Red Velvet Cake for Christmas

Red velvet wedding cake

How’s this for a Christmastime wedding cake? Layers of red velvet and thick cream cheese icing. – from Heritage Gown.

There’s no rule that red velvet cake is only for Christmas. It also makes a big appearance around Valentine’s Day and Independence Day as well.

 

Red velvet with coconut cream cheese frosting

The red and white colors plus the rich, sweet taste is perfect for the Holidays. – from Southern Living.

But something about Christmas just makes us want a beautiful, delicious Red Velvet cake for dessert.

 

Red Velvet bundt cake

Red Velvet Sour Cream Bundt Cake – from Your Cup of Cake.

Ladies all around the South know to have a red velvet cake ready when company shows up. It’s a standard item on all the best tables.

red-velvet-pancakes

These are called Red Velvet Pancakes, but really now, we know it’s cake. – from My Recipes.

Really and truly, do we love the cake, or the cream cheese icing best? I think it’s the combination of the two.

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Here’s a wonderful recipe from none other than Paula Deen  for her Grandmother’s take on traditional Red Velvet Cake. I omit the coconut, but that’s just my personal taste.

 Grandmother Paula’s Red Velvet Cake
from: Paula Deen

Cake:
2 cups sugar
1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
2 eggs
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 ounces red food coloring
2 1/2 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon vinegar
Icing:
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese
1 stick butter, softened
1 cup melted marshmallows
1 (1-pound) box confectioners’ sugar
1 cup shredded coconut
1 cup chopped pecans
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a mixing bowl, cream the sugar and butter, beat until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time and mix well after each addition. Mix cocoa and food coloring together and then add to sugar mixture; mix well. Sift together flour and salt. Add flour mixture to the creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk. Blend in vanilla. In a small bowl, combine baking soda and vinegar and add to mixture. Pour batter into 3 (8-inch) round greased and floured pans. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from heat and cool completely before frosting.
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Icing:
Blend cream cheese and butter together in a mixing bowl. Add marshmallows and sugar and blend. Fold in coconut and nuts. Spread between layers and on top and sides of cooled cake.
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Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/grandmother-pauls-red-velvet-cake-recipe.print.html?oc=linkback

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What dessert says, “Christmas” to you?

 

 Sharing this recipe with: Coastal Charm

5 Comments

  1. Sandra Harper on December 8, 2014 at 10:29 am

    A coconut or my grandmothers nut cake that my Mom as perfected.

    • Leslie Anne on December 8, 2014 at 11:10 am

      Oh coconut! My Grandmother always had a coconut cake at her house too! Then again, we also had about five different cakes, four pies and 6 plates of cookies and candy!

  2. Scribbler on December 8, 2014 at 6:43 pm

    Hands down, my mother’s fresh coconut cake. No frozen coconut, no food processor, etc. It was the old-timey snow white layers, 7-minute frosting and the coconut was hand grated. Daddy would smash a coconut with a hammer, after first punching a hole in the top and draining the milk. That was used to moisten the layers. The cake had to be stored in a chilly space, but not refrigerated. So many rules! But it was like heaven on a plate.

    • Leslie Anne on December 8, 2014 at 7:21 pm

      You have a way with food words.

      You know a coconut cake is made from scratch when the recipe calls for a hammer!

  3. Mo at Mocadeaux on December 9, 2014 at 11:00 pm

    Our family usually goes overboard with cookies so we have them for dessert for weeks! I would take any of these red velvet cakes over a truckload of cookies any day of the year!

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