2 1/4 c Cake flour
1 ts Baking soda
1 ts Salt
1/4 c Baking cocoa
1 1/2 c Sugar
1 1/2 c Oil
2 Eggs
2 ts To 1 oz of red food color
1 ts Vanilla
1 ts White vinegar
1 c Buttermilk
Frosting:
1 pk 8 oz cream cheese
1 Stick butter
1 lb Box powdered sugar
1 ts Vanilla
Milk as needed
Red velvet cake also known as the $100 dollar cake, $200 dollar cake,
or Waldorph Astoria Cake is only a legend as is the Nieman Marcus
cookies and all are examples of a legend that pits institutions
against a consumer who feels he/she has been unfairly charged.The
recipe is a grass roots recipe not an institutional one.
James Beard outlines in his American Cookery that there is really 3
varieties of red velvet cake, recipes being different in the use of
butter, vegetable shortening ( crisco ) and oil.Most all call for
cake flour and buttermilk, baking soda and vinegar for the leaving
process.
The redness of the cake comes from red food color despite the chemical
reaction of baking soda, vinegar , buttermilk and cocoa which cause a
reddish brown color, not red in the cake.
This cake is moist and red with a velvety texture and the flavor
nondistinctive as is most red velvet cakes. Red Velvet cake is also
cultural as recipes differ in community cookbooks accross America
even as to the type of frosting for the cake. The moistest cake is
one made with oil and cake flour.The amount of food color is up to
you.Start with 2 teaspoons as a base.
The above recipe comes from:” Celebrating Our Mothers’ Kitchen”, a
fundraising cookbook published by The National Council for Negro
Woman.
Preparation: Grease and flour 2, 9 inch pans and line with paper.In a
large bowl combine flour, baking soda, cocoa and salt. In another
bowl with mixer at low speed or spoon beat sugar and oil until
blended. Add eggs, one at a time to blend well.Blend in food color,
vanilla and vinegar.Scape bowl down with spatula. Alternately blend
in flour mixture and buttermilk, using about 1/3 each time and
scraping bowl down at least twice. Do not beat on high or cake will
be tough.Pour into prepared pans and bake in a preheated 350 degree
oven 20 to 25 minutes or tested done with toothpick.Cool on racks 5
minutes and remove from pan and cool completely.Frost layers when
cold.Beat cream cheese until softened and smooth. Add butter and
continue to beat till softened. Beat in sugar a little at a time and
then vanilla.If too thick blend in cold milk a tablespoon at a time
till desired consisitency.
Yields
12 Servings