Wednesday, October 18, 2006

Red Red Cake


Our traditional "birthday" cake on Minnesota Mom's side of the family. I have been known to substitute a boxed mix in a pinch (Duncan Hines being the preferred brand), but I always make the frosting from scratch!


1 C. butter
1 1/2 C. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
1 2-oz bottle red food color
2 T. unsweetened cocoa
2 1/2 C. cake flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 C. buttermilk
1 tsp. vinegar

Cream butter; slowly add sugar and eggs. Add vanilla.

In a separate bowl, make a paste out of the food coloring & cocoa. Blend into the butter mix. Add buttermilk and baking soda to the wet mix. Add vinegar; fold in flour.

Grease and flour one 9 x 13 pan or 2 8" round pans. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Frosting

Whisk 1 1/2 C. milk with 1/2 C. all-purpose flour. Cook on low until thick. Cool. In bowl cream 1 C. butter with 1 1/2 C. sugar. Add 1 tsp. vanilla and 1 tsp. almond extract and a pinch of salt. Add flour until light & fluffy.

*It is very important that your butter not be too warm when you add the flour. Your frosting will curdle! I like to refrigerate the butter & sugar after blending them for a spell and have much better luck when I do so.

This frosting is well worth the extra effort--it makes the cake!

May all your family birthdays be blessed,

Margaret

2 comments:

Alice Gunther said...

Margaret, I did not know you had a recipe blog, and I'm so excited to discover yet another place to read your entertaining posts!

Love the title of this blog too!

We have three birthdays coming up in November. If I try the red, red cake, I'll let you know. (That is, I am planning to try it, but do not trust myself to pull it off--will let you know if I do.)

Marjorie said...

Margaret, Hooray! I didn't know you had a food blog too. C'est delicieux! Coffee is my elixer of life and food a great love so I will have to visit often and try some of your recipes. Live long, eat well.