Red Velvet Cake....!!

These are one of the most beautiful cakes.... Taste wise... Along with icing they taste good but alone its not a an awesome tasting cake.... I am not a big fan of this cake.... But since its color is so tempting I attempt to bake it.... So I have baked a thin layer of it and did cream cheese frosting....What exactly is a Red Velvet Cake?

James Beard's 1972 reference, American Cookery,  describes three red velvet cakes varying in the amounts of shortening and butter, also vegetable oil. All used red food coloring, but the reaction of acidic vinegar and buttermilk tends to better reveal the red anthocyanin in cocoa and keeps the cake moist, light and fluffy. This natural tinting may have been the source for the name "red velvet" as well as "Devil's food" and similar names for chocolate cakes.

Preparation Time : 15 mins
Baking Time : 25 - 30 mins
Serves : 10 - 12

Ingredients:

Cake:

All purpose flour	1 ½ cups
Salt	¼ tsp
Cocoa Powder	1 tbsp
Butter (unsalted - room temperature)	¼ cup
Eggs	2
Granulated White Sugar	¾  cups
Butter milk (or Curd)	½ cup
Red liquid food color	2 tbsp
Distilled Vinegar	1 tsp
Baking soda	1 tsp

Frosting:

Cream Cheese (room temperature)	175 gm
Mascarpone cheese	175 gm
Vanilla essence	1 tsp
Icing sugar	½ cup
Whipped cream	1 cup

Method for Cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 175°C. Butter the pan which you are using for baking the cake.

2. In a bowl mix together the flour, salt and cocoa powder and set aside.

3. In another bowl beat the butter until soft, once done ass the sugar and beat until fluffy.

4. Add eggs one at a time and beat well. Mix in vanilla essence.

5. Meanwhile whisk the butter milk(or curd) with the red food color. 

6. Slowly ass the add the flour mixture and mix.

7. In a small cup combine vinegar and baking soda and let it fizz and then quickly add to the batter.

8. Pour the batter into the pan and bake it in the middle rack of the oven at 175°C for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. 

9. Cool the cakes on the wire rack. Once its completely cooled, wrap in a plastic film and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Method for frosting:

1. In a bowl beat the cream cheese and mascarpone cheese until smooth.

2. Add vanilla essence and icing sugar and beat until smooth.

3. Add the whipping cream and beat until the frosting is thick enough to spread.

4. Spread the cream over the cooled cake and design as per your wish....!! Red Velvet Cake is done!!!