixer in a large bowl, mix the cream cheese, sugar, and butter on low speed until incorporated. Increase the speed to high, and mix until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Reduce the speed of the mixer to low. Add the vanilla, raise the speed to high and mix briefly until fluffy.
- Remove the cakes from the oven and run a knife around the edges to loosen them from the sides of the pans. One at a time, invert the cakes onto a plate and then place them onto a cooling rack. Let cool completely.
- Frost the cake by placing 1 layer, rounded-side down, in the middle of a rotating cake stand. Using a palette knife or offset spatula to spread some of the cream cheese frosting over the top of the cake. Spread frosting evenly to about 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick. Carefully set another layer on top, and repeat. Top with the remaining layer and cover the entire cake with the remaining frosting.