Red Velvet Cake

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups sifted cake flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 tbs red food coloring
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
2 tsp distilled white vinegar
1 tsp baking soda

2 packages cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 9 x 2 cake pans and line bottoms with parchment paper.

Sift flour, cocoa, and salt into a bowl.

In stand mixer, beat butter at low speed until creamy. Add sugar and blend on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, mixing well after each. Add food coloring and vanilla. On low speed, beat in flour mixture in thirds, alternating with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture.

In small bowl, stir together vinegar and baking soda. Stir into batter. 

Divide batter between prepared pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. 

Cool in pans 10 minutes. Run a knife around edges and turn layers out onto racks. Remove paper and flip cakes.

Frosting:

In stand mixer beat cream cheese and butter at medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Add sugar and vanilla. Blend on low speed for 30 seconds. Then beat on medium-high until fluffy.
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