Red Velvet Cake

My family really loves Red Velvet cake; however, I have always eaten it as well as prepared it with a cream cheese frosting which is sprinkled liberally with chopped pecans. Much tastier than the shortening icing.

This cake didn't turn out quite as I'd hoped; it ended up being really dense and flat. I'm not sure what I did wrong. I subbed butter for shortening, used milk + vinegar to sub for buttermilk, and used about half the red food coloring. I don't have a sifter, so I lightly spooned the four into my measuring cup. I must have accidentally left out the salt or something? It's a mystery! I'll try again another time.

I've used this recie for 45 years. It is a family favorite and a MUST for our get togethers My son at 6 years old requested it for his birthday in lieu of a character cake. Forty years later it is still his favorite. This frosting is the ONLY frosting I would use. The flour/milk mixture must completely cooled. I use soften butter to make the frosting fluffy. I do add chopped pecans and the coconut to the frosting. AWESOME cake!!!

I have never had red velvet cake before. I gave it only 4 stars, as the flavor was different for me and I have nothing to compare it to. I made it for Mother's Day and mom liked it. I took the leftovers into my students the next day and they thought it was great!!

Lali, Thank you for posting this recipe. I added more cocoa powder (2 tbsp), 1/4 cup more flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1tbsp canola oil, and used butter instead of shortening (ok, so I'm another one of those "recipe-meddlers")... but it is a very fine cake recipe and turned out fluffy and moist for me. I was a deviant with the icing too, I'm in Georgia, so it had to be the cream-cheese icing, so I haven't tried your version of the icing yet, but I will someday. Thanks again for the recipe!