Friday, April 2, 2010

What About Red Velvet Cake?

A local place here in Palm Springs called Coco's Bakery Restaurant added Red Velvet Cake to their menu for a limited time. I have to say, it is QUITE DELICIOUS. In fact I have been craving a slice all week. I may just need to swing by there tomorrow. I had no idea what the heck is in red velvet cake, just that I liked it. Anyway so I finally broke down and googled it. I came across the wonderful story about it that was right up my alley. This from our friends at Wikipedia: "A red velvet cake was a signature dessert at the Waldorf=Astoria Hotel in New York City during the 1920s. According to a common urban legend, a woman once asked for the recipe for the cake, and was billed a large amount. Indignant, she spread the recipe in a chain letter." So just for fun, I'm sharing the Waldorf=Astoria Red Velvet Cake Recipe also, right here on my little old blog. The next time I'm at the Waldorf I'll have to ask them to make it for me so I can see if its better than Coco's recipe here in Palm Springs.
So my question to you is, Do you like Red Velvet Cake?

Waldorf=Astoria Red Velvet Cake Recipe
Ingredients:
1/2 cup Shortening
1 1/2 cup Sugar
2 Eggs
2 ounces Red food coloring
2 tablespoons Cocoa -- heaping
2 1/4 cups Plain flour
1 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1 teaspoon Baking soda
1 cup Buttermilk
1 tablespoon Vinegar
1 teaspoon Butter Flavoring (if desired)
***Frosting***
3 tablespoons Flour
1 cup Butter (Not Margarine- you can tell the difference in the flavor).
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1 cup Milk
1 cup Granulated sugar

Directions:

Cream Shortening, sugar and eggs. Make a paste with coloring and cocoa and add to mixture. Add salt and flour with buttermilk and vanilla. Alternately add soda and vinegar and don't beat- just blend. Bake in two 9-inch pans (greased and floured) for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Layers may be split to make four.

Frosting:
Cook flour and milk on low heat until thick. Then cool (I put it in the freezer for this.). Cream sugar, butter, and vanilla until fluffy. Add to flour-milk mixture. Beat until mixture is like whipped cream. Spread on layers.
*sometimes when we're going to make the frosting, we've been known to double it because it is soooo good!

10 comments:

  1. i love red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting. my mom was so sweet as to drive up to my house and bake me one for my birthday.

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  2. Yes, as a matter of fact, I do! A friend a Mennonite friend of mine in college gave me the recipe her family had used for years.

    My absolute favorites, though, are German chocolate with the coconut-pecan icing and fudge cake with fudge icing!

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  3. oh i didn't know about the flour in the frosting and the cooking! i can make the cake but just uesd white frosting. thanks! i love it!

    smiles, bee
    xoxoxoxoxoxoox

    ps: happy easter!

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  4. I will have to make it and see. But looks great!

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  5. Well....No, truthfully Rick, I am not a fan of Red Velvet Cake....I don't like the Food Coloring thing--Like Red Dye #9, and it is not Chocolate enough for me...! LOL!

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  6. Old Lady of the Hills- I read somewhere that people use beet juice in place of red food coloring, I wonder what that does to the taste? Hmmm.

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  7. I have always LOVED Red Velvet Cake, so moist - and the frosting is soo sweet yum yum.

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  8. I've never had red velvet cake, but it's the second mentioning of it for me this week. ;) Apparently is has chocolate though, after reading the recipe, so it's definitely okay by me! :)

    --snow

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  9. snowelf- did you say two mentioned in one week? that sounds like a "synchronicity". Look into that!

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Thank you kindly.