Red Velvet Cake with Raspberry Cream Filling and Cream Cheese Icing
Why I Love This Recipe
For Christmas I received, from a co-worker, a darling cake pan mold with hallow heart shape center for filling with fun stuff. And from another co-worker I received an adorable cake server shoe. So of course I had to put them both to use. And of course I had to try my hand at the ever popular Red Velvet Cake. I got the original recipe from The Food Network but I did make a few minor alterations based on some of the reviews.
If you don't have the fun pans I have, just omit the Raspberry filling (or use it between layers) and bake the cake in your regular cake pans.
Ingredients You'll Need
Red Velvet Cake:
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup buttermilk
2 lg eggs (room temperature)
1 oz. red food dye
1 tsp white vinegar
1 tsp vanilla extract
Raspberry Filling:
12 oz. thawed whipped cream
1 cup raspberry jam (or preserves if you like seeds)
For the icing, use your favorite Cream Cheese Icing or what ever kind of icing you decide
Directions
Preheat your oven to 350'. Spray the cake pans with cooking spray
In a large bowl, sift together your dry ingredients
In a large mixing bowl, cream your butter then add the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar and vanilla
Add the dry ingredients
Combine until batter is smooth
Divide the cake evenly between your two pie pans
Cook for about 25 - 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean
Let the pans cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then I remove the cakes from pans and let cool completely
Meanwhile mix together your whipped cream and jam. Once the cakes are completely cool...fill up the hallow centers
This next step really had me nervous. First of all...you need to make sure you have the (correct) bottom of the heart on your cake plate (you don't want an upside heart, do you?) and now you have to carefully place the top section onto the bottom half. Thank god for cooling racks. I used it as leverage and support as I matched up the edges and put my cake together.
Apply your icing and enjoy