ASK PAT: Experiment with a Red Velvet Cake recipe

Recently a reader saw a recipe for a Red Velvet Cake on TV that only called for two eggs. She asked me to get the recipe for her. In researching other recipes for Red Velvet Cake, I found that some recipes call for as many as six eggs. Today I’m printing a two-egg version and a six-egg version. You might like to try them both and see which one you like best.

Red Velvet Cake
(2 eggs)

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (recommended White Lily)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cocoa
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups canola oil
1 teaspoon vinegar
1 (1 oz.) bottle red food coloring
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup buttermilk

Frosting:
3/4 cup margarine, room temperature
1 1/2 (8 oz.) pkgs. cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/2 boxes confectioners’ sugar, sifted
3/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups chopped lightly toasted pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 3 (9-inch) round layer cake pans. Sift flour, baking soda and cocoa together. Beat sugar and eggs together in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together oil, vinegar, food coloring and vanilla. Add this mixture to the egg mixture and beat until combined. Add the flour mixture and the buttermilk to the wet mixture by alternating the dry ingredients and buttermilk. Always start and end with the dry ingredients. Pour batter into prepared pans. Tap them on the table to level out the batter and release air bubbles. Bake for 25 minutes or until a cake tester inserted near the middle comes out clean but be careful not to over bake. Let the layers cool on a wire rack for about 10 minutes before turning out of pans. Cool completely before frosting.
Cream together margarine and cream cheese. Add sugar and beat until mixed but not so much that the frosting becomes “loose”. Add vanilla and nuts. Spread between layers and on top and sides of cake.
Source: FoodNetwork (Paula Deen)

Red Velvet Cake
(6 eggs)

1 cup butter, softened
3 cups granulated sugar
6 eggs
1 oz. red food coloring
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon white vinegar

Frosting:
12 oz. white chocolate
2 (8 oz.) pkgs. cream cheese, softened
1 cup butter, softened

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour three 8-inch round pans. In a large bowl, cream 1 cup butter with sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix food coloring with cocoa and add to mixture. Add flour alternately with buttermilk. Add vanilla and salt. Mix baking soda with vinegar, and gently stir into mixture. Be careful not to over mix. Divide batter into three prepared 8-inch round pans. Bake for 25 minutes. Allow to cool.
Melt the white chocolate and allow to cool to lukewarm. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in melted white chocolate and softened butter. Beat until it is the consistency of whipped cream, then use to fill and frost the cake.

Source: Allrecipes (Internet)