Perfect Red Velvet
Printed From https://www.cakecentral.com/recipe/16440/perfect-red-velvet 2024-04-26
I have been trying and trying to find a recipe that lived up to my expectations. One that is moist, yet dense and can stand up to being made into beautiful works of art. I also wanted the recipe to be my own. So, I borrowed from this recipe and that recipe and modified ingredient amounts and this is what I came up with. It makes 2 9inch square cakes perfectly. You should let the cake cool for atleast 30 minutes in the pan before you remove it. I always have problems with my cakes crowning but this one did not.(did I mention that I live in a studio and bake in a small toaster oven? So for this cake to come out this good is amazing!)
Ingredients
- 1box of DH butter recipe yellow cake mix
- 1 stick of butter half melted with the chocolate chips and the other half softened and beat in with the sour cream.
- 3/4 c of dark chocolate chips
- 3 whole eggs and 1 egg white
- 1 c cake flour ( I use Swan’s down)
- 3/4 c sugar
- 1/2 box Jello instant chocolate pudding mix
- 1 c sour cream
- 1 c 2% milk with 1 tsp of lemon juice added ( let sit for 10 minutes or just use buttermilk if you happen to have it on hand)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3/4 oz of red food coloring
- 2/3 c water
- 2 Tbs cocoa powder
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 Tbs apple cider vinegar
***Take half your stick of softened butter and put it into the microwave with the chocolate chips. Microwave in 30 second intervals mixing with a spatula in between, util butter and chocolate are melted.
***In your mixing bowl add your softened butter, sour cream, melted butter and chocolate mixture and mix on low speed for about 1 minute or until well incorporated. Next add your eggs one by one and mix well after each incorporation. Add the vanilla and the red food coloring mixing well.
***Start adding your dry ingredients a little at a time alternating with your milk and water mixing well after each incorporation. If you find that your batter is thick when all of the dry ingredients are added ( which can happen from climate to climate due to humidity) just add a little more water at a time until the cake reaches the right consistency. Once this is all mixed well, beat on med-high for about 2 minutes.
***In a separate container, put your baking soda and your vinegar mix well. Add this to the bowl of batter and mix in well for about 30 seconds.
***If you feel like you need to mix any more, do it by hand with a spatula, scraping the sides and making sure everything is incorporated.
***Spray your pan with Baker’s secret spray or use the butter/Crisco and flour method. Fill your pans no more than half full and bake at 325 degrees for approximately 30 to 35 minutes. (Again, mine is in a toaster oven, your oven may bake them faster) Do not open the oven door until at least 20 minutes have passed and then you can peek and judge your cooking time from there. Cake is done when a wooden skewer poked in the center comes out clean.
**Again, leave the cake in the pans on a cooling rack for about 30 minutes before you move them to a cooling rack.
***I fill my cake with the Whipped White Chocolate Ganache (the recipe is on here…just remember to let the cooled chocolate and cream mixture rest ATLEAST over night and you MAY have to do what I did and add a box of sugar free Jello White Chocolate Pudding mix to get it to firm up…it is an AWESOME filling!! The BEST I have ever tasted! And I am super picky with this stuff!!) Anyway, and then I ice it with my own concoction of a Cream Cheese and White Chocolate Buttercream (when I make it this time, I will keep up with the proportions of all of the ingredients and share that with you as well, as right now I just do it by “feel” and adjust things as I go along to get the finished product that I am happy with.) I am trying to get better about writing these things down!! I hope you enjoy it!! Cheers!!!