Red Velvet Cake

Recipes adapted from joyof baking.com and joythebaker.com

Ingredients for Cake:
- 2 1/2 cups Sifted Cake flour *
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 2 tablespoons Dutch-Processed Cocoa Powder
- 1/2 cup Shortening
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1 1/2 cups Sugar
- 2 large Eggs- room temperature
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 cup Buttermilk- room temperature
- 2 tablespoons Liquid Red Food Coloring
- 1 teaspoon White Distilled Vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda

*You have to sift the cake flour before measuring out the cups. Then you will sift it again with the other dry ingredients.

Ingredients for Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 1/2 cups Unsalted Butter, room temp/softened
- 8oz Cream Cheese, room temp/softened
- 1/4 cup Light Brown Sugar, packed
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- pinch of Salt
- 4-6 cups Powdered Sugar
- 2-4 tablespoons milk, depending on desired consistency

Directions for Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Butter two - 9 inch round cake pans and line the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a bowl sift together the flour, salt, and cocoa powder and baking powder. Set aside.
- In bowl of your electric mixer, beat the shortening until soft (about 1-2 minutes).
- Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes).
- Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add the vanilla extract and beat until combined.
- In a cup whisk the buttermilk with the red food coloring.
- With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour.
- In a small cup combine the vinegar and baking soda. Allow the mixture to fizz and then quickly fold into the cake batter.
- Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans. Bake for approximately 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool the cakes in their pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes.
- Then carefully invert the cakes out of their pans onto the wire racks. Place
- Once the cakes have completely cooled, wrap in plastic and place the cake layers in the freezer for at least an hour before you frost/fill the cake. This makes it easier. If you don't plan on frosting the cake until a later day, you can keep the cake in the freezer and thaw before frosting.

Directions for Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting:
- Cream the cream cheese in an electric mixer for 1 minute.
- Scrape down the bowl and add the butter, beating for 1-2 minutes, or until incorporated. (Be sure that the two are at room temperature.
- Add the brown sugar, pinch of salt and vanilla extract, and beat until incorporated.
- Turn off mixer and add 2 cups of powdered sugar. Turn the mixer on a low speed so the sugar doesn’t fly out of the bowl. Slowly add more sugar alternately with the milk until you reach your desired consistency.