Red Velvet Cake

Steps

1. Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment and grease the paper.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. In a measuring cup, stir the vinegar into the buttermilk.
3. In a large bowl, beat the butter, oil and sugar on medium speed until light, about 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla and food coloring.
4. On low speed, add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the buttermilk in two parts. Mix just until no flour streaks remain.
5. Divide the batter between the pans and smooth the tops. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick in the center comes out clean.
6. Cool the layers in their pans for 10 minutes, then turn them out onto a rack and cool completely, about 1 hour.
7. For the frosting, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add the powdered sugar a cup at a time on low, then the vanilla and salt, and beat just until fluffy, about 1 minute.
8. If the layers are domed, trim the tops flat with a serrated knife and save the scraps. Set one layer on a plate and spread about 1 cup of frosting over it.
9. Add the second layer and frost the top and sides. Crumble the scraps over the top edge and chill 30 minutes before slicing.

Good to know

• Bake the layers a day ahead; once cool, wrap them in plastic and keep them at room temperature. The frosted cake keeps in the fridge for up to 4 days.
• Unfrosted layers freeze well for up to 2 months, wrapped in plastic and foil. Frosting them while still slightly frozen keeps the crumbs down.
• Gel food coloring is stronger than liquid. Start with 1 teaspoon of gel and add more for a deeper red.
• No buttermilk? Stir 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar into 1 cup milk and let it stand 5 minutes.