Southern Red Velvet Cake

 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon fine salt

1 teaspoon cocoa powder (I used 2 Teaspoons)

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature

2 large eggs, at room temperature

2 tablespoons red food coloring (1 ounce)

1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 

 Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter and flour 3 (8- or 9-inch round) cake pans.  In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. In another large bowl, whisk together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla.  Using a standing mixer, mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined and a smooth batter is formed.  Divide the cake batter evenly among the prepared cake pans. Place the pans in the oven evenly spaced apart. Bake, rotating the pans halfway through the cooking, until the cake pulls away from the side of the pans, and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean, about 30 minutes.  Remove the cakes from the oven and run a knife around the edges to loosen them from the sides of the pans. One at a time, invert the cakes onto a plate and then re-invert them onto a cooling rack, rounded sides up. Let cool completely.  Then frost-cooled cake with the frosting recipe below.

 

Cream Cheese & White Chocolate Frosting:

1-pound cream cheese softened (I used a 1- 8-ounce package & 2 ounces of another package)

4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

2 sticks unsalted butter (1 cup), softened

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1- 4-ounce bar white chocolate- melted in microwave at 70% power

 

In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or with a hand-held electric mixer in a large bowl, mix the cream cheese, butter, and white chocolate on low speed until incorporated. Add confectioners’ sugar beating on low speed and then increase the speed to high, and mix until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. (Occasionally turn the mixer off, and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.)   Reduce the speed of the mixer to low. Add the vanilla, raise the speed to high, and mix briefly until fluffy, scraping down the bowl occasionally.