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rthummer

RECIPE: My grandmother's Red Velvet Cake

rthummer
17 years ago

I have had tons on compliments on this recipe, I sure hope you enjoy it too.

2 1/2 cups plain flour

1 cup buttermilk

1 1/2 cup sugar

1 1 2/3 cup vegetable oil--- you can use 2 cups if wanted moister. I use 2 cups.

l teaspoon baking soda

l teaspoon salt

l teaspoon white vinegar

4 Tablespoons cocoa

4 ounces of red food coloring---Two bottles of 2 oz.

2 large eggs

l teaspoon pure vanilla--do not substitute

Cream sugar and oil, to that add eggs one at a time and beat well. Sift dry ingredients all together, twice,then add vinegar and food coloring to sugar mixture and mix well. Add dry ingredients alternating with buttermilk mixing after each addition. Mix well. Add vanilla. Beat well. Bake @ 350* for 30-35 minutes. This will give you several layers depending how large your pans are.

Frosting

1 stick real Cow's butter

1 8 oz. cream cheese

l box powdered sugar

1 cup chopped pecans

1 Tablespoon cocoa

l teaspoon vanilla

Cream butter and cheese add vanilla. Sift sugar and cocoa and mix with cheese mixture, add pecans and mix again. Spread on cooled cake.

I get 4, 9 inch layers.

I hope you like this recipe from an old Southern Cook. I am sorry if it is a repeat. I have seen Red Velvet Cake Recipes before but not any that use these particular ingredients. Just wanted to share:)

Comments (8)

  • rthummer
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    SO SORRY, I REALIZED I PUT 11 2/3 VEGETABLE OIL. I HOPE NO ONE TRIES THAT!!!!! It is suppose to read l 2/3 vegetable oil. Everything else is O.K. just a typo.

  • lindac
    17 years ago

    LOL!! That would be one greasy cake!!
    That has more cocoa in it than my grandmother's recipe. Her's was very nearly "not chocolate" LOL!
    Sounds good.
    Linda C

  • rthummer
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    Yes, this does use more cocoa than most red velvet cakes also it uses oil instead of shortening which makes it alot moister. It is alot more rich than any I have come across. My grandmother won a cook off with this recipe years ago. She use to use a different icing, but changed to this one through the years.

  • brenda55
    17 years ago

    I have been in search of my mother-in-law's recipe for this cake as it disappeared in a move and this sounds so very close. Do you happen to have the other recipe your grandmother used to make for the icing? MIL used to cook an icing and then whip it and it was very good, it wasn't like a 7-minute frosting either. Just curious.

    Thanks so much for sharing, can't wait to try it.

    Brenda

  • rthummer
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    Sorry, I sure don't. She had alot of hand written recipes, and some of the recipes were lost after she died. I always ask for this cake for my b-day when I was young, because I loved it so much. I ask her to send me the recipe after I got married. She sent me this icing recipe, and I never got around to asking for the other icing recipe. She was an avid cook and I sure wish I had some of her recipes, but evidently they got lost after she died. :((

  • janmo_nc
    17 years ago

    Here is the recipe I have for the cooked frosting. It is very light and fluffy, and so good!

    Red Velvet Cake Frosting

    6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
    1 1/2 cups milk
    1 1/2 cups softened butter (no subs!)
    1 1/2 cups sugar
    1 teaspoon vanilla

    Mix flour and milk in saucepan. Stirring constantly, cook until very thick, like paste. Cool completely (at least 2 hours - important!) Cream butter, sugar
    and vanilla until fluffy. Add to cooled mixture and beat until light and fluffy.
    Use to assemble and frost cake.

  • brenda55
    17 years ago

    Janmo, I think that is it. Thank you so very much.

  • gazania_gw
    17 years ago

    I have always used the recipe for frosting the red velvet cake that janmo posted. I put a couple drops of red coloring in it to tint it pink. I love it, but it is more work than I am interested in sometimes for other cakes.

    Here is a much easier frosting recipe that is very, very similar in taste and texture. The finished color is yellow, so won't look as nice on the red cake, but works for other cakes.

    Creamy Frosting
    1 cup butter, margerine, or butter flavored crisco
    1 cup granulated sugar
    1 cup milk
    1 3.5 oz. pkg instant vanilla pudding
    Beat butter and sugar till creamy
    In a small bowl, whisk milk and pudding mix till
    it begins to thicken. Add to butter mixture and beat
    at high speed about 5 minutes. (I use the crisco if the cake has to sit out any lenght of time during warm weather. Also, don't try this with chocolate pudding...it finishes up looking curdled)