21st birthday

This past Monday was my new roommates 21st birthday.  Since 21 is a pretty big deal, and since she has already told me that her favorite cake is red velvet, I decided to give it a try.  I have never made a red velvet cake before and I have to admit, it is one of the funnest cakes to make.  Probably because it is red, which is just weird and so cool!
I used a recipe from my better homes and gardens cookbook.

ingredients

• 3    eggs
• 3/4  cup  butter
• 3  cups  all-purpose flour
• 2  tsp.  unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2-1/4  cups  sugar
• 1-1/2  tsp.  vanilla
• 1  1-oz.  bottle red food coloring (2 Tbsp.)
• 1-1/2  cups  buttermilk
• 1-1/2  tsp.  baking soda
• 1-1/2  tsp.  vinegar
• 1  recipe  Buttercream Frosting

directions

1. Let eggs and butter stand 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour three 8 x 1 1/2-inch round baking pans; set aside.

2. In medium bowl combine flour, cocoa powder, and 3/4 tsp. salt; set aside. In large mixing bowl beat butter on medium-high 30 seconds. Add sugar and vanilla; beat until combined. One at a time, add eggs; beat on medium after each. Beat in food coloring on low.

3. Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk to egg mixture; beat on low-medium after each just until combined. Stir together baking soda and vinegar. Add to batter; beat just until combined.

4. Spread in prepared pans. Bake 25-30 minutes or until pick inserted near centers comes out clean (cakes may appear marbled). Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Remove from pans; cool.

5. Prepare Buttercream Frosting. Place layer flat side up on plate. Spread top with 3/4 cup frosting. Stack layer, flat side up; spread top with 3/4 cup frosting. Stack final layer, flat side down; spread remaining frosting on top and sides. Makes 16 servings.

And a modified wilton cream cheese frosting recipe:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 2 packages (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
• 8 cups sifted confectioners' sugar (about 2 lbs.)
• 2 tablespoons milk

Well, this cake turned out okay.  Next time I will try to find a recipe for the batter that is a little more moist, but with the cream cheese frosting it tasted great.  It is really smooth and easy to frost with, although quite a bit richer than butter cream.

One thing that I did not do, was that I didn't mix the coco powder with the dye first.  I just mixed them both into the batter at the same time.  I think this is why the redness of the cake is not totally uniform.  Maybe I will just follow directions next time...