Homemade Red Velvet Cake Recipe

Directions

PREHEAT oven to 350 degrees. Butter two 9 inch (or three 8") cake pans and dust the inside with flour and tap out excess. Line the bottom of the pans with wax or parchment paper. Put the cake pans on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat.

Sift the dry ingredients together and place in a mixing bowl. Add the oil and mix. Then add the remaining ingredients and mix until incorporated.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or when a knife inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Transfer to a rack and cool for 5 minutes, then run a knife around the sides of the cakes, unmold them and peel off the paper liners. Invert and cool to room temperature, right side up. (These cooled cakes may be wrapped airtight and stored at room temperature overnight or frozen for up to two months.)

**BUTTERMILK:
1 TBS plus 1/4 tsp lemon juice or vinegar
1-1/4 cup milk

Measure out lemon juice or vinegar in a bowl and add milk. Let sit for 15 minutes and then it's ready for this recipe.

I use this frosting with my best red velvet cake recipe. If you want something different, I have more cake frosting recipes for you to browse through.

FROSTING:

Ingredients

8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 cup pecans, finely chopped

Directions

Beat the cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Add the powdered sugar, beat and fold in the pecans. I serve this cake cold.




A delicious twist on one of my best red velvet cake recipes...how about red velvet cheesecake? Yum.

HOMEMADE RED VELVET CHEESECAKE RECIPE

Ingredients

CRUST:
1-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup butter, melted
1-1/2 TBS white sugar
shaved chocolate bar

CHEESECAKE:
3 (8oz) pkgs cream cheese, softened
1-1/2 cups white sugar
4 eggs, beaten
3 TBS cocoa, unsweetened
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup buttermilk*
1 TBS pure vanilla extract
1 tsp white vinegar
2 (1oz) bottles of red food coloring

TOPPING:
3 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
shaved chocolate bar, for garnish

Directions

PREHEAT oven to 325 degrees. The cake is baked with a water bath to prevent cracking. Wrap a large pan with foil (big enough for the spring form pan to fit in).

Mix the graham crackers and sugar together and add the melted butter. Mix with a fork and press into a 9 inch spring form pan. Sprinkle the bottom of the crust with chocolate shavings from a candy bar.

Beat 3 packages of cream cheese with 1-1/2 cups white sugar until fluffy. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Pour into the prepared spring form pan and place in the center of the foil covered pan. Fill with water.

Bake for 10 minutes and lower oven temperature to 300 degrees and bake for 70-80 minutes. The cheesecake is done when the center is firm. Cool completely on a wire rack.

TOPPING:
Beat the cream cheese with the butter until fluffy. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract and mix until smooth and creamy. Spread evenly over the top of the cooled cheesecake. Garnish with the shaved chocolate bar.

*Buttermilk:
Place 1-1/2 tsp vinegar or lemon juice in 1/2 measuring cup and fill remainder with milk. Wait 15 minutes, stir, and it's ready for this recipe.