Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

I made this cake about a year ago and it is one of my favorite cakes in the world. It has 4 Tbsp of red coloring in the batter so the cake comes out a rich red. I find that all the best frostings are made up of cream cheese, butter and sugar. This one is no exception. I especially love this cake because of the berries found in the middle of the 2 layers. I had never seen this before and had never even thought of doing it either. 

Here's what the cake looks like before it is completely frosted...

The brightness doesn't really show from this picture. Imagine a deep red of a cranberry. That's what the cake looked like.  The recipe is from Bon Appetit Desserts: The Cookbook for All Things Sweet and Wonderful


Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

CAKE

• 2 1/4 cups sifted cake flour (sifted, then measured)
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 tablespoon red food coloring
• 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 large eggs
• 
  

FROSTING

• 2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 3 1/2-pint baskets fresh raspberries
• 3 1/2-pint baskets fresh blueberries
• 
  

Preparation

FOR CAKE:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. 
  Butter and flour two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. 
  Sift sifted flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into medium bowl. 
  Whisk buttermilk, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla in small bowl to blend. 
  Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until well blended. 
  Add eggs 1 at a time, beating until well blended after each addition. 
  Beat in dry ingredients in 4 additions alternately with buttermilk mixture in 3 additions.
• Divide batter between prepared pans.
• Bake cakes about 27 minutes. Cool a bit and turn cakes out onto racks then cool completely.
  
  

FOR FROSTING:

• Beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl until smooth.
• Beat in vanilla. Add powdered sugar and beat until smooth.

• Place 1 cake layer, flat side up, on platter.
• Spread 1 cup frosting over top of cake. 
  Arrange 1 basket raspberries and 1/2 basket blueberries atop frosting, pressing lightly to adhere. 
  Top with second cake layer, flat side down. 
  Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. 
  Arrange remaining berries decoratively over top of cake. 

Unfortunately I don't have a picture of my cake completely frosted but I did find a picture of what the cake looks like in the book. 

It tastes as good as it looks!




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