Mom’s Red Velvet Cake

 

Mom’s Red Velvet Cake (or Cupcakes) with Boiled Flour Frosting

This deluxe super-moist melt-in-your-mouth cake will steal any show! The boiled flour frosting is not too sweet and compliments the cake perfectly. This is a stunning Christmas cake decorated with winter flowers or Valentine's Day dessert with chocolate hearts or curls. Our children made and decorated these cupcakes, so the pictures don't reveal the showstopper it can be, but they gobbled them down with grunts of satisfaction. It is important to follow the steps and directions exactly.

For the Cake

• 1/2 cup Crisco shortening
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 ounces red food coloring
• 2 Tablespoons cocoa powder
• 2 1/2 cups cake flour (Must use cake flour! See tip below to make your own at the end of the instructions.)
• 1 scant teaspoon salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar

For Boiled Flour Frosting

• 1 cup milk
• 5 Tablespoons flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup crisco shortening
• 2 teaspoons vanilla

For the Cake

1. Prepare pans. You can use two 9-inch round cake pans, grease and flour to prepare. You can use a 9X13 pan, sprayed with cooking spray, or, you can use cupcake pans and use liners.

   Turn oven on to 350 degrees.

   Mix together shortening, sugar, and eggs, beating well with electric mixer.

   Combine red food coloring and cocoa in a bowl. Stir tigether well and add to mixing bowl. Mix again.

   Combine cake flour (see cake flour tip below) and salt in one bowl and buttermilk and vanilla in a second bowl. Add to mixing bowl alternately about two or three times until all ingredients are gently incorporated. If you beat the batter too vigoriously it will increase the gluten, making for a tough texture, so at this stage only gentle mixes to fully incorporate.

   Remove from mixer. Combine baking soda and vinegar in a bowl and ever-so-gently incoporate into batter with a spatula. Do NOT mix with mixer at this stage or your cake will fall.

   Pour gently into whichever pan you're using.

   For 9-inch round pans, bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. For 9X13 pan, it might take 35-40 minutes. For cupcakes, 20 minutes. Cool completely before frosting.

   *If you don't have or can't find cake flour, make your own by putting 2 Tablespoons of cornstarch into a 1-cup measuring cup. Add enough flour to make it a level one cup. This works like a charm and the cake flour IS important for this cake.

For the Frosting

1. In small sauce pan, combine milk and flour. Heat over medium to medium-high heat stirring constantly until thickened. (See video for consistency, almost like homemade playdough.) You can do this step while the cake is baking.

   Set aside to cool completely.

   Beat together the sugar, shortening, and vanilla. Add cooked mixture 1 (ONE) Tablespoon at a time. Do NOT rush this. Once all incorporated, beat frosting for 7-10 minutes until frosting is fluffy. Spread over cake or cupcakes.