Red Velvet Cake
Cake:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk (see Note)
2 tablespoons cocoa
One 1-ounce bottle (2 tablespoons) red food coloring
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 tablespoon cider vinegar or white vinegar
Coconut-Pecan Icing:
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1 cup finely chopped pecans or walnuts
heat the oven to 350°F. Grease two 9-inch round cake
pans generously, and line them with waxed paper or
kitchen parchment. Grease the paper and flour the
pans.
Prepare three seperate mixtures for the batter:
Combine the flour and salt in a medium bowl and use a
fork to mix them together well. Stir the vanilla into
the buttermilk. Combine the cocoa and the red food
coloring in a small bowl, mashing and stirring them
together to make a thick, smooth paste.
In a large bowl, beat the butter with a mixer at low
speed for 1 minute, until creamy and soft. Add the
sugar, and then beat well for 3 to 4 minutes, stopping
to scrape down the bowl now and then. Add the eggs,
one at a time, beating after each one, until the
mixture is creamy, fluffy, and smooth. Scrape the
cocoa-food coloring paste into the batter and beat to
mix it in evenly.
Add about a third of the flour mixture, and then about
half the milk, beating the batter with a mixer at low
speed, and mixing only enough to make the flour or
liquid disappear into the batter. Mix in another third
of the flour, the rest of the milk, and then the last
of the flour in the same way.
In a small bowl, combine the baking soda and vinegar
and stir well. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to
quickly mix this last mixture into the red batter,
folding it in gently by hand. Scrape the batter into
the prepared pans.
Bake at 350°F for 20 to 25 minutes, until the layers
spring back when touched lightly in the center and are
just beginning to pull away from the sides of the
pans.
Cool the cakes in the pans on wire racks or folded
kitchen towels for 15 minutes. Then turn them out on
the racks or on plates, remove the paper, and turn top
side up to cool completely.
To make the icing, combine the milk and flour in a
small or medium saucepan. Cook over medium beat,
whisking or stirring often, until the mixture thickens
almost to a paste, 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from the
heat and scrape it into a small bowl to cool
completely.
Meanwhile, beat the butter with a mixer at high speed
until light and fluffy. Add the sugar in thirds,
beating well each time, until the mixture is creamy
and fairly smooth. Add the cooled milk-and-flour
mixture and beat for 1 to 2 minutes, scraping down the
sides now and then, to combine everything well. Using
a large spoon or your spatula, stir in the vanilla,
coconut, and pecans, mixing to combine everything well
into a thick, fluffy, nubby icing.
To complete the cake, place one layer, top side down,
on a cake stand or a serving plate, and spread icing
on the top. Place the second layer, right side up, on
top. Frost the sides and then the top of the cake.
Refrigerate for 30 minutes or more to help the icing
set.
Note: If you don't have buttermilk, stir 1 tablespoon
of vinegar or lemon juice into 1 cup of milk and let
stand for so minutes.
from Southern Cakes by Nancie McDermott
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