Red Velvet Cake
Recipe Source: Food Network, Bobby Flay
Ingredients: Cake
- 3 3/4 cups flour
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 cups vegetable oil
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1 2 oz. bottle red food color
1 1/2 cups buttermilk, at room temperature
Ingredients: Icing
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
1/2 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped
7 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups superfine sugar
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour 2 (9-inch) cake pans and line each pan with a round of parchment paper.
Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in a small bowl.
Cream the butter, sugar and oil in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl and beat until incorporated.
Beat in the vanilla, vinegar and food coloring.
Add the flour mixture to the batter in 3 batches alternating with the buttermilk, mixing well after each addition.
Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
Cool on a baking rack for 15 minutes before removing the cake from the pans.
Let cool completely before frosting. Slice each cake into 2 layers and frost.
Directions: Frosting
Combine the cream, milk, vanilla bean and seeds in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.
Remove the vanilla bean and discard. Add the flour and cook, whisking constantly, until thickened to a paste, about 2 minutes. Scrape into a bowl, cover and refrigerate until very cold, at least 2 hours.
Combine the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat until the mixture is very fluffy and the sugar is totally dissolved, about 6 minutes.
Add the cold paste, a few tablespoons at a time to the butter mixture and whip until light and fluffy.