Classic Red Velvet Cake

Ingredients:

Cake:

2 1/2
cups Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour
1 1/2
cups sugar
2
tablespoons unsweetened baking cocoa
1
tablespoon baking powder
1
teaspoon salt
1 1/2
cups vegetable oil
1
cup buttermilk
1
teaspoon vanilla
1
bottle (1 oz) red food color
2
eggs

Frosting:

1/2
cup Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour
1 1/2
cups milk
1 1/2
cups sugar
1 1/2
cups butter, softened
1
tablespoon vanilla

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease bottoms and sides of 3 (8- or 9-inch) round pans with shortening; lightly flour.

2. In large bowl, beat all cake ingredients with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly. Beat 2 minutes on medium speed, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour into pans.

3. Bake 25 to 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour.

4. In medium saucepan, mix 1/2 cup flour and 1 1/2 cups milk with whisk until smooth. Cook over medium heat until mixture is very thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; cool 10 minutes. In large bowl, beat 1 1/2 cups sugar and the butter with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Gradually add flour mixture by tablespoonfuls; beat on high speed until smooth. Beat in vanilla. Fill and frost cake, using 1 cup frosting between layers. Store covered in refrigerator.

www.bettycrocker.com



Butter Roux Frosting

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup Whole Milk
3 TB All Purpose Flour
A pinch of Salt
1 cup unsalted Butter
1 cup Granulated Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

Whisk flour into milk and place over medium heat in a small sauce pan.

Cook mixture until thickened, whisking constantly.

Remove from heat and whisk in the salt.

Pour into a clean bowl and cover with plastic wrap on the surface. (This will stop the cooking and the plastic will prevent crusting).

Set aside to cool slightly.
In a stand mixer, begin creaming the butter and sugar until fluffy.

Add vanilla extract and mix to combine.

When milk mixture is slightly cooled; add 1 TB at a time to the creamed butter mixture while the mixer is running on medium speed.

Slowly but surely the gluten will pull in the butter into a pseudo emulsion.

You should have an extremely fluffy, light and buttery frosting when completed.

NOTES:

The Traditional frosting for Red Velvet cake, Ermine is also known as Boiled Milk or Butter Roux Frosting.
It has a boiled milk and flour base that is added to creamed butter and sugar. This gives you a rich but light taste with an ermine-like mouth feel, thus the name. Not quite a butter creme, but close. It's really quite a unique and delicious type of frosting, but does need to be refrigerated though as it does not stand up well to temps above 70 degrees.
I am sure this is part of the reason that it has been forsaken for the more modern Cream Cheese frosting (Which I LOVE on Carrot Carrot cake).

www.culinaryalchemist.com