Southern Red Velvet Cake

I am a new lover of red velvet cake.  I recently did a red velvet wedding cake for niece and got a lot of compliments on the cake and frosting.  Following is the recipe, from the food network  It is a little time-consuming but well worth it!

Cake:

• 2 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon dutched cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
• 1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons red food coloring (1 ounce )
• 1 teaspoon distilled vinegar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ( feel free to add up to a 1/2 teaspoon more)

Frosting:

•  2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 cup ( 2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 4 cups sifted powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Prepare 2 (8 inch) round cake pans; greased, floured & lined with parchment paper.
3. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder, twice.
4. In another bowl whisk together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar and vanilla.
5. Using a standing mixer, mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined and smooth batter is formed.
6. Divide batter evenly between the 2 cake pans.  Place the pans into the oven evenly spaced apart.  Bake until cake pulls away from the side of the pans and the toothpick comes out clean, about 30 minutes.
7. Remove the cakes from the oven and let them rest on cooling rack.  When cool, run knife around the edges of pan to loosen the cake from the pan.  Flip them using the cooling rack, remove the parchment paper from bottom and replace with 8 inch cake round and re flip the cake.  Cool completely before frosting cake.
8. Use a bread knife or cake leveler; level top of each cake. Divide each cake into two layers.
9. Save left over cake for later (nibbles)
10. In a standing mixer, fitted with paddle attachment, cream together butter and cream cheese and sugar until creamy ( about 5 minutes).
11. Mix in the vanilla.
12. Mix till you get the desired consistency.
13. Spread frosting between all layers and on top and sides of cooled cake.

Enjoy!

 I love frosting!  So I usually end up needing at least 1 1/2 batches of the frosting.