RED VELVET CAKE

Happy Birthday to this Baby Boomer! I have no qualms revealing my age of 68! I look in the mirror daily and say, yep, that’s me. I am in fairly good health. I have left behind a nursing career of 46 years where I worked with some of the most wonderful people. And now, I have a blog. Along with blogging, I am Facebooking and Instagramming with My Flour Diaries. Why not? I am not sure if anyone out there is listening but I sure am posting and talking! I am enjoying the heck out of it, too.

I would be remiss if I did not mention my three children. They always try to make my birthday a bit special. They are still kids to me even at ages 42, 37 and 30. Lyn-dee runs Command Central from her Philadelphia home and advises her brothers on everything from what to get Momma for her birthday to arranging family vacations.

Lyn-dee reminds me daily if I repeat myself. We live a thousand miles apart but talk on the phone usually more than once a day. I visit frequently. She has suggested that I move nearby (Emphasis on: Not with me, but near me) and I guess that is what most folks do as age creeps in the door. They move by a relative that can help them out in their dotage. I keep reporting to her that my dotage isn’t here yet. She is not convinced.

My sons do live near me. Casey actually began trembling when I mentioned to him that he had an extra bedroom in case something were to happen and I needed care. He actually looked apoplectic. Poor Casey. As my oldest, he was my practice baby. The oldest children have it the hardest, I think. I know I did not have a clue. I would like to publicly apologize. Will is the youngest, 12 years younger than Casey. He says, Momma, I always have room for you. Then Will’s wife turns a shade resembling pea soup. I know I must stay upright as long as possible.

When I was a child, Momma always asked what kind of birthday cake we wanted. She would bake it. Mine was chocolate until I discovered Red Velvet. Then as long as she was able to putter in the kitchen, I got a Red Velvet cake for my birthday. She always used the cooked icing, never the cream cheese icing. If you have ever made it, then you know it cannot be rushed and it can be rather temperamental- subject to weather. One year, there was a huge snafu and the icing was like eating wet granulated sugar..kinda gritty. Oh well, Happy Birthday! My daughter also loved this special cake, so much that she asked Momma to make it for her wedding rehearsal supper. You guessed it, gritty icing. It seems like if you are trying to bake something for a special occasion, something goes wrong. Momma did not believe in waste so if it didn’t turn out just right, eat it anyway. It did not matter that this was a momentous occasion for my daughter. For Momma, it was about practicality.

I could write a novel the length of War and Peace with the things I have learned in my 68 years. But anyone reading this already knows what is on the list. It all begins and ends with playing well with others. And of course, the Golden Rule. Please tell me you can recite this. If you cannot, for my sake, please google.

I have made myself a Red Velvet Cake using Momma’s recipe below. I will sit and have a slice and share it with others while looking forward to all the things I have planned for 2020. Being 68 ain’t so bad. It could be worse!

See ya soon, Kathy

Yield: 15 slices

RED VELVET CAKE

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Red Velvet cake with chocolate flavor. Whipped white icing.

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Additional Time 20 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes

Ingredients

CAKE

• 2 ounces McCormicks Red Food Coloring
• 2 tablespoons cocoa
• 1/2 cup shortening Crisco
• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 1/2 cups Swans Down Cake Flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon vinegar
• 1 teaspoon soda

ICING

• 3 tablespoons all purpose flour GoldMedal
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

CAKE

Preheat oven 350 degrees. Grease and flour 2 9 inch cake pans.

In a small bowl, pour the red food coloring and cocoa. Stir until combined. Set aside.

Cream shortening and sugar about 5 minutes stopping to scrape bowl.

Add eggs. Add the red coloring mixture.

whisk salt into the flour.

Alternate adding the flour mixture and buttermilk to the butter mixture.

In a small container, combine soda and vinegar. Fold into batter.

Pour equally into two cake pans.

Bake 25 minutes. Cool completely on cooling rack before icing.

ICING

In a small saucepan, combine flour and milk. Cook on medium, heat stirring constantly with a whisk. (about 5 minutes) The mixture will become very thick like pudding. Cool completely.

Cream butter, sugar, and vanilla for about 10 minutes stopping to scrape sides down. You are looking for a fluffy icing with no grainy sugar.

Slowly add scoops of the cooled flour/milk mixture to the butter mixture and beat until all is added. Consistency will be similar to whipped cream. Spread onto the cake.

Notes

For the icing, if you want to expedite the cooling of the flour/milk mixture, set saucepan into a bowl of ice.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

15

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 416Total Fat: 20gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 63mgSodium: 193mgCarbohydrates: 54gFiber: 1gSugar: 34gProtein: 4g

Nutrition information can vary for a recipe based on factors such as precision of measurements, brands, ingredient freshness, or the source of nutrition data.

Don’t save something for a special occasion, Every day of your life is a special occasion.

-Thomas S. Monson