Red Velvet Cake with Velvet Frosting

Thanks so much for all of your great ideas for our new little table!  We're going to clean it up and sand down the top and go from there.  I'll keep you posted.

When I was a little girl I remember my Mom making the most delicious red velvet cake.  It's the one I measure all red velvet's against, and they all seem to fall short to hers.  I have never made a red velvet cake before, and thought it would be fun for the fam on Valentine's.  So, I asked my Mom for her recipe, and I was a bit surprised. 

First of all there is some chemistry going on in this cake.  Apparently when some of the acidic ingredients mix with the cocoa powder it is supposed to bring out the red in it.  This is before the days of dutch process cocoa. 

Second of all, there was not cream cheese frosting but this velvet frosting.  Which was seriously awesome!  It has a "velvet " like texture and is very smooth and creamy with a hint of vanilla.  Perfect to go with this cake.

Third I like my red velvet cake to have a definite chocolate flavor.  Many recipes have small amounts of cocoa, but his one has 1/4 cup which I think is perfect.

My Mom hasn't made this cake in years, but I hope to carry on the tradition.

I hope you enjoy it!

Red Velvet Cake

When you are baking make sure to have your butter and eggs at room temperature.

1/2 cup Butter

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 Tsp. Vanilla

2 Eggs

1 Tbs. Red food coloring (I used gel paste)

1/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa

2 cups Unbleached-all purpose flour

1 Tsp. Kosher salt

1 1/2 tsp Baking soda

1 Tbs. White vinegar

1 cup Buttermilk or 1 Tbs. white vinegar combined with 1 cup milk)

Cream butter, sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs and food coloring, blend well.  Sift together the flour, cocoa and salt.  Add alternately with buttermilk to the creamed mixture.  Put the baking soda and vinegar in a glass and stir, fold this into the batter.  *Carefully pour into two greased and floured 9-inch pans.  Bake about 15-20 minutes.  Cool 10 minutes and remove from pans.  Cool completely before frosting.

Velvet Frosting

1 Cup Milk

5 Tbs. Flour

1 Cup Butter

1 Cup Sugar

1 Tsp. Vanilla

Cook milk and flour  over medium to low heat stirring constantly until very thick.  Cool completely.  Cream the butter, sugar, and vanilla.  Add cooled flour mixture 1 Tbs at a time beating after each addition.  Then beat the entire mixture after all flour mixture has been added for about two minutes or until it looks like whipped cream.

*If you want to make the cake heart shaped bake in one 9-inch square pan and one 9-inch round pan.  Take them out of the pans after they have cooled for 10 minutes and cool completely on a wire rack.  Once the cakes have cooled completely place the square cake on a large platter or board so the corners are vertical (so it looks like a diamond shape).  Then cut the round cake in half and place on the top sides of the square.  Frost.