Cooking web notes

So, what are your plans for Valentine's Day? Stay in and cozy up or go out and paint the town red?  Whichever, I hope this red velvet cake will bring a smile to your face.  This is a great cake with its color and rich taste which will be a surprise for your special one.

   As for me, I treat the day as any other. If that sounds cynical, blame it on my husband who does not give a hoot about Valentine’s Day.  Another festival lost to capitalism and conjured up by Hallmark is what he will say. Oh Well!  That sure doesn't mean I can't eat this cake, right?




But I have some good memories of this day.  More like quirky, fun-filled ones.  We had some strange happenings in our college around Feb 14th.  Some guys came up with a club called ALFA! It was a big deal those days, and this club only gave entry to young men.  As for us girls, (I don’t write young ladies by choice) we were happy giggling and gossiping.  Questions that reigned supreme in our conversations were “Who will be given Valentine’s day cards, who will get flowers, and who the hell will be proposed to.  Oh! We discussed it endlessly and sought great entertainment from it.  I know I sound antiquated but hey, it’s my life.



In the mean time, the men folk, especially ALFA seemed to be in a flutter on the 15^th.  You ask why after the big day?

Well, ALFA stands for Aloysius Love Failure Association.  The club just grew out of proportion enough to break at its seams on this day.  We girls were too prim and proper (at least to the public eye), and gave those boys a run.  We were playing hard to get!


Those were the days! 



(Remember the old Will Filter Cigarette ad? The slogan read “‘made for each other, filter and tobacco perfectly matched – Taste that truly satisfies time after time.”)

Disclaimer: I do not like smoking and neither my husband nor I smoke.  This is just metaphorical, I like the ad slogan.

Should I tell you anything about the cake?  Take my word for it; it’s the best cake for the day! Red velvet and Valentine’s Day – Made for each other.

Okay! Don’t throw things at me now.  I am done talking!




For the cake:

Flour- 2 1/2 cups
Baking soda- 1 tsp
Eggs- 2
Sugar- 1 3/4 cups
Oil- 1 1/2 cup
Buttermilk- 1 cup
Milk- 3 Tbsp
Cocoa powder- 2 Tbsp
White vinegar- 1 Tbsp
Pure Vanilla Extract-1 tsp
Red food color- 2 oz


Cream Cheese frosting:

8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
6 cups confectioners’ sugar

Method:

1.Preheat the oven at 350 degree F. Grease and flour two 9 inch pans.
2.Lightly beat the eggs.
3.Add the other wet ingredients and mix well.
4.Whisk together the dry ingredients.
5.Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients by beating everything together for a couple of minutes.
6.Divide equally among the pans and bake for about 30 minutes or until a tester inserted comes out clean.
7.Cool completely on a wire rack.
8.Meanwhile make the frosting by mixing everything together. Start with the cream cheese and butter at room temperature.
9.Frost one cake on the top and keep the other one on top.Frost on the top and the sides too.
10.Refrigerate any left overs.



Contributor: Namitha
Recipe adapted from : Bakerella and here