My Most Favorite Red Velvet (& Red Velvet is my FAVORITE) Cake with Cream Cheese Icing

Here’s the recipe, I hope you enjoy!

2 1/2 c Flour

2 tbsp Cocoa Powder

1 tsp Salt

1/2 c (1 stick) Butter at room temp

3/4 c Brown Sugar

1 c Granulated Sugar

2 1/2 tbsp Red Velvet Emulsion

3 Eggs at room temp

1 1/2 c Buttermilk at room temp

1/4 c Sour Cream at room temp

1 tbsp Vinegar

1 1/4 tsp Baking Soda

FOR THE ICING

3/4 c Butter

8 oz Cream Cheese at room temp

1/4 tsp Salt

1 tsp Vanilla

1 1/3 c Powdered Sugar

• Preheat oven to 325° (during this time is when I like to get my cold items out to let them come to room temp because you want your oven to be preheated for around 15-30 minutes so your baked goods bake properly). Spray the cake pan with non stick spray and line with parchment paper, set aside.

• In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the 2 1/2 c Flour, 2 tbsp Cocoa Powder, and 1 tsp Salt. Set aside.

• In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the 1/2 c Butter, 3/4 c Brown Sugar, 1 c Granulated Sugar, and 2 1/2 tbsp Red Velvet Emulsion on medium high for around 5 minutes until fluffy and lighter in color, scrape down the sides if needed with a rubber spatula.

• Lower the speed to medium low and add in the 3 eggs, one at a time until it’s fully incorporated before adding in the next egg.

• Now with the mixer on low, switch off adding in the dry ingredients and the Buttermilk. You’ll start with the dry ingredients, doing the first 1/3 of the bowl, then do half of the 1 1/2 c Buttermilk, making sure to finish with the dry ingredients. You’ll mix only until the dry ingredients are just incorporated.

• With the rubber spatula from earlier, fold in the 1/4 c Sour Cream, making sure everything is mixed well.

• In a small bowl, add 1 tbsp Vinegar and 1 1/4 tsp Baking Soda together to fizz and stir, then while fizzing, add to the batter and fold in with the rubber spatula.

• Pour batter into the greased pan and bake at 325° for 55 minutes or until you can smell it, you want to make sure if you use the toothpick trick, that the toothpick doesn’t come out completely clean or the cake could be too dry and overdone.

• Let cool completely before adding on the icing.

• For the Icing, melt the 3/4 c Butter to help create a more runny icing, if wanting a stiffer buttercream you can use room temp Butter.

• Combine the melted Butter and 8 oz Cream Cheese in a microwave safe bowl with an electric hand mixer. You know it’s ready when it’s whipped and airy in texture.

• Add in the 1/4 tsp Salt, 1 tsp Vanilla, and 1 1/3 c Powdered Sugar until well combined.

• Once combined, add to the microwave in 2, 20 second increments making sure to mix each time with the hand mixer to ensure the correct texture is desired. Once you have the consistency you’re going for, pour or frost over cake.

Enjoy!

Love, Sam