Red Velvet Cake

Red Velvet Cake Tomorrow is our 51st wedding anniversary. This will make a nice cake to celebrate the special occasion. Ingredients:

Cake

3 3/4 cups all purpose flour

3 tablespoons Dutch processed cocoa powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

12 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 1/4 cups granulated sugar

3/4 cups vegetable oil

3 large eggs, at room temperature

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon red food coloring

1 1/2 cups buttermilk, at room temperature

Frosting, recipe follows

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Directions Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour 2 (9-inch) cake pans and line each pan with a round of parchment paper. Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in a small bowl

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Cream the butter, sugar and oil in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl and beat until incorporated. Beat in the vanilla, vinegar and food coloring.

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Add the flour mixture to the batter in 3 batches alternating with the buttermilk, mixing well after each addition. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool on a baking rack for 15 minutes before removing the cake from the pans. Let cool completely before frosting. Slice each cake into 2 layers and frost.

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Frosting:

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 cup whole milk

1/2 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped

7 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups superfine sugar

Directions:

Combine the cream, milk, vanilla bean and seeds in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Remove the vanilla bean and discard. Add the flour and cook, whisking constantly, until thickened to a paste, about 2 minutes. Scrape into a bowl, cover and refrigerate until very cold, at least 2 hours.

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Combine the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat until the mixture is very fluffy and the sugar is totally dissolved, about 6 minutes. Add the cold paste, a few tablespoons at a time to the butter mixture and whip until light and fluffy