Red Velvet Cake!
This is my Grammy Anna's recipie. Dani has been fascinated by one picture we have of Grammy. She's standing on the steps of the trading post with some other Apache women. They are all wearing Suffragette Sashes. Very visible in Grammy's high top moccasin is the huge ass handle of a huge ass bowie knife (actually about the size of a Roman Gladius). She was not a woman to be trifled with.
INGREDIENTS FOR THE CAKE
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon fine salt (sea or kosher salt works best)
1 tablespoon dutch process cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups melted, unsalted butter (yeah, this is a suthron cake)
1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 tablespoons red food coloring (1 ounce)
1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Sift the dry ingredients together three times, or more if needed. We want an even mixing of all.
Mix, on stir, in a stand mixer, all the liquid ingredients. When they are well blended, add in the dry mix a cup at a time, stirring well each time. Scrape down the bowl and the beater from time to time. We want smooooooooth.
Move into two buttered and floured cake pans (or use Baker's Joy® spray, I loves me some of that stuff). Spread evenly and smooth.
Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Immediately remove from the pans, and cool completely on a rack. The following picture shows Dani reacting with joy as the timer counts down its last ten seconds.
Then, the cake layers cool on the rack.
When completely cooled, frost with White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
INGREDIENTS
1 pound cream cheese, softened
4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pound melted white chocolate
To melt the white chocolate, cut into chunks, or use white chocolate chips, place in a microwave safe bowl and zap it on high for 30 second increments, stirring in between each, until completely melted and smooth.
Mix the cream cheese and butter together, add in the vanilla extract, add in the powdered sugar, keeping the speed low to avoid tossing powdered sugar all over your kitchen. When all is incorporated, add in the melted white chocolate and turn the mixer speed up to annhilate. Whip the shit out of it until it is stiff, and stable. (about five minutes)
Turn into a tightly covered container and refrigerate.
I'm proud to say that Dani has become a "Clean As You Go Girl!" type of cook. Here, she is dilligently cleaning the white chocolate off of the spatula and bowl.
Of course, she pulls her own weight cleaning counters too.
Frost the cake. Do the top of the bottom layer first. This is a stiff frosting, you have to really glob it on. The good part about that is that it works like a mortar.
Put the second layer on, and frost the top and the sides of that. Don't forget to be very proud of yourself!
Next, garnish the top with pecan halves and shout "Take THAT Paula Deen!"
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