Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting (American South)

This American classic is traditionally made for Valentine's Day and Christmas. Red velvet cake is typically covered in a French-style butter roux icing, though recently cream cheese frosting and buttercream have both been used as a simpler and tastier alternative. During World War II and the Depression, this moist cake got its vibrant colouring from boiled beets, but has since adapted into red food colouring courtesy of a Texan company called Adams Extract. The cake gets its light and fluffy texture from the reaction caused by mixing buttermilk and vinegar together.

Red Velvet Cake:
2½ cups all-purpose flour, unbleached
1½ cups sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. fine sea salt
1 tsp. cocoa powder
1½ cups vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 Tbsp. (1 oz) red food colouring
1 tsp. white distilled vinegar
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Cream Cheese Frosting:
1 lb cream cheese, softened
4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Garnish:
crushed pecans, if desired

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C/155°C fan, Gas Mark 3). Lightly grease or oil and flour three 9x1½" round cake pans.

For the Red Velvet Cake:
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 colouring, 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, rotating the pans halfway through the cooking, until the cake pulls away from the side of the pans, and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean, about 30 minutes.

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 re-invert them onto a cooling rack, rounded-sides up. Let cool completely.

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, 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. (Occasionally turn the mixer off, and scrape the down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.)

Reduce the speed of the mixer to low. Add the vanilla, raise the speed to high and mix briefly until fluffy (scrape down the bowl occasionally). Store in the refrigerator until somewhat stiff, before using. May be stored in the refrigerator for 3 days.

Assembly:
Place 1 layer, rounded-side down, in the middle of a rotating cake stand. Using a palette knife or offset spatula spread some of the Cream Cheese Frosting over the top of the cake. (Spread enough frosting to make a ¼-½" layer.)

Carefully set another layer on top, rounded-side down, and repeat.

Top with the remaining layer and cover the entire cake with the remaining frosting. Sprinkle the top with the pecans, if desired.

Makes 6-8 servings.