Red Velvet Cake

Ok y’all. Nothing, just NOTHING screams Crazy Ole’ Southern Person than a Red Velvet Cake. Red Velvet Cake is the one thing that unites all people below the Mason/Dixon Line. We all love it. We all make it. When we don’t have it, we lust over it.

I’m gonna share with you my Mama Jean’s recipe for Red Velvet Cake. I can remember when I was a kid she would usually have some sort of cake or pie or something just sitting there in the kitchen on her table underneath a glass cake dome. I don’t own a glass cake dome. I live in NYC, and we don’t have space for things that are not essential to everyday life–which makes me wonder why I don’t have a glass cake dome…..In the years that I have been making this cake, I have made it all sorts of ways. Regular. Bundt Style. Cupcakes. Baked into a shaped cake pan…like Scooby Doo. Whatever. It still always works, and always pleases. If you are feeling real Southern, bake you a red velvet cake in the shape of an Armadillo. Then ice it with Grey Icing. Anyone who gets that reference is a person after my own heart.

Before you make this cake, the recipe will make 2 9″ layers or 1 Bundt Pan. I usually make it in layers, but can’t seem to find but one cake pan. So last time I made it Bundt-Style, and cut it in half. The icing is so good, you are gonna want some in the middle too!!!

Here are your ingredients:

1 1/2 cup Sugar

1 1/3 cup Vegetable Oil

2 Eggs

1 Teaspoon Vanilla

1 1/2 cups Flour

1 teaspoon Baking Soda

1 Teaspoon Salt

1 cup Buttermilk (must. use. buttermilk–that’s the point)

1 teaspoon Cocoa

1 teaspoon White Vinegar (don’t be afraid. You have to do it)

1 Bottle Red Food Coloring

Cream Cheese Frosting (Recipe follows)

Combine your sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla and beat. Add flour, soda, and salt alternately with the buttermilk. In a separate bowl, blend cocoa, vinegar, and food coloring. add to the batter and beat. Pour into your pan(s). Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean.

Let the cake cool before icing it.

For the icing, you will need the following:

8 ounces cream cheese (DO NOT use low fat-it tastes yucky)

1 stick of Margarine softened (NOT Butter–too greasy)

1 Box Powdered Sugar (1 Pound)

1 cup Chopped Nuts (I always use Pecans)

Beat all that stuff together and ice that cake. Take pictures of the cake, cause its pretty.

In fact, if you take a picture of the cake, send it to me! hungryhomo@hungryhomo.com

I love getting emails. Especially about food!