THE best Red Velvet Cake

THE BEST Red Velvet Cake

I tried another banner for the cake and found flowers to match!

This week was Shannon's work wedding shower...and I baked a cake (no surprise there). Luckily the groom loves red velvet and it just so happens to be MY favorite kind of cake.  Not to mention a red velvet is also a great excuse to make cream cheese icing! Since work tends to be the best place to try out new recipes, I went for a new one. 

How does one decide which recipe to try?  I start by reading MANY reviews.  One particular recipe stood out to me because it was very similar to the Beatty recipe.  It also has coffee.  This recipe has half the coffee but is even MORE moist.   I am keeping this recipe in a safe place!  Let me know if you enjoy it as much as I do.  Mom was making it for a church event so I will let you know how that turns out!

Ingredients

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 2 Tablespoon of unsweetened, cocoa powder
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1-2 oz. red food coloring (I used Wilton Burgandy - 1/3 the pot)
• 1 teaspoon of white distilled vinegar
• 1/2 cup of prepared plain hot coffee (don’t skip this ingredient)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cocoa powder and salt. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, combine the sugar and vegetable oil.
4. Mix in the eggs, buttermilk, vanilla and red food coloring until combined.
5. Stir in the coffee and white vinegar.
6. Combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients a little at time, mixing after each addition, just until combined.
7. Generously grease and flour two round cake pans (I used 2 8-inch and it worked wonderfully) with butter and flour.  I used parchment paper to line it again.  With a cake this moist it will certainly help it from sticking!
8. Pour the batter evenly into each pan.
9. Bake in the middle rack for 30-40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Do not over bake as cake will continue to cook as it cools. (I baked mine for 34 minutes and was scared it was not done but it was perfect.)
10. Let cool on a cooling rack until the pan are warm to the touch.
11. Slide a knife or offset spatula around the inside of the pans to loosen the cake from the pan.
12. Remove the cakes from the pan and let them cool.
13. Frost the cake with cream cheese frosting when the cakes have cooled completely.

Beatty's Chocolate Cake

Cute party theme (including cake banner) all done by Kat!

It is true.  I have officially gone into school recovery mode - doing the things I have missed.  I baked cakes for two events this past week.  When I am baking for events I am extra careful.  I sift the flour a little more....I watch the oven a little more....it is probably good for me!  Brody has learned the phrase "get out of the kitchen" (as I point to his spot on the rug).  He was a good sport.  I spent too much time at first tripping over him and making sure I didn't drop cocoa (aka doggie poison) on the floor. 

I mentioned this cake in earlier post about Katharyn's baby shower.  That was the first time I made this cake.  It was such a hit it returned for Louis' first bday.  It is now my go-to chocolate cake recipe.  It is a moist chocolate cake.  I am not super crazy about buttercream icings (such as this one....in fact...i wont even list the one I did on this blog).  Next time I plan on trying it with cream cheese icing. 

I hate to even let the cat out of the bag but it has ONE CUP of coffee in the recipe.  It wigs people out if they don't like coffee but I PROMISE it is the secret ingredent (to my red velvet recipe too, actually).  It makes the cakes SUPER MOIST.   Credit does to Ina Garten and with about 1500 reviews and 5 stars on the Food Network website, you can't go wrong! 

Beatty's Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

• Butter, for greasing the pans
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
• 2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cups good cocoa powder (honestly, i used Hershey)
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup buttermilk, shaken (the smallest of containers I found was 2 cups worth)
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee (Keurig makes the perfect one cup amount)

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 8-inch x 2-inch round cake pans. Line with parchment paper, then butter and flour the pans. (I read of people using 9 inch pans with no problem. In fact, it may help the sinking that happens easily when overbeating?)
• Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until combined.  (My kitchenaid made a MESS doing this...the bowl was not large enough so beware!)
• In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. (I literally did mine for 36 minutes...note to self....my oven is cooking MUCH faster on the right side).
• Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.

Lemon Ice Box Pie/Sweet Home Viewing Party

Burlap tablecloths, mason jar glasses, candleholders, daisies, paper plates, sweet tea, lemon ice box, and cobbler!

I have been a busy bee fitting in summer events while the summer disappears before my eyes.  School finished last week.  My friend and coworker's brother (Tribble) is on the CMT "bachelorette-style TV" show Sweet Home Alabama.  Seems like an excuse for a party to me!  What better for a summertime party than a summertime theme....and summertime desserts?

I wanted to try lemon ice box pie.  I know, it goes against my "dessert should have chocolate in it" belief.  I ended up making two pies and a classic peach cobbler (leftovers are certainly headed to work). 

I tried my grandmother's (Maw's) recipe and Emeril's recipe.  They are two very different pies.  I thought I would like Emeril's but I liked Maw's recipe better.  It is a little more work but light and fluffy...how I think a lemon ice box should be.  My meringue on top didn't do as I hoped.  Water got in the egg whites.  I know, big mistake.  But I went with it.  Here are the recipes if you are interested!

Maw's Lemon Ice Box Pie:

I don't have a pie plate...so a quiche dish had to do!

Emeril's Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 (14-ounce) can condensed milk
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoons lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 prepared graham cracker crust (I used Maw's recipe above)

Directions

Combine the cream cheese, milk, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla in a large bowl. Mix on medium speed until smooth. Pour into the pie crust. Refrigerate overnight.

I will leave you with a few fun party pictures.  United Way campaign starts in the morning and I have guests and a company meeting to prepare for!

Lanterns out front - Sarah enjoys. :)

Special guest...the Kirbster!

Yes, those are Ball jars.  Just like the show. :)

Amusement.

The crew...we don't get together enough!

A different kind of 'Bachelor Party'

When I finished the GMAT on Saturday I knew exactly what I wanted to do....cook and bake.  I have an excellent fudge post coming.  Julie and I hit the kitchen again Sunday night.  But for now I must share the party pics from the "themed" Bachelor Party.  Oh yes I did.

The girls were greated at the door by Jake himself!

Thanks to Julie and Lance for the silver plate wedding momento.  It came in handy for the theme!

Here is a shot of the spread. Wait, we are missing something.

PLANES. Oh, that is better!

Enough said.

I tried Bakerella's red velvet recipe she posted this past week. (Oh, and I realized I spelled her name wrong AFTER the fact. Oops.)

This is a sample of the next blog post to come!

...and cheesy it was (as well as frustrating...but do we expect anything else).