Red Velvet Bundt Cake

There’s a birthday we celebrated tonight at our house! My friend Megan is having a birthday soon so we invited her and her husband over for dinner to celebrate in advance. Last year I made Megan a Devil’s Food White Out Cake and this year I made her a Red Velvet Bundt Cake since she loves red velvet.

I’m glad that Megan likes red velvet cake because it goes right along with the Valentine’s Day season of red and pink. Besides, it’s so pretty topped with white cream cheese frosting! I’ve been thinking about making the red velvet cake recipe from Joy of Baking and decided to give it a try. It was delicious – moist, flavorful and a beautiful red hue. Instead of making a layered cake, I opted for a bundt since it was easier to make and still provides a nice presentation.

2 1/2 cups (250 grams) sifted cake flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons (15 grams) Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups (300 grams) granulated white sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk
2 tablespoons liquid red food coloring
1 teaspoon

white distilled vinegar
1 teaspoon baking soda

Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Butter or mist a bundt or tube pan with cooking spray.

In a mixing bowl sift together the flour, salt, and cocoa powder. Set aside.

In bowl of your stand mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter until soft (about 1-2 minutes). Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes). Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scraoe down the sides of the bowl. Add the vanilla extract and beat until combined.

In a measuring cup whisk the buttermilk with the red food coloring. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk to the butter mixture, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour.

In a small cup combine the vinegar and baking soda. Allow the mixture to fizz and then quickly fold into the cake batter.

Working quickly, pour the batter evening in the prepared bundt/tube pan and smooth the tops with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon. Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 45 – 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Place a wire rack on top of the bundt/tube pan and invert, lifting off the pan. Once the cakes have completely cooled, wrap in plastic and place the cake layers in the freezer for at least an hour. (This is done to make filling and frosting the cakes easier.) When ready to frost, frost the cake with cream cheese frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting
recipe from Hello, Cupcake!

1 (8oz) package cream cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
1 (16oz) package of confectioner’s sugar/powdered sugar
2-3 tablespoons milk or half & half

In the bowl of your stand mixer or with a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter together until fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and 2 tablespoons of the milk. Continue to beat and slowly add the powdered sugar in for additions until fully combined. If the frosting is too thick, add the remaining tablespoon of milk to thin out.