red velvet cake
I grew up on red velvet cake. Well, not exactly. It's not like we ate it all the time. But it was always a very special dessert and I learned to love it from an early age. Diane and her mother Helen are two ladies from my hometown who make the best red velvet cake. Imagine my delight when I recently received a letter in the mail from them, complete with a handwritten recipe for their red velvet cake!
I just made the cake for the first time this week. Red velvet perfection. Had to call and tell them right away (after the baby shower, where it was consumed). And ... of course ... I asked if this was a family secret, or if I could share. And sweet Helen (84 years young) said something like "At my age, there's no point in keeping any more secrets." Amen! Love her attitude.
Then again, I'm a big fan of sharing recipes. How do you think I got all my best ones? Because people are willing to share.
RED VELVET CAKE
[ CAKE ]
1/2 c. Crisco shortening
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs
2 Tbsp. cocoa
2 oz. red food coloring
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. buttermilk
2 1/2 c. cake flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 Tbsp. vinegar
Cream together shortening, sugar and eggs. Make a paste with cocoa and food coloring and add to the cream mixture. Mix salt and vanilla with buttermilk, add alternately with flour to creamed mixture. Mix soda and vinegar and fold into mixture. (Do not beat … fold only.) Bake in two 9" layer pans for 30 minutes at 350.
[ ICING ]
5 Tbsp. flour
1 c. milk
1 c. granulated sugar
1 stick butter
1/2 c. Crisco shortening
1 tsp. vanilla
Cook flour and milk until thick. Stir constantly. Make sure you cool milk and flour mixture (in refrigerator). Cream together sugar, butter, crisco, and vanilla well with electric beater. Add flour and milk mixture. Beat until right consistency to spread. This should get fluffy like whipped cream.
I just made the cake for the first time this week. Red velvet perfection. Had to call and tell them right away (after the baby shower, where it was consumed). And ... of course ... I asked if this was a family secret, or if I could share. And sweet Helen (84 years young) said something like "At my age, there's no point in keeping any more secrets." Amen! Love her attitude.
Then again, I'm a big fan of sharing recipes. How do you think I got all my best ones? Because people are willing to share.
RED VELVET CAKE
[ CAKE ]
1/2 c. Crisco shortening
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs
2 Tbsp. cocoa
2 oz. red food coloring
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. buttermilk
2 1/2 c. cake flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 Tbsp. vinegar
Cream together shortening, sugar and eggs. Make a paste with cocoa and food coloring and add to the cream mixture. Mix salt and vanilla with buttermilk, add alternately with flour to creamed mixture. Mix soda and vinegar and fold into mixture. (Do not beat … fold only.) Bake in two 9" layer pans for 30 minutes at 350.
[ ICING ]
5 Tbsp. flour
1 c. milk
1 c. granulated sugar
1 stick butter
1/2 c. Crisco shortening
1 tsp. vanilla
Cook flour and milk until thick. Stir constantly. Make sure you cool milk and flour mixture (in refrigerator). Cream together sugar, butter, crisco, and vanilla well with electric beater. Add flour and milk mixture. Beat until right consistency to spread. This should get fluffy like whipped cream.
at
11:13 PM
21 Comments:
Yummy!!! Can't wait to try! Thanks Becky!
Carolyn
The timing of this is very ironic. My mom makes a red velvet cake recipe very similar to this that was my great-aunt's recipe. My sister and I request it every year on our birthdays. I got brave this year and entered in our local fair and just found out last night that I won second place! So excited!
We have an old family recipe for Red Velvet cake almost identical to this and it is one of my favorite desserts. The cooked frosting is a MUST. I have always said that if it has cream cheese frosting - it isn't red velvet cake.
I'm so excited to try this! I've only tried a few recipes and don't know if they're homemade. I have a question though...is the crisco in the frosting recipe, oil or crisco shortning? Sorry for the dumb question, but I just want to make sure. Thanks for sharing!
Hello, loved this post ! Really enjoyed reading it so thank you and best wishes
I've been looking for a really tasty red velvet cake recipe and this one looks wonderful. So if I was making cupcakes instead do you think I would just cut the cooking time in half? Thanks!
This looks divine! I can't wait to try it! This is "the" birthday cake of choice in my husband's extended family - and these days it's usually purchased from the local grocery store - I'm excited to try the recipe for the next gathering! (Or why not a special after school treat for the kiddos :)
Oh, man... I have so many great memories of eating Diane's red velvet cake... nice job on scoring the recipe!
For overseas readers is their a suitable substitute for the Crisco Shorteneing? I am not even sure what shorteneing is or is for...sorry if that sounds dumb. I was thinking butter but then I see a butter stick reference seperately. Please help someone if you can 'cos I would love to give this ago. While i am asking does anyone know the approx. (or exact) quantity of butter in a butter stick as we don't purchase butter that way?
I have a burning question. It has nothing to do with food. I'm asking here b/c you didn't want comments (just numbers) on the other side of the blog. :) It's about organization. I'm GOOD at organizing but you EXCEL at it, so I defer to you on this one. How do you or would you organize home decorating ideas or home projects and keep track of them all? For example, I see an idea in the Pottery Barn catalog, I think I can make that, I tear the page out for a reference....now what? I need a system to keep track of clippings, paint chips, notes, etc. Binder? Notebook? Sheet Protectors? Tape? I just can't seem to figure out the best way to do this. What would you recommend? I highly value your input, if you have time for this! :o)
For Meelie, a "stick" of butter is 1/2 cup, and Crisco is vegetable shortening, not vegetable oil but more the consistency of butter...kind of between butter and lard (?)...hope this helps.
Becky, Thanks so much! I think you posted this recipe just for me. I was not really familiar with red velvet cake, but apparently my son was, for when I asked him what he wanted for his birthday cake that is what he requested, and it was the same day you posted the recipe. The cake was a hit. Thanks again!
Thanks very much Susan!
This looks so delish! I do, however, have a suggestion that I would LOVE to see on your recipe site. I spend TONS of time skimming your posts to find a recipe that I remember you posting...it would be fabulous if each recipe had it's own category for easy finding, i.e. sides, main dishes, desserts, etc...
This is the SAME recipe for cake & frosting that was a staple dessert in my home growing up and still is today...We call it American Beauty Cake! It is WONDERFUL!
For 12 years I've been hearing about this marvelous red velvet cake that my husband used to eat at his best friends house. I tried this recipe last week and this is it! Thank you for helping me put a smile on my hubby's face! :)
Hey Becky--I was wondering if you could post your Hawaiian Haystacks recipe. I seem to remember that it was pictured in the Family Scrapbooks idea book you co-authored with Lisa B, and it was a crockpot recipe for the sauce. Anyways, it looks yummy and I think it would be a good one for the blog.
And, when I was trying to figure out if you've already posted it here, I decided you need a search feature. :) I had to click on each month and scan down, but it would be SO much easier if I could just search it! Thanks Becky!!!!
Becky- thanks so much for sharing...cant wait to try this recipe. I have been looking for a delicious red velvet cake recipe!
OM goodness, this cake came out DELICIOUS! The icing was great one I will use for now on! I LOVE THIS RECIPE! My husband and children devoured it in one day!
Thanks for sharing!!!!
Lakeisha
New Jersey
This is the same recipe that has been in my family for years. This is a special cake we love for birthdays. We always have this cake at Christmas for Jesus birthday.The red represents the blood he shed and the white for how he cleans us from our sin and his purity. This has been a Great tradition for our family.
Becky, I had never heard of Red Velvet cake before I ran across it here on your blog. The vibrant color 'spoke' to me and I knew I had to give this a try! Well I made it over the weekend and it was a hit. Everyone was ga-ga over the gorgeous color and the surprising chocolate flavor. Doing a little googlin', I found Red Velvet cake everywhere and apparently Duncan Hines makes it too! How could I have never heard of it before??!
This reminds me of a favorite quote:
The life I touch for good or ill will touch another life,
and that in turn another,
until who knows where the trembling stops
or in what far place my touch will be felt.
Frederick Buechner
Well, your touch made it here to my corner of the world...thanks so much for sharing this great recipe. Years ago I bought your first card book and that started my cardmaking journey and today, you continue to inspire me. Thank you, Ivanka
Every time I see red velvet cake I think of the "blood red armadilla cake" from Steel Magnolias! Love it...
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