Interested in making a Red Cake

[SueBear]

Hello everyone...

I have been doing some reading on here and on the Internet. Well I came up with a recipe that got my attention and I'm considering the idea as my husband just loves it. I wanted to know if there was anyone here who's made one before and if they wouldn't mind sharing their recipe with me. Also, I noticed while I was reading through a few of the recipes there were some statements being mentioned about placing wax paper on the bottom of the round pans.

Now this brings me to a question. I remember watching Alton Brown at one point when he had shown something how you could fold wax paper then cut it to get that perfect circle. I'm wondering if there is a better way to go about doing this? I'm also curious about the butter frosting. Does anyone have a particular favorite that they've used which they would like to share? I have always used the store bought but I would love to make my own.

I'm starting to explore the kitchen more and really enjoying it. My husband picked up a good set of whisks for me to use and a good a set of cooking tongs that have the scissor type handles. I figured the least I could do is look for a recipe to use them with.

 

[Bilby]

Won't comment on anything other than the butter icing. We have ever only used a mix of icing sugar and butter with colouring and flavourings added. We tended to just stick to chocolate, coffee or mocha. Sometimes may put some alcohol like Cointreau into the mix but that is as daring as we ever got. The only real thing I insist on is that real butter is used and not a margarine or fake butter. You can really taste the difference. Just sift the icing sugar into the beaten (whipped might be the more appropriate term) butter and add the flavour/colouring. As we always did one of the three flavours above, we always pre-mixed the cocoa and/or coffee powders in a bit of warm water first.

I always had a four-tier chocolate sponge cake with chocolate butter icing in between the layers for my birthdays as a child. The top icing varied though between glace and butter icings.

 

[VeraBlue]

It's not necessary to use any tools to make parchment disks other than a marker and a scissor. Trace the bottom of the pan with the marker onto the parchment. Cut the circle out. It doesn't get any easire than that.

Red cakes or red velvet cake is easy enough providing you use food paste, not typical food colouring. You need something with an extreme concentration of colour. If you use food colouring, you'll get a pink cake if you don't use enough food colouring. Using a paste gives you a much more vibrant colour.

As for the butter icing, use unsalted butter, excellent quality vanilla extract and 10X.

 

[suziquzie]

Here's the Red Velvet I use. I've made it in layers and in a 9x13. Never made a bad one.
Southern Red Velvet Cake Recipe: Recipes: Food Network

 

[Michelemarie]

I made this cake once and it is delicious - my only advice - if you are serving this cake to children be very careful - little crumbs stain - I know this from experience.

 

[suziquzie]

LOL she's right!!

I made it for my daughter's 1st b-day last year. I shoulda put a tarp down!!!

 

[Andy M.]

Traditional red velvet cake uses vinegar to make the red color, not food coloring. Either way will work.

 

[bethzaring]

Traditional red velvet cake uses vinegar to make the red color, not food coloring. Wither way will work.

oh this is interesting. I have my great grandmothers' recipe for Devils' food cake and I kept thinking this is the same cake. Here's her recipe

1/2 c. cocoa
1/2 cup hot water
2 level teaspoons soda
1 Tablespoon Vinegar

Cream 1 3/4 cups white sugar, 3/4 cup butter, 2 eggs, 3/4 cup buttermilk, 2 1/2 cups flour.

Add above to this mixture. Mix well. Bake until done. (don't you love it?). Top with carmel icing.

I have made this cake and it is quite good. Unfortunately the carmel icing recipe was not passed along too. I made one up and it was quite a yummy combo.

 

[BettyR]

I have been using this recipe since I found it posted on Copykats and I have gotten so many rave reviews that I'll never use another recipe.

EASY RED VELVET CAKE
posted 06-19-2003 by acountrycook on Copykat.com

1-BOX BUTTER (DH) recipe cake mix
1 teaspoons soda
3 tablespoons cocoa
1 stick of butter- softened
Mix dry ingredients together, cut in butter.

1 cup milk
2 tablespoons vinegar
Put vinegar into measuring cup then add enough milk to make one cup, let sit for 2 to 3 minutes.

1 bottle red food coloring
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
Add wet ingredients to dry and beat 4 minutes. Bake at 325° for 25 to 30 minutes .... makes 3 (9-inch)layer

Frosting:
4-1/2 Tbs. flour
1-1/2 c. milk
1/2 c. shortening
1 c. butter
1-1/2 c. sugar
2 tsp. vanilla

Frosting Instructions:
Cook until thick- flour and milk, cool completely.

Beat until creamy (about 4 minutes) - shortening, butter, sugar, vanilla. Add milk and flour mixture a little at a time and beat well.

 

[Linda123]

I have a problem with this Red Velvet Frosting

Frosting:
4-1/2 Tbs. flour
1-1/2 c. milk
1/2 c. shortening
1 c. butter
1-1/2 c. sugar
2 tsp. vanilla

Frosting Instructions:
Cook until thick- flour and milk, cool completely.

Beat until creamy (about 4 minutes) - shortening, butter, sugar, vanilla. Add milk and flour mixture a little at a time and beat well.

I am so glad to see this recipe listed but I have had terrible luck with making it for the past several years....after I add the milk and flour mixture to the sugar and butter mixture, the icing "separates" and it looks awful! I've experimented with higher/lower fat margarenes, all butter, whole milk, 2% milk....I made this frosting for years without any problems and now, it's so ugly, I hate to make it - but all my sons insist it tastes the same and want it for their birthdays. Why is this happening and what can I do to make it nice and fluffy again?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Linda

 

[Jeff G.]

I am so glad to see this recipe listed but I have had terrible luck with making it for the past several years....after I add the milk and flour mixture to the sugar and butter mixture, the icing "separates" and it looks awful! I've experimented with higher/lower fat margarenes, all butter, whole milk, 2% milk....I made this frosting for years without any problems and now, it's so ugly, I hate to make it - but all my sons insist it tastes the same and want it for their birthdays. Why is this happening and what can I do to make it nice and fluffy again?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Linda

Here is an optional butter cream frosting that is light and fluffy, very tasty. No flour/milk mixture. I also switch 1 1/2 cup crisco, 1 1/2 stick butter. It's a little richer, less greasy..
2 cups Crisco Shortening
1 stick Butter, slightly soft but not mushy
1/4 to 1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tsp. clear vanilla extract ( Clear vanilla would color the icing and is found at cakeware stores. You can also use almond extract, which is clear or regular vanilla extract.)
2 pounds powdered sugar ----- 8 cups, sifted
In your mixer bowl, beat the shortening until it's smooth, add the butter and cream together until smooth and light and fluffy. Add 1/4 cup of the heavy cream and the vanilla and mix well.

Add half the powdered sugar and mix for 5 minutes on low-med. speed. Add remaining sugar and mix well. Add more cream if necessary to adjust the consistency. If you want a more dense buttercream, then only mix and be done. For a lighter one, beat the buttercream on a low - med. speed for about another 10 minutes.

 

[Linda123]

Thanks, Jeff, but my sons insist they want the flour-mixture icing.....

 

[BettyR]

I am so glad to see this recipe listed but I have had terrible luck with making it for the past several years....after I add the milk and flour mixture to the sugar and butter mixture, the icing "separates" and it looks awful! I've experimented with higher/lower fat margarenes, all butter, whole milk, 2% milk....I made this frosting for years without any problems and now, it's so ugly, I hate to make it - but all my sons insist it tastes the same and want it for their birthdays. Why is this happening and what can I do to make it nice and fluffy again?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Linda

I'm at a loss here I’ve never had that happen before.

When you are measuring your flour do you pack the flour into the tablespoon? I always mash the flour into the spoon and pack it down well so that I will get a good thick mixture when I cook the milk. Try that and see if it helps.

 

[Linda123]

I've tried it with slightly less flour and slightly more. The flour/sugar mixture thickens nicely every time.

The first time it failed (several years ago), I was using Blue Bonnet margarene. I had been using that brand exclusively. The margarene advertised "lower fat", so I blamed the failure on the Brand. The next time, I used Mrs. Filbert's margarene (with a higher fat content) and it worked for a couple years....I did't notice Mrs. Filbert's package marked as less/lower fat. But, even when I use real butter, it doesn't work.

I tried it this weekend, with Butter Flavored Crisco...it "almost" broke up but I just didn't like the flavor....

Thanks for your suggestion, Betty.

 

[BettyR]

I've tried it with slightly less flour and slightly more. The flour/sugar mixture thickens nicely every time.

The first time it failed (several years ago), I was using Blue Bonnet margarene. I had been using that brand exclusively. The margarene advertised "lower fat", so I blamed the failure on the Brand. The next time, I used Mrs. Filbert's margarene (with a higher fat content) and it worked for a couple years....I did't notice Mrs. Filbert's package marked as less/lower fat. But, even when I use real butter, it doesn't work.

I tried it this weekend, with Butter Flavored Crisco...it "almost" broke up but I just didn't like the flavor....

Thanks for your suggestion, Betty.

When you say flour/sugar mixture do you mean that you are cooking the sugar in with the flour and milk? Because if you are that is your problem.

This is how I do mine and I've never had it break.

Frosting Instructions:
Cook until thick- flour and milk, cool completely.

Beat until creamy (about 4 minutes) - shortening, butter, sugar, vanilla. Add milk and flour mixture a little at a time and beat well.

 

[Linda123]

I cook mine like yours - flour and milk and let it cool completely (it's always nice and thick) - and add that to the butter/sugar mixture, a little at a time and by the time I add the vanilla, the whole mixture is breaking up.

what brand of butter do you use? And when you say "shortning" are you using Crisco? I use 2 sticks of butter and 2 cups of granulated sugar - no shortning. Do you use whole milk?

I made this exact recipe for years and years with no problems but it's just not working now! i don't understand it....

Thanks, Betty, for your help.

 

[BettyR]

what brand of butter do you use?

WalMart's brand.

And when you say "shortning" are you using Crisco? Do you use whole milk?

Yes, Crisco and I keep the can in the frig so it's nice and firm when I beat it in. Since they changed the formula for the shortening to get rid of the trans fats it’s so limp that I have started keeping my shortening in the frig.

Butter in the US is 20% water...it's not pure fat like shortening so it's not going to hold up as well as shortening; that's probably where you are having your trouble.

The flavor will be a bit different using half shortening and there will be a slightly different mouth feel but it should hold together better.

And I do use whole milk because that's what we drink but I really don't think that would make any difference.

 

[Linda123]

I'll try to give it a try in a week or two. I just made a cake using all butter-flavored Crisco so we aren't quite ready for another one yet. Thanks for your help.

Linda

 

[BettyR]

Your welcome, I just hope it works out for you.
Betty