Red Velvet Cake: Classic Frosting Recipe Too, Easy Style

This is a beautiful cake for special occasions. If using liquid red food coloring, it takes two small bottles, but one can use just a teaspoon of gel paste food coloring to get the same effect.

This is a classic Red Velvet Cake recipe, using the traditional cooked butter cream frosting, but with a shortcut, using microwave. Serves 8 or so.

CAKE INGREDIENTS

• 2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 c. sugar
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. fine salt
• 2 TBS. cocoa powder
• 1 1/3 c. olive oil
• 1 c. buttermilk, at room temperature
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1/4 c. red food coloring (2 ounces), OR 1 tsp. red gel paste (found at craft or baking shops)
• 1 tsp. white distilled vinegar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

FROSTING INGREDIENTS

• 3 TBS. flour
• 1 c. milk
• 1 c. sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 c. butter, room temperature

 CAKE PREPARATION

1. For cake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Oil and flour three 9″ round cake pans.

2. In a large bowl, mix the following well (breaking up any clumps of cocoa powder), then set aside on wax paper: > 2 1/4 c. flour > 1 1/2 c. sugar > 1 tsp. baking soda > 1 tsp. salt > 2 TBS. cocoa powder

3. In another large bowl, mix together: > 1 1/3 c. olive oil > 1 c. buttermilk > 2 eggs > 1/4 c. food coloring, OR 1 tsp. red gel paste (found at craft or baking shops) > 1 tsp. vinegar > 1 tsp. vanilla.

4. With mixer on low, slowly pour the wax paper-full of dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined and smooth.

5. Pour cake batter into the prepared cake pans. Bake 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.

6. Run a knife around the edges of cakes to loosen them, and invert the cakes onto a plate, re-inverting them onto a cooling rack, with rounded-sides up. Let cool completely.

FROSTING PREPARATION

1. Make roux using small saucepan on the stove, or use the following microwave method: Choose a larger, microwaveable bowl (quart-size or larger) to mix flour and sugar in, as mixture might bubble up some- this will reduce chances of spills in the microwave. To the large, microwaveable bowl, mix together: > 1 c. sugar > 3 TBS. flour

2. In separate, smaller bowl, microwave 1 minute or so, until hot: > 1 c. milk

3. Add hot milk to flour/sugar mix slowly, to avoid lumps. Microwave 2 minute more, stir. Return to microwave for 30 more seconds, if necessary, until mixture’s bubbly hot. (Watch to make sure it doesn’t bubble over.) Add to hot milk/flour/sugar mix: > 1 tsp. vanilla

4. Cover bowl with plastic; cool completely in refrigerator.

5. To a standing mixer, add: > The sugar/flour/milk mix > 1 c. butter, room temperature

6. Cream until light, on high speed, until very fluffy. Split cakes to make four layers; frost the layers and outside of cake.