Red Velvet Cake with a twist...

Ever try to make a red velvet cake and realize that you didn't buy enough red food coloring...  That's what I did tonight.  Silly me, thinking that buying the pack of 4 colors in little squirt bottles would be enough.  Oops.

So I didn't want to mess up the ratio of the wet ingredients, so I added the blue.  Still not enough, but I thought why not.  It can be a purple velvet cake!

3 1/2c cake flour (not self rising)
3/4c unsalted butter, softened
2 1/4c sugar
3 large eggs, at room temp
6 TBLS red food coloring (oops!)
3 TBLS unsweetened cocoa
1 1/2tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2tsp salt
1 1/2c buttermilk
1 1/2tsp cider vinegar
1 1/2tsp baking soda

Preheat oven to 350*F.  Grease and lightly flour three 9x2 inch round cake pans, then line the bottoms with waxed paper.
In a small bowl, sift the cake flour and set aside.  In a large bowl, on medium speed, cream the butter and sugar until very light and fluffy, about 5min.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  In a small bowl, whisk together the red food coloring, cocoa, and vanilla.  Add to the batter and beat well.  In a measuring cup, stir the salt into the buttermilk.  Add to the batter in 3 parts, alternating with the flour.  With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated, but do not overbeat.  In a small bowl, stir together the cider vinegar and baking soda.  Add to the batter and mix well.  Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl, making sure the ingredients are well blended and the batter is smooth.  Divide the batter among the prepared pans.  Bake for 30-40minutes, or until cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.  Let the layers cool in the pan 1hour.  Remove from the pans and cool completely on a wire rack.  (3 layer cake).

p.s. these recipes are from More from Magnolia's cookbook.  Delicious cupcakes.

Now here'e the other twist of the night...  My cakes didn't feel like unsticking themselves from the pans so trying to make a 3 layer frosted cake was out of the question.

Instead I made purple velvet parfait!

Oh well, still tastes yummy.



For the cream cheese frosting:
1 lb (16oz) cream cheese, softened
6 TBLS unsalted butter
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
5c. sifted confectioners' sugar

In a large bowl, on medium speed, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth, about 3 minutes.  Add the vanilla and beat well.  Gradually add the sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating continuously until smooth and creamy.  Cover and refrigerate icing for 2-3hours, but no longer, to thicken before using.

So, not what I intended to make, but...