With or without an admirer this weekend, one needs an antidote for the
irrepressibly goopy love stuff on center stage at the local CVS. Walk on by
those bags of cupid-themed M&Ms and pick up a few bottles of red food coloring
instead. No, we’re not paint-balling love birds in Piedmont Park; we’re making
red velvet cake.
Based on color contrast alone, the velvet cake is unlike no other. Beef tartare-shaded
layers get a coat of stark white cream cheese frosting that is so bright you
may need sunglasses. The combination is shocking, strangely beautiful and kind
of sexy — like hot pants and white go-go boots.
Allow yourself two hours, for both cake and frosting, but please don’t doll up this beauty until the cake is completely cooled. A flat-edged pastry spreader is useful, but I’ve used a wide serrated knife with decent success.
We all deserve a sex-kitten moment every once in a while. Preheat those ovens, pronto.
Red Velvet Valentine’s Cake
(Adapted from James McNair’s Cakes by James McNair)
2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
Grease bottoms and sides of two 9-inch round cake pans, and line with circles
of parchment paper (plan B: grease and flour pans). Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Over a medium bowl, sift flour, cocoa powder, cinnamon, baking powder, baking
soda and salt. Stir to mix well and set aside. In a bowl with a hand mixer,
beat butter at medium speed until creamy, about one minute. With mixer still
running, slowly add sugar. Occasionally stop mixer to scrape sides of bowl.
Beat until mixture is light and fluffy, about five minutes. Slowly drizzle in
eggs and beat until mixed well, remembering to scrape sides of bowl. Add vanilla
and food coloring. Using mixer on low speed or a rubber spatula, begin to incorporate
about one-third of the dry ingredients, alternating with half of the buttermilk.
Continue to alternate dry with wet, ending with the remaining flour mixture,
until ingredients are incorporated. Divide batter evenly between pans and with
a spatula, make sure that it is evenly distributed. Place each pan on a baking
sheet and bake until a wooden skewer inserted in center comes out clean, about
25 minutes. Remove pans and cool for about 20 minutes, then invert onto wire
racks to cool completely. While cake layers cool, make frosting.
Cream Cheese Frosting
(Also from James McNair’s Cakes)
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 eight-ounce bricks (1 pound) cream cheese, chilled
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
In a mixing bowl, beat butter with mixer until fluffy. Add cream cheese, vanilla
and salt, beating at low speed, just until mixture is smooth and creamy. Don’t
overbeat, as cream cheese will get thin and runny. Using a rubber spatula, scrape
sides of bowl. Add 1 cup of sugar and beat on low. Add remaining cup and beat
until just smooth and spreadable; taste for sweetness and consistency. If too
thick, add a little light cream or milk. Use immediately, or cover and refrigerate.
When ready to use, allow to warm up to room temperature. Makes a generous amount
for a two-layer cake.
Culinary questions? Reach CL’s Kitchen Witch at kim.odonnel@creativeloafing.com.
This article appears in Feb 9-15, 2005.
