This Classic Red Velvet Cake is made how my southern ex-husband grew up eating his cake…with chopped pecans IN the frosting.
The Daring Bakers are at it again.
This month we chose Classic Red Velvet Cake, which very few people had made, but I make on a monthly basis for my Southern gentleman.
Like a lot of people I know, I became acquainted with red velvet cake from the movie Steel Magnolias.
There at the wedding was the awful grooms cake, an armadillo, that when cut into was a blood red, red velvet cake.
Not exactly appetizing to me, but no one in the movie thought it out of the ordinary.
That’s one of the many things I love about the South.
Before meeting my husband I had red velvet cake a few times but had never made it before.
But when I met him one of the few things (we have already established he is a picky eater) he said he truly loved to eat was red velvet cake.
So off I went to make it.
I was all proud the first time in making it.
There it stood, all three layer of cake, covered in cream cheese frosting with chopped pecans sprinkled on top.
Because he told me that red velvet cake where he is from HAS to have pecans.
Okay.
I was excited to see my husbands reaction (he did not know I was making it).
When I held out the cake there was a look of horror on his face.
“That’s not red velvet cake,” he said.
I assured him that according to the recipe, it was indeed red velvet cake.
And if he would cut into it he would see it was quite red.
“Pecans go IN the frosting, not on top!”
What is the difference I thought?
Apparently to him there is.
And so from that day on I put the chopped pecans in the frosting instead of on top.
Which leads me to my first warning about this cake.
It’s a bitch to frost.
And that is putting it mildly.
You will swear while frosting this cake.
In fact, you may in fact invent new swear words when frosting this cake.
I did.
If you are going for a pretty cake, this is not it.
A crumb layer is a must on this cake.
You are going to get bits of red in your pretty white frosting…oh well.
I have made several recipes and he doesn’t seem to prefer anyone of them.
Every time I get, “tastes good, tastes like red velvet cake.”
He is so helpful.
So when we (the Daring Bakers that is) picked red velvet cake I decided to pick a recipe I hadn’t tried yet.
This one came from a Southern boarding house cookbook and looked pretty traditional so I gave it a whirl.
This originally was a three layer cake but my impatient husband could not wait until the next day after I took photos to eat it…so the top layer went to him.
I actually made three mini layers and one regular cake layer (that went to a friend).
Another impatient thing was that I did not have pecans.
When I told him this he said, “fine, just use some other nut.”
All I had was slivered almonds, so that is what I used.
He seemed to be okay with it telling me, “tastes good, tastes like red velvet cake.”
Grrrrr….men.
It’s a great day to order my cookbook.
Want more Red Velvet recipes?
Red Velvet Marble Cake with Red Velvet Oreo Cream Cheese Bavarian Filling
White Russian Red Velvet Cupcakes
Kalimotxo Chocolate Red Velvet Cupcakes
Red Velvet Cream Cheese Swirl Brownies
Classic Red Velvet Cake
Ingredients
- For the cake:
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
- 1 tsp white vinegar
- 2 1/2 cups cake flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 to 3 TBSP cocoa powder
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 5/8 ounce bottle red food coloring
- Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 1(8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 (1 pound) box confectioners sugar
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- For the cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Cream the eggs, sugar, oil and vinegar.
- Sift the cake flour, baking soda, and cocoa together.
- Add the flour mixture to the creamed ingredients while beating.
- Slowly add the buttermilk.
- While still beating, add the vanilla and the food coloring.
- Pour into three 8-inch layer pans and bake for about 25 minutes.
- Press lightly; if the layers are spongy, then the cake is done.
- Frost the cooled layers, assemble and frost the top and sides.
- Serves 12 to 14.
- For the frosting:
- Combine the cream cheese and butter and melt over very low heat.
- Add the sugar, pecans and vanilla and mix well.
- If the frosting becomes too thick, add a little milk.
- Frost one 8-inch or 9-inch layer cake.
Notes
Helen says
Oh Yummm! Men and their cake I tell ya!
I love that they are so many interpretations available for just one cake, make me want to try it with nuts next month!
Mary says
Wow! Yours is a very pretty red. 🙂
gattina says
my husband also makes similar response… blaaaaaah!
The texture of your cake looks great, no wonder he couldn’t wait.
Freya says
Yours looks mouthwateringly good! I have no idea how you found time to make this, along with compiling the HHDD competition as well. I think my head would have exploded!
Lisa says
Just gorgeous! I love the mile high layer of frosting on it.. Mmmmmm. =) At least yours ate the cake.. mine “didn’t have room” last night so the only opinion on it for my post is going to be mine.
breadchick says
WOW! That is red!!! I am so glad I’m not the only person who has a tastebud challenged man in their life. I frosted the domes of my cake and gave a bit to MBH to take to work today. He ate his for breakfast…comment “Yup, tastes like Red Velvet Cake”. Perhaps yours and mine are twins separated at birth??!!
gilly says
I love the vibrant colour!
veron says
Your cake looks absolutely decadent. The red of your cake is gorgeous!
Kristen says
I love red velvet cake. I can tell I’m going to be drooling over a lot of pictures this week! Very well done.
Jenny says
Holy Red! We made the same recipe and mine didn’t look anything like that!
I sympathize with you on the husband thing – I get the same kinds of reactions from mine all the time.
Any icing left? 🙂
Hester says
amazing how red your cake is, and your icing looks so thick and great! I agree with you that the best bit of this cake is the icing… and i loved the method of melting the cream cheese. love the bottom photo – it’s how I imagined red velvet cake should look!
Laurie says
Aren’t men such a help when cooking for them? Your cake looks amazingly red, and very good! It definitely is a Southern thing. I have not as yet made one, but I know many people love their red velvet cake, maybe someday I will be inspired to try one, and if I keep visiting all the daring bakers it might be sooner.
Ellie says
That is one intense cake! Sounds like if we mixed the reactions of your hubbs and my younger brother, we’d get something helpful! He’s the super critical little twerp who likes pointing out to me every single thing that he doesn’t like about anything that I’ve made! 😛
Claire says
I think making red velvet cake is SO much fun. I make one that has raspberry jam between the layers instead of frosting. OH! It is SO good. Yours looks great…so moist! Y’all look like you have a lot of fun with these challenges.
Brilynn says
You get the award for the cake that’s most blood red in colour, it really is striking!
Rose says
This cake sure looks delicious, with all the layers and the RED…The RED just calls for a white dress to stain.
Ivonne says
Your husband is a lucky guy, Peabody!!! I think your cake is gorgeous and I find it interesting that some people are so attached to it. It seems like a realy cultural dessert for those from the South.
Feel free to send me one next month …
:o)
Julie O'Hara says
Red velvet cake is on my shortlist of desserts to try. Yours looks really moist. I’ll have to check out the other recipes because I know there’s some debate about what actually makes the cake red.
Cheryl says
Men!!! Yes, I understand that. I too have had the horrors of trying to frost a cake with nuts in the frosting, its insane.
What a delicious piece of cake, just lovely.
valentina says
the first time I made RVC it was a recipe from the Magnolia cook book. I had never seen anything like it. The colour fascinated me. I am using your recipe for this challenge as I wanted a change and had no other recipe in the house.your looks divine. I have been meaning to use a natural dye for it but my parcel has not arrived yet so I will have to bake mine last minute and using the usual stuff.Can I have a slice of yours?
Morven says
Wow – what a red cake. And that frosting – so thick I can almost taste it. You are very fortunate to have a significant other to bake for. Mine barely has a sweet tooth.
Jen says
Well done! Your cake looks really moist and yummy. 🙂
Scott at Realepicurean says
Yours is the second I’ve seen (after Brilynn’s). I can never have too much cake though, especially since yours looks so delicious!
Elle says
Your cake looks fantastic and really, really red. Good thing we love our men…they can be frustrating. Fortunately my nephew decided that three pieces of the cake in one weekend, including one for breakfast, was the way to go. His comment? “Good cake.” Men.
Patricia Scarpin says
I’m so impressed by the color of this cake, Peabody! It’s so bright and beautiful, I love it!
sher says
This is a great idea–all the different recipes have different back stories to them! I remember that groom’s cake in Steel Magnolias. It’s a hilarious scene. Your cake looks sooo good. I dearly wish I had a slice.
sandi @ the whistlestop cafe says
Beautiful!
Being from the south I know something about red velvet cakes…you should have appointed me the judge. In fact if you would like to put a piece in the mail~
Mercedes says
Me too, me too, I made red velvet cake too!
Fruittart says
I LOVE that you ladies do this! It is so much to go peek in everyone’s kitchens and see all the creative ways you finish the same recipes. Cool club! Beautiful cake, too! 🙂
Kirsten says
I LOVE red velvet cake!! Your’s looks great, and I actually like almonds better anyway. 🙂
I MUST try making a red velvet cake sometime…
delia says
Made this red velvet cake for the first time last nite. My frosting was lousy and was a bit too sweet for me. Nevertheless, it’s a nice cake.
Dana says
Hey Pea – I have a fantastic recipe from one of my mom’s best friends back in NC. I ask her to make it for my Christmas present each year. Maybe your DH will dig this one (and yes, nuts are in the frosting!)
The only difference I see between the recipes is that Tina’s uses 2 c. of oil. I’ll take whatever other folks don’t want!
Tiffany says
I tried this recipe last weekend and yummm! It was the first time I’ve ever had red velvet cake and it was amazing! Nice work Peabody.
Dawn says
Hi! Your cake looks amazing! I’ve made red velvet cakes before but most recipes call for distilled white vinegar. Do you know why this recipe doesn’t call for that?
Peabody says
@Dawn- it reacts with the baking soda, gives it a fluffy texture
Sophine says
Is it supposed to have tblsp of cocoa powder
Peabody says
TBSP is a correct abbreviation of TABLESPOON
Darlene says
What is 5/8?
Peabody says
5/8 is a fraction. Just over half of an ounce of red food coloring
Tanisha says
I have made this cake numerous times. It is wonderful!!!! The only thing I change is the amount of cocoa powder. I don’t like a strong chocolate taste so I normally do 1/2-1 tbsp. No other modifications were needed. It was so moist and VELVETY LOL
Peabody says
So glad you enjoy it. And great that you found which amount of cocoa powder that works for you.
Louise says
My family loves pecans in the icing I don’t mix them in. After I ice each layer I sprinkle chopped pecans on top. I also add extra to the top.
Peabody says
Good idea
Laura Trahan says
I have been making this recipe for over 40 years. I make a red one and a green one ant usealternate layers. Makes two beautiful Christmas cakes. Such an easy recipe!
Peabody says
Sounds festive!
Carlin says
Looks amazing! For step #13, are we talking about completely melted?
Peabody says
Yes