Red Velvet Cake

I get so many requests for this recipe. My dad has been making homemade red velvet cake since before I can remember and I asked him if I could share the recipe on my website and he said YES! I have no idea where he got this recipe...and he wont tell me any details about the history.

Most of my readers probably dont know, but I have a lot of recipes that are published. I write for a magazine and after talking it over with my dad, this recipe will be published in the February publication! My dad and I made this red velvet cake for my publisher and took it over to her as a Christmas present! It's absolutely beautiful and great for a holiday celebration!

Dad and I made 2 cakes this week, 1 for my publisher and 1 for our Christmas family dinner. This one defiantly is NOT gluten free and it contains nuts. I have not attempted to make a gluten free version. Perhaps one day I will...

Enjoy this treasured recipe. We get requests to make this cake and ship it all over the US because it is so popular and tastes so fantastic! Everything in this recipe is homemade, so get ready to invest some time if you plan to make this! It takes a total of about 4 hours to make (that includes cooking and cooling time) but it is so worth it!

This recipe is fantastic for both Christmas and Valentine's Day!

May God bless all my readers! Remember - Jesus Christ is the reason for the season!

Merry Christmas!!

Ingredients

Cake:

• 2 1/2 cups self rising flour
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup (two 1 oz. bottles) red food coloring
• 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• 2 large eggs

Frosting:

• 1 full stick (8TBSP) plus 1/3 sticks butter softened
• 10 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 1 pound box confectioner sugar
• 2 cups chopped pecan pieces

Directions

To make cake:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees F. 
• Mix together all ingredients with an electric mixer. NOTE: If you have a standing electric mixer, I recommend using this. The mix feature is so gentle that it will ensure that your cakes don't split on top.
• Spray three 9-inch round cake pans with non-stick coating. NOTE: If you have flexipans - I HIGHLY recommend using these. You can eliminate the spray and they pop right out - no sticking! My favorite brand is Demarle Flexipan.
• Pour batter equally into the three pans and bake for 20-25 minutes. (Test for doneness when a toothpick comes out clean).
• Cool layers on wire rack for 10 to 20 minutes.
• Carefully remove layers from pans to cool completely.

To make frosting:

• Combine butter, cream cheese and confectioners sugar in a bowl.
• Beat with your electric mixer until fluffy.
• Fold in 1 1/4 cups of pecan pieces: use to fill and frost cake when cool. NOTE: I take my pecan pieces and chop them until they are very fine.
• Decorate top of cake with remaining pecans.
• Cool 1 hour.

Chef's Note - If you have some red velvet cake that was left over in your pan when removing the cakes, take those crumbs and break apart and decorate the top of the cake. It definitely makes the cake look more festive!