Many (myself included) have never known red velvet cake to go with anything other than cream cheese frosting, but find out this: Ermine frosting, also known as "boiled" frosting, is actually the combination original for the crimson cake. Although neither name is that appetizing, the frosting itself is too good to lick your fingers. It's a cross between buttercream and whipped cream frosting, subtly sweet and very, . of butter.
Although my heart still has room for cream cheese frosting, I consider myself a convert. Let's make the traditional boiled cherry!
observations
For this recipe, I'm using boiled glaze which I think really makes the red velvet shine. If you're a cream cheese person, feel free to change it up, but you should at least try it once with boiled frosting. You will not regret!
ingredients
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For the cake:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting cake pans
2 tablespoons unsweetened natural cocoa powder
1 teaspoon table salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
Red liquid food coloring
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
1 teaspoon baking soda
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For glaze:
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 1/8 teaspoons table salt
2 1/4 cups whole milk
2 1/4 cups salted butter, softened
2 1/4 cups fine granulated sugar (or sifted powdered sugar)
3 teaspoons of vanilla extract
instructions
- make cake: Place oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare 2 9-inch cake pans by greasing the bottom and sides with butter. Cut out 2 circles from parchment paper and place them on the bottom of the trays. Grease the top of the parchment paper with butter and sprinkle the bottom and sides with flour.
- Whisk flour, cocoa and salt in a bowl to combine.
- Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until foamy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating for 30 seconds and scraping down sides of bowl after each addition. Add the dry ingredients and buttermilk to the cream and sugar in 2 or 3 additions alternately, mixing until combined. Mix vanilla and enough red food coloring to dye the paste a deep red.
- Mix vinegar and baking soda in a small bowl (it will boil). Fold the cake batter. Spread the batter evenly into the cake pans. Cook until cakes are spring-cooked when lightly touched, 30 to 35 minutes. Let the cakes cool for 10 minutes in the pans, then remove from the pan and cool completely on a rack.
- Make frosting: Mix flour, salt and 3/4 cup milk in a saucepan and whisk until smooth. Add the remaining milk. Cook over medium heat until thickened, whisking occasionally. Remove from heat, transfer to a bowl and cool completely.
- Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the cold vanilla and milk mixture. Beat until the mixture is light and fluffy and no longer grainy. Spread on a cooled cake or cupcakes. The icing can be stored in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature and beat again before using.
- mount: Spread a tablespoon of frosting on a cake plate. Place 1 cake layer on top and use an offset spatula to spread a layer of frosting around the edges of the cake. Add another layer of cake and cover the top and sides of the cake with a thin layer of frosting. Let this cake layer set for a few minutes, then use the rest of the frosting to cover the top and sides of the cake. If desired, use the back of a spoon to make mountains and valleys in the frosting on the cake, or use a knife to make swirls.
insights
- category
- Desserts, Cakes
- cook
- North American
- performance
- 1 9-inch cake with 2 layers
Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Anna Monette Roberts
