The Real Red Velvet Cake

Historically, red velvet cake was just chocolate cake tinted red from the acid in cocoa powder, not from food coloring. Nowadays most cocoa powders are alkalized, as in stripped of acid. Look for a non-alkalized one for this old-fashioned recipe. Completing the classic look is a coat of bright white ermine frosting, cooked the old-fashioned way.

• Preparation Time: 50 mins
• Cooking Time: 30 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 20 mins
• Calories: 669 Calories

Ingredients

• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 ½ cups cake flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ cup cocoa powder
• 1 ½ cups buttermilk
• 2 cups unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup whole milk
• cooking spray
• 3 eggs, at room temperature
• 1 ½ sticks unsalted butter, softened
• ½ cup all-purpose flour, sifted
• 3 ¾ cups brown sugar

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (163 degrees C). Line the bottoms of three 9-inch cake pans with parchment paper. Spray the sides with cooking spray.

Step 2

Sift all-purpose flour, cake flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl.

Step 3

Microwave buttermilk just until warm, about 30 seconds. Stir in vanilla extract.

Step 4

Beat brown sugar and butter together in a bowl until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly before each addition. Blend in the flour mixture and buttermilk in 3 additions until fully combined. Let mixer run on low for 5 minutes. Distribute the cake batter between the prepared cake pans.

Step 5

Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center the cakes comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes.

Step 6

Let cool for 15 minutes in the pans. Turn cakes out and let cool completely on a wire rack, at least 30 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour or overnight.

Step 7

Meanwhile, whisk sugar, milk, flour, and salt together in a medium saucepan for the frosting. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens and begins to simmer, about 10 minutes. Pour into a medium bowl and chill for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Step 8

Beat butter until smooth, about 5 minutes. Slowly add the milk and flour mixture, 1/4 cup at a time, beating in between each addition and scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally. Mix in the vanilla extract.

Step 9

Level the cake layers before assembling the cake. Scoop about 2/3 cup of frosting onto the first layer and spread into an even layer. Repeat with the second and third cake layers. Frost the outsides of the cake with thin layer of frosting to catch any crumbs and chill for 20 minutes.

Step 10

Finish frosting the cake with remaining frosting. Cut and serve.