The Original Red Velvet Cake Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (163 degrees C). Line the bottoms of three 9-inch cake pans with parchment paper. Spray the sides with cooking spray.
• Sift all-purpose flour, cake flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl.
• Microwave buttermilk just until warm, about 30 seconds. Stir in vanilla extract.
• Beat brown sugar and butter together in a bowl until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly before each addition. Blend in the flour mixture and buttermilk in 3 additions until fully combined. Let mixer run on low for 5 minutes. Distribute the cake batter between the prepared cake pans.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center the cakes comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes.
• Let cool for 15 minutes in the pans. Turn cakes out and let cool completely on a wire rack, at least 30 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour or overnight.
• Meanwhile, whisk sugar, milk, flour, and salt together in a medium saucepan for the frosting. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens and begins to simmer, about 10 minutes. Pour into a medium bowl and chill for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Beat butter until smooth, about 5 minutes. Slowly add the milk and flour mixture, 1/4 cup at a time, beating in between each addition and scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally. Mix in the vanilla extract.
• Level the cake layers before assembling the cake. Scoop about 2/3 cup of frosting onto the first layer and spread into an even layer. Repeat with the second and third cake layers. Frost the outsides of the cake with thin layer of frosting to catch any crumbs and chill for 20 minutes.
• Finish frosting the cake with remaining frosting. Cut and serve.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in food coloring, vinegar and vanilla. In another bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating well after each addition., Pour into 2 greased and floured 9-in. round baking pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 20-25 minutes. Cool layers 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely. , For frosting, combine water and cornstarch in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until thickened and opaque, 2-3 minutes. Cool to room temperature. Beat butter and vanilla until light and fluffy. Beat in cornstarch mixture. Gradually add confectioners' sugar; beat until light and fluffy. Spread between layers and over top and sides of cake.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease two 9-inch round pans.
• Beat shortening and 1 1/2 cups sugar until very light and fluffy. Add eggs and beat well.
• Make a paste of cocoa and red food coloring; add to creamed mixture. Mix salt, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and buttermilk together. Add the flour to the batter, alternating with the buttermilk mixture, mixing just until incorporated. Mix soda and vinegar and gently fold into cake batter. Don't beat or stir the batter after this point.
• Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake in preheated oven until a tester inserted into the cake comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool cakes completely on wire rack.
• To Make Icing: Cook 5 tablespoons flour and milk over low heat till thick, stirring constantly. Let cool completely! While mixture is cooling, beat 1 cup sugar, butter, and 1 teaspoon vanilla until light and fluffy. Add cooled flour mixture and beat until frosting is a good spreading consistency. Frost cake layers when completely cool.

Steps:

• Cream butter and sugar, add cocoa and food coloring, mix thoroughly.
• Add eggs.
• Alternate adding the buttermilk with the cake flour.
• Add salt and vanilla.
• Put 1t soda into 1T white vinegar and fold this mixture into the batter.
• Bake in two 9 inch pans @ 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Cool and split layers.
• ICING.
• Blend flour into milk in the mixer. Cook until very stiff, first over a medium heat, but you can increase the heat as it gets thicker. Cool this mixture until it is room temperature. Do not attempt to mix in the rest of the ingredients unless the first mixture is truly room temperature. Cream together butter, sugar and vanilla. Beat the two mixtures together (I add the flour/milk mixture a little at a time to the butter/sugar/vanilla mixture, until it is the consistency of whipped cream.
• Ice each later and assemble a "torte" looking cake. Enjoy!

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare three 9-inch cake pans by buttering lightly and sprinkling with 1 tablespoon sifted cocoa powder, tapping pans to coat and discarding extra cocoa. (This recipe can also be made in 2 9-inch cake pans.)
• Cream butter and sugar together. Add eggs one at a time and beat vigorously until each is incorporated. Mix in vanilla.
• In a separate bowl, make a paste of the remaining 2 tablespoons cocoa and the food coloring. Blend into butter mixture.
• Sift together remaining dry ingredients. Alternating in 2 batches each, add dry ingredients and buttermilk to the butter mixture. In the last batch of buttermilk, mix in the vinegar before adding to the batter. Mix until blended.
• Divide batter among 3 pans and bake for about 20 to 25 minutes. Cool on a rack completely.
• To assemble, remove 1 cake from its pan and place flat side down on a serving platter. Drop about 1 cup of icing onto cake and, using a flat spatula, spread evenly over top. Remove the second cake from its pan. Place flat side down on top of first layer. Use remaining frosting to cover top and sides of cake.