Marilyn

Can you post a recipe? thanks! :)
Carol

Most people use cream cheese frosting on Red Velvet but I like this lighter frosting.

Red Velvet Cake

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons cocoa powder
2 ounces liquid red food coloring (2 bottles)
2 1/2 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
1 recipe White and Fluffy Frosting

Preheat oven to 350°. Greased two 9-inch cake pans. In the bowl of a mixer, cream together butter, shortening, eggs and sugar. In a separate small bowl mix together cocoa and food coloring. Add the paste to the shortening mixture. Sift the flour and salt together and add to the batter alternately with the buttermilk in three additions. Add the vanilla then fold in the soda and vinegar. Pour the batter into cake pans and bake for 30 minutes or until cake test done using wooden pick. Let cool on racks. Remove from pans after 20 minutes. Cool completely, frost and serve.
**Does not work with paste food coloring.

White and Fluffy Frosting

1 cup milk
3 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup Crisco shortening (white)
1 cup fine grain granulated sugar

Combine milk and flour; cook over medium heat until boils and thickens. Cool completely and stir in vanilla. With an electric mixer; beat shortening and sugar until smooth and creamy. Beat in cooled milk mixture until light and fluffy. Good on any kind of cake or fill cupcakes.

**For a creamier texture use confectioners (powdered) sugar in place of granulated.

Marilyn

Chocolate-Red Velvet Cake Batter

This recipe goes with Chocolate-Red Velvet Layer Cake, Fluted Chocolate-Red Velvet Cakes

1 cup butter, softened
2 1/2 cups sugar
6 large eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 (8-ounce) container sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 (1-ounce) bottles red food coloring

Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.

Stir together flour, cocoa, and baking soda. Add to butter mixture alternately with sour cream, beating at low speed just until blended, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Stir in vanilla; stir in red food coloring. Use batter immediately, following baking directions for desired cake in "Pick a Pan" below.

Pick a Pan: Chocolate-Red Velvet Cake Batter can be baked in lots of different shapes and sizes--just use these times as a guideline, and be sure to grease and flour your pans. With smaller muffin pans and molds, we found it easier to use a vegetable cooking spray with flour. Check for doneness at the minimum time range, continuing to bake until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Variations with added fruit and nuts will require the maximum time and yield more mini cakes.

Bake at 325° in 1 (12-cup) tube pan for 1 hour and 15 minutes to 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Bake at 325° in 3 (8- x 4-inch) loaf pans for 55 to 65 minutes.

Bake at 325° in 7 to 9 (5- x 3-inch) loaf pans for 25 to 35 minutes.

Bake at 325° in baby Bundt pans for 25 to 30 minutes. Makes 14 to 16 baby Bundt cakes. (Spoon 1/2 cup batter in each 1-cup mold.)

Bake at 350° in muffin pans 23 to 28 minutes. Makes 32 to 38 cupcakes.

Bake at 350° in miniature muffin pans for 9 to 11 minutes. Makes about 9 to 10 dozen cupcakes.

Yield: Makes about 7 cups

Southern Living, DECEMBER 2005

carol