Red Velvet Cake

Happy Birthday to me! My mom made me this red velvet cake for my birthday =). There are so many recipes for Red Velvet cake so I referred back to a comparison post I remembered seeing on The Way the Cookie Crumbles. I went with her top choice from Apple a Day. It was perfect!

From Saveur, originally from Cake Man Raven.

(Do you think I linked everyone?? lol!)

INGREDIENTS

For the cake:

2 1/2 cup cake flour

1 1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon cocoa powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 cup buttermilk

2 tablespoons (1 ounce) red food coloring

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar

For the frosting:
12 ounce cream cheese, softened
12 ouce butter, softened
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cup confectioners' sugar
1 1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)

DIRECTIONS

For the cake:

Preheat oven to 350°.

Sift together flour, sugar, baking soda, cocoa, and salt into a medium bowl.

Beat eggs, oil, buttermilk, food coloring, vanilla, and vinegar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until well combined. Add dry ingredients and beat until smooth, about 2 minutes.

Divide batter evenly between 3 greased and floured 8" round cake pans.

Bake cakes, rotating halfway through, until a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean, 25–30 minutes. Let cakes cool 5 minutes, then invert each onto a plate, then invert again onto a cooling rack. Let cakes cool completely.

For the frosting:

Beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla together in a large bowl with an electric mixer until combined. Add sugar and beat until frosting is light and fluffy, 5–7 minutes.

Put 1 cake layer on a cake plate, level off with a serrated knife, and spread one-quarter of the frosting on top. Set another layer on top, level, and repeat frosting. Set remaining layer on top, level, and frost top and sides with the remaining frosting. Press pecans into the sides of the cake, if desired.

Chill for 2 hours to set frosting.