Michelle’s Red Velvet Wedding Cake

Adapted from a Martha Stewart recipe in 2012 for Michelle and Luis’s courthouse wedding ceremony in Alessandria, Italy. Luis wanted an all chocolate cake… and this is what he got! We have used this simple and not-too-sweet recipe ever since to celebrate birthdays and special occasions.

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Ingredients

Frosting:

• 1 ½ 8-ounce packages of cream cheese (12 ounces total) 

• 1 ½ sticks butter, completely softened

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 teaspoon almond extract

• 3 cups powdered sugar

• 150g (5.3 oz = 1 ½ bars) white or milk chocolate or melting chips, preferably with puffed rice or toffee for texture

• Sprinkles, optional

Cake:

• Unsalted butter, for cake pans

• 2 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour, not self-rising

• 1 teaspoon salt

• ¼ cup cocoa powder

• 1 ½ cups sugar

• 1 ½ cups canola oil

• 2 large eggs

• 1 fluid ounce bottle red liquid food coloring (or ¼ cup water or milk + solid or gel food coloring)

• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

• ½ teaspoon almond extract

• 1 cup buttermilk (or milk + ½ lemon)

• 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda

• 2 teaspoons white vinegar

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Cake:

1. Take out the butter and cream cheese for the frosting to allow them to reach room temperature.

2. Preheat oven to 350º F. 

3. Generously butter two 9-by-2-inch round cake pans. Sprinkle with flour, and tap out the excess; set aside. 

4. In a medium bowl, whisk cake flour, salt, and cocoa; set aside.

5. In the metal mixing bowl, combine the sugar and oil, and mix until well combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add food coloring and extracts, and beat until well combined. If you can’t find the liquid food coloring, mix in the food coloring paste with water to still be adding a total of ¼ cup of liquid.

6. Add flour mixture, alternating with buttermilk, scraping the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Note: I have never bought buttermilk (they don’t sell it in Italy!), I just put the juice of ½ a lemon into the 1 cup measuring cup and fill it up with milk and mix with a fork – you should see it slightly curdle. 

7. In the small bowl, mix baking soda and vinegar until combined. Add to batter, and mix for 10 seconds. Evenly divide batter between the prepared pans. Tip: count scoops of batter, alternating between each pan and when you think they’re about even, pick up and gently drop each pan a few times so the batter settles evenly. 

8. Bake until a cake tester or knife inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean, 25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool in the pans for 5 minutes. Remove from the pans, and return to the rack to cool completely.

Frosting:

1. Combine cream cheese and butter until completely smooth. Tip: Make sure both the butter and cream cheese are at room temperature!

2. Mix in extracts and powdered sugar. Tip: Use a sifter to add in the powdered sugar to prevent lumps. 

3. Break up the bar of chocolate and microwave about 1 minute (microwave chips less, about 45 seconds), checking and stirring half way through. You can also melt over a double boiler. They key is not to burn it! Mix into the rest of the frosting.

4. Spread about 1 cup of the frosting on one of the layers. Place the second layer on top; spread and swirl the remaining frosting around the sides and top of the cake. Top with sprinkles!