Description
Paula Deen’s red velvet cake delivers Southern charm with rich cocoa and cream cheese frosting. Bakers find this classic dessert irresistible, promising a delightful slice of comfort you’ll savor to the last crumb.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 eggs
- 3 sticks butter (2 for cake, 1 softened for icing)
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup melted marshmallows
- 1 cup shredded coconut
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 2 ½ cups cake flour
- 1 (8 oz) (226 grams) package cream cheese
- 1 (16 oz) (454 grams) box confectioner’s sugar
- 2 tbsps cocoa
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 tbsp vinegar
- 2 oz (56 grams) red food coloring
Instructions
- Preparation: Preheat oven to 350 °F (175 °C) and ready three 8-inch cake pans with a light grease and flour coating.
- Batter Creation: Whisk eggs and sugar in a large mixing bowl until achieving a pale, airy texture, then seamlessly blend in softened butter to create a smooth base.
- Flavor Development: Craft a vivid cocoa mixture by thoroughly combining cocoa powder and red food coloring, then gently fold into the egg-butter mixture to ensure uniform color and distribution.
- Dry Ingredient Integration: Sift cake flour and salt together, then progressively incorporate into the wet ingredients, alternating with buttermilk to maintain the batter’s delicate consistency.
- Chemical Activation: Activate baking soda and white vinegar mixture, quickly folding into the batter to enhance rising potential and create a tender crumb. Add vanilla extract for depth of flavor.
- Baking Process: Evenly distribute batter across prepared pans, then slide into preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, verifying doneness with a clean toothpick test.
- Cooling Stage: Rest cakes in pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack, allowing complete cooling before applying frosting and assembling layers.
Notes
- Check Cocoa Quality: Use high-quality cocoa powder for a rich, deep chocolate flavor that elevates the entire cake’s taste profile.
- Master Mixing Technique: Whisk eggs and sugar thoroughly until light and fluffy to create a smooth, airy base that ensures a tender cake texture.
- Vinegar-Baking Soda Trick: The chemical reaction between vinegar and baking soda helps create a softer, more delicate crumb with enhanced rising properties.
- Temperature Matters: Allow ingredients like eggs, butter, and buttermilk to reach room temperature before mixing to guarantee perfect ingredient integration and smoother batter consistency.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 11
- Calories: 564
- Sugar: 56 g
- Sodium: 425 mg
- Fat: 34 g
- Saturated Fat: 20 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 66 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg