Birthday Tuesday

I know the name of this blog is Pizza Tuesday and my first post should really feature pizza but this Tuesday we did not make pizza we made cake, birthday cake! My good friend's birthday just happened to be on a Tuesday and she requested red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting as she is a recent convert to this confection. These cakes are so popular this time of year and generally seem to be everywhere you look in New York City. Since one of my food blog heroes (blero?) Sprinklebakes posted a gorgeous red velvet cake recipe the day before with some interesting ingredients, I was looking for an excuse to give it a try anyways. You can find the original recipe here among her many other wonderful desserts but I will share it with you as well.

Cake:
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
2 cups of sugar
1 cup butter (2 sticks) softened
2 eggs (room temperature)
1 tbsp cocoa powder
1 1/2 tbsp liquid red food coloring
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp cider vinegar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease and flour 2 or 3 round 9" cake pans-I only have 2 that's what I used. Then mix the salt and flour together and set aside. Combine the butter and sugar and mix with a hand held or stand mixer until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time mixing well after each addition. Add the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Blend in the vanilla.

In a small bowl combine the cocoa powder with the food coloring until you form a smooth paste. If you are anything like me, be very careful with the food coloring, wear an apron and don't wear a white shirt! Add the paste to the batter and mix well. In another small bowl, mix together the cider vinegar and baking soda, mix well (it will foam) and add it immediately to the batter. Mix until it reaches an even consistency.


Spoon Batter into the pans, it is very thick so you will need to spread it evenly with a spatula. I like to drop the pan on the counter from a few inches above it once just to release any huge air bubbles but I don't know how necessary it is for this cake. Pop it in the preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes. Mine came out a little unevenly so I had to leave the thicker cake in a few minutes longer. The cake should spring back and pushed gently in the center or you could use a cake tester and make sure it comes out clean. Turn the cakes out onto wire cooling racks and make sure to cool completely before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting:
2 8oz packages cream cheese (softened)
1 cup butter (2 sticks) softened
2 tsp vanilla extract
4-5 cups sifted confectioners sugar (I never sift so it was a bit less)

In a large bowl beat together the cream cheese butter and vanilla with a mixer until smooth. Keep the mixer set to low and gradually add the powdered sugar unless you want powdered sugar pants!
















Beat until light and fluffy. As always with frosting, if it is too thin add more powdered sugar, too thick add a little milk. I always have trouble working with cream cheese frosting because it is so gooey so I took Sprinklebakes advice and chilled it in the fridge and it firmed up nicely.

It was funny to see a red velvet cake covered in sprinkles and pink frosting, like a familiar friend in an unusual outfit. The cake is amazingly dense and rich and I loved adding butter to the cream cheese frosting which made it more palatable, it is usually too rich for me. And the color, wow!

It was great sharing it with everyone, having everyone say "You made this?" and best of all making a very happy birthday for the birthday girl!

Also, I just want to thank all my friends who kept telling me to start this food blog, I think this is going to be fun! <3 Ms. Tuesday