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Red Velvet Cake

Servings: 12-16
Comments:
A Red velvet cake is a type of rich and sweet chocolate cake which has a distinctive dark red or red-brown color. Common ingredients include buttermilk, butter, flour, cocoa powder, and often either beets, or red food coloring. It is most popular in the American South, though known in other regions. The most typical frosting for a red velvet cake is cream cheese icing.

Ingredients:
Cake:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch processed)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks/8 oz./226g) butter, softened
2 cups granulated sugar
4 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk
1 ounce red food coloring
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Cream Cheese Frosting:
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick/2 oz./56g) butter, softened
2 tablespoons sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
16 ounces confectioners' sugar

Garnish: (optional)
Chopped pecans or walnuts

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F/180 degrees C. Grease and flour two round 9-inch cake pans.

2. For the Cake:
Sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; set aside. Cream butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl with electric mixer until fluffy, 5 to 7 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time. Mix in sour cream, milk, food color and vanilla. Gradually blend in flour mixture, just until incorporated. Do not over blend.

3. Pour batter into 2 greased and floured 9-inch round cake pans. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes before removing from pan to cool on wire rack.

4. To Make Frosting:
Beat cream cheese, butter and sour cream in a medium bowl. Add the vanilla and the confectioners' sugar and mix until smooth. Cool cake completely before frosting. If desired, sprinkle top of cake with chopped nuts.

Makes 12-16 servings.

Date: July 29, 2006