Southern Red Velvet Cake Recipe

Bake up a Lovely Red Velvet Cake - Beautiful and Delicious

© Cyndi Allison

Aug 10, 2007

Red Velvet cake is a favorite in the South. The cake is actually a creation from the Waldorf-Astoria. The hotel cake features garden beets for the color, but southerners use food coloring. That’s kind of ironic, since so many in the South grow gardens and put up beats. I guess it’s just easier to use bottled color.

In some cases, Red Velvet cake is used as the groom’s cake at weddings. Traditionally, the cake is decorated with flowers like mums. A small clear glass holder is put in the center of the cake to hold flowers, and then flower tops are placed around the plate.

More often, Red Velvet cake is served at holidays, for birthdays for Red Velvet cake fans and at special pot luck dinners. Not only does it taste fabulous, it also looks really pretty.

There are some box mixes for Red Velvet, but they don’t do the cake justice. There’s no replacement for the real thing.

This cake does take some time and effort to make, but it’s well worth it. It’s a real show shopper in all ways.

Red Velvet Cake

• 2 ½ cups plain flour
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• 1 tsp. cocoa baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 ½ cup vegetable oil
• 1 tsp white vinegar
• 1 tsp vanilla flavoring
• 1 tsp almond flavoring
• 2 eggs (medium or large)
• 1 bottle red food coloring (1 oz size)

Directions:

1. Sift the flour, sugar, baking soda and cocoa powder into a big bowl that you’ll use to mix the cake.
2. Using a hand or table mixer, put in the milk. Mix.
3. Add oil and mix.
4. Add vinegar, vanilla and almond flavoring. Mix.
5. Lightly beat the eggs in a small bowl. Add and mix.
6. Add the food coloring. Mix until the batter is even in color.
7. Grease and flour 3 cake pans – size 8 inches.
8. Evenly pour the batter into the three pans.
9. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes or until the center tests done with a toothpick.
10. Let the cake cool and then frost with Cream Cheese Frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

• ½ cup margarine (softened)
• 8 oz. cream cheese
• ½ tsp vanilla flavoring
• 1 box of confectioners sugar (1 pound)
• 1 cup pecans (may also want some extras to sprinkle on top)

Directions:

1. Beat the margarine and cream cheese in a medium mixing bowl until light and creamy.
2. Add vanilla and confectioners sugar and beat well.
3. Hand stir in pecans.
4. Spread cream cheese icing between layers of the Red Velvet cake, up the sides and on top.
5. If you have lots of pecans, then sprinkle some pieces on top.
6. The pecans are especially good toasted a bit in the oven for this recipe.

If you’d like to make some other favorite southern desserts try:

Southern Jam Cake

Orange Soft Drink Pound Cake

Hummingbird Cake

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

Mix up a Red Velvet Cake

Print Article

Email Article

View All Articles

How to subscribe to feeds