Classic Red Velvet Cake

RED VELVET CAKE

Ingredients

Red Velvet Cake:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cocoa
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups canola oil
1 teaspoon vinegar
1 (1-ounce) bottle red food coloring
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup buttermilk


Cream Cheese Frosting:
(I make 1 1/2 batch of frosting so there is plenty to cover the cake)
1/2 cup margarine
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese
1 box confectioners' sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chopped lightly toasted pecans (for decoration) * see note

Directions:

CAKE
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 3 (9-inch) round layer cake pans.
Sift flour, baking soda and coco together. Beat sugar and eggs together in a large bowl.

In a separate bowl mix together oil, vinegar, food coloring, and vanilla. Add to the bowl of eggs and sugar and beat until combined.

Add the flour mixture and the buttermilk to the wet mixture by alternating the buttermilk and dry ingredients. Always start with the flour and end with the flour.

Pour batter into pans. Tap them on the table to level out the batter and release air bubbles. Bake for 25 minutes or until a cake tester inserted near the middle comes out clean but be careful not to over bake or you'll end up with a dry cake.

Let layers cool on a wire rack for about 10 minutes before turning out of pan. Cool completely before frosting.

When cooled, slice top to each layer to make sure its level, keep the part you slice off for use later as decoration.

FROSTING

Let margarine and cream cheese soften to room temperature. Cream well. Add sugar and vanilla (I use a CLEAR vanilla for white frosting) and beat until mixed but not so much that the frosting becomes "loose". Spread between layers and on top and sides of cake. If you are adding pecans or cake crumbs for decoration around the outside of the cake, smooth out frosting for a more professional look.

Lightly press chopped pecans or cake crumbs onto sides of cake. Chill until frosting is set.

*NOTE:
You can also us crumbs from the cake layers you sliced to level to decorate the tops or sides of your cake.  I prefer this over the pecans because at the restaurant it is a clear indication what kind of cake it is if it has not been cut into yet. As always the choice is yours.