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Red Velvet Cake

Red velvet cake is moist and delicious, with a hint of cocoa flavor, frosted with silky smooth cream cheese frosting.
4.25 from 4 votes
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Decorating Time 30 minutes
Course Dessert
Servings 8 slices

Ingredients
 

For the Red Velvet Cake

  • 2 ¼ cups (281 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
  • 3 tablespoon (15 g) Dutch process cocoa powder
  • 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 10 tablespoon (140 g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 ½ cups (300 g) granulated white sugar
  • 3 eggs, at room temperature
  • 2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 cup whole milk kefir, at room temperature (buttermilk can be substituted)
  • 1 tablespoon red gel food coloring

For the Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 1 cup (224 g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 8 oz. (228 g) cream cheese, cold
  • 4 ½ cups (585 g) powdered sugar

Instructions
 

For the Red Velvet Cake

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 3 6" cake pans with non-stick spray and line the bottoms with parchment paper rounds. Set aside.
  • In a small bowl whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Then set aside.
  • To a large bowl add the softened, unsalted butter and granulated sugar. Cream together with an electric mixer until fluffy, 1-2 minutes.
  • Then add in the eggs and vanilla. Mix until pale in color and smooth, 1-2 minutes.
  • Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the kefir to the eggs/butter/sugar mixture until all is just combined and the batter is smooth. (Scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary.)
  • Lastly, fold in the red gel food coloring just until combined.
  • Divide the batter evenly among the cake pans.
  • Bake the cakes for 28-32 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean from the centers.
  • Let the cakes cool in their pans for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to completely cool.

For the Cream Cheese Frosting

  • Add the softened, unsalted butter to a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until pale in color and fluffy, 5-10 minutes.
  • Then add in the cold cream cheese and mix until combined.
  • Sift in the powdered sugar a cup at a time and mix until the frosting is smooth and fluffy.

Assembling the Cake

  • Place the first cake layer on a cake turntable.
  • Add a generous amount of frosting to your first cake layer and smooth it out with an offset spatula, turning the turntable as you go. Repeat with the next layer, then place the final layer on top.
  • Add some of the frosting to a piping bag and pipe frosting on the outside of the cake to fill in any "holes" between the layers. With a cake scrapper, scrape the icing so it is flush to the cake.
  • Add more frosting to the sides of the cake with an offset spatula and using your cake scrapper again, smooth the frosting out turning the cake turntable as you go.
  • Add frosting to the top of the cake and smooth out with an offset spatula.
  • At this point you'll have a semi-naked cake or a crumb coat. You can leave the cake semi-naked or place it in the fridge for 20 minutes to firm up, then add a second layer of frosting to completely frost the outside of the cake.
  • Add decorative swirls on top of the cake and serve!
Keyword cake, red velevt cake, red velvet
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