RED VELVET CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
I love every and any opportunity to use my beautiful blue china tea set. I have mentioned it before on ALF, it has been passed down from generation to generation on my moms side. I love the color blue and the perfect little details that you find on all the plates and tea cups.
I always pull my set out for tea when we have company. I pair the blue tea cups, cup plates, and small plates with my white tea pot, sugar bowl, and “cream” jug. Together they make the perfect set. The little tea spoons and forks come from my dads side generations ago. The ornate patterns on the tiny handles are so beautiful. It’s such a wonderful feeling to use such pretty things that my grandparents and great grandparents used to use.
I first made this cake a few weeks ago. Yes this is a cheat cake. Yes it is a boxed cake. And yes it is absolutely delicious. I have a little trick for sprucing up boxed cakes that I found on pinterest a few years ago.
– add an extra egg or 2 for extra richness
– use melted butter instead of oil
– use milk instead of water
– pour in a little vanilla
Now that might sound a little crazy. I tend to only do two of those things: add an egg and some vanilla essence. But if you choose you can do all 4. The object of these additions is to take it to a bakery level and take some side steps away from that boxed-ness.
I choose half of those steps because I personally don’t mind a box cake and even those little additions give a lot of improvement.
As for the icing I always like to make mine homemade, I learned that from my mom. I will not deny a carton of store bought icing with some marie biscuits and rainbow sprinkles… BUT if I am already making a box cake, I want to make my own fresh icing to lather on top (it is worth the extra effort).
I have stayed away from red velvet cake for years as I claimed I didn’t like it. After making this cake I couldn’t believe the fact I have been missing out for so long! It is so decadent and slightly sweet but not overpowering.
I attribute that hate for the cake to the fact I tried one long ago that was terrible and I decided from then on I was not eating it.
My sister absolutely loves red velvet and I always thought she was so crazy.
RED VELVET CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
Ingredients
CAKE
- 1 red velvet box cake
- 4 large eggs
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup water
- 1 teasoon vanilla essence
ICING
- 12 ounces cream cheese (1/3 less fat), softened
- 1 stick of unsalted butter, softened
- 2 1/2 cups icing sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
Instructions
CAKE
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
- Pour contents of cake mix, eggs, vegetable oil, water, and vanilla into a large bowl. Mix with a hand mixer until combined, about 2 minutes. Grease two 9" cake pans with spray and cook. Sprinkle flour on the surface to coat the bottom of the pan.
- Pour cake mix evenly into both pans. Bake for 28 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Once baked cool for 15 minutes and runa knife around the edges. Flip out of the cake pans and transfer to a cooling rack. Cool for 15 minutes. Transfer cakes to the freezer for 30 minutes.
- Once slightly frozen cover in icing. Make one single layer on the bottom cake tin top, then the whole cake. Don't make the layer too thin as it will pick up cake pieces (like mine).
ICING
- Combine softened cream cheese and softened butter in a bowl with a hand mixer. Add in powdered sugar and vanilla and mix.
The frosting (icing) for this cake is delicious. It is slightly whipped from the cream cheese but is light and fluffy from the icing sugar. The icing is perfect for this red velvet cake because it is not too sweet and sugary but retains enough sweetness to compliment the flavors in the red velvet.
Like I mentioned above this cake is not too sweet and gives people without a sweet tooth the ability to enjoy cake and frosting without scrunching up there faces because of overpowering sugar.
The two pairings of milder cream cheese and soft buttery cake are literally melt in your mouth fantastic.
I just die with a big piece of cake & a cup of tea.
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