Red Velvet Cake

Name: Red Velvet Cake
Yield: Makes 1 (9-inch) layer cake
Ingredients: 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for the pans; 3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the pans; 3 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder; 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda; 1/2 teaspoon fine salt; 2 1/4 cups sugar; 3/4 cup canola oil; 3 large eggs, at room temperature; 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract; 1 1/2 teaspoons red wine vinegar; 1 tablespoon red food coloring; 1 1/2 cups buttermilk, at room temperature; 1/4 cup heavy cream; 1 1/2 cups whole milk; 1/2 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped; 1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour; 3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened; 1 1/2 cups superfine sugar

December 14, 2011

Once the Deep South’s secret, red velvet cake definitely has the nation’s attention. The cake’s distinctive color, the result of a chemical reaction between acidic vinegar and buttermilk and Dutch-processed cocoa, was originally much more subdued than that of its present incarnation. A dose of food coloring is called for to pump that reddish brown into the true red that distinguishes this cake from all the rest. The sweet and lightly chocolaty cake is layered and frosted with an indulgently rich vanilla buttercream. Made with vanilla bean seeds instead of extract, the creamy frosting sports the telltale brown flecks that signal the pure vanilla flavor to come. Some red velvet cakes I’ve tried have been a bit on the dry side, but not this one. It’s incredibly moist thanks to the buttermilk and a measure of canola oil.

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