You Asked For It: Red velvet cake is as good as it looks

By ANNE LONG

© St. Petersburg Times,
published November 7, 2001

Red velvet cake is lovely to look at and delicious to taste. It is particularly popular during the holidays (and that includes Valentine's Day).

Margaret Pruitt's recipe came from the Charlottesville Daily Progress about 30 years ago. Margaret writes that the ermine frosting can be a problem if the humidity is high. For that reason, she usually uses the orange-coconut frosting. The ermine frosting, however, is very good when it works. Edith Schaffner shares the same recipe.

If your time is short, and you prefer starting with a cake mix, this recipe from L. G. DuPont is what you are looking for. Top the cake with a classic cream cheese frosting.

Hope Heller and Lugene Azar both send their recipes for chocolate mint cookies made with an Andes mint in the center of each cookie. Hope has made these cookies for many years, and Lugene pronounces them "the best chocolate cookie ever".

For: Ruth Yung of Crystal River.

From: Margaret Pruitt of St. Petersburg and Lizz Schaffner of Ridge Manor.

Recipe: Red velvet cake.

Red Velvet Cake

• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1-1/2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons baking cocoa
• 2 ounces red food coloring
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2-1/2 cups cake flour
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 tablespoon vinegar

Cream together the shortening and sugar well. Add eggs; cream well. Make a paste of the cocoa and food coloring; add to creamed mixture.

Mix salt and vanilla with the buttermilk. Add flour alternately with the buttermilk mixture to the creamed mixture. Mix vinegar and soda. Fold into batter. Do not beat. Bake in two greased and floured 9-inch layer cake pans at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. (If plain flour is used, use 2 tablespoons less to a cup.)

Ermine Icing

• 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup butter (2 sticks)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cook flour and milk together until thick, stirring constantly. Let cool completely. Meanwhile, cream together sugar, butter and vanilla. Add to flour mixture. Beat until icing is of spreading consistency. It should be fluffy, almost like whipped cream.

Orange-Coconut Frosting

• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
• 2 tablespoons orange juice
• 1/2 cup chopped shredded coconut

Combine butter and sugar; beat until smooth. Add orange juice and coconut; beat well. Spread on cake.

From: L. G. DuPont of Ocala.

Recipe: Quick red velvet cake, from the St. Petersburg Times some years ago.

Quick Red Velvet Cake

• 1 18.25-ounce German chocolate cake with pudding mix
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 1-ounce bottle red food coloring
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Place cake mix, sour cream, water, oil, food coloring, eggs and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase mixer speed to medium and beat for 2-3 minutes more, scraping down the sides as needed. The batter should look well-blended.

Divide batter between two 9-inch layer cake pans that have been greased and floured. Smooth the batter with a spatula. Place side by side on the oven rack, which has been placed in the center of the oven.

Bake at 350 degrees until the cakes spring back when lightly pressed with your finger and just start to pull away from the sides of the pan, 28-30 minutes. Remove pans from oven and place on wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Run a dinner knife around the edge of each layer and invert each layer on a rack, then invert them again on another rack so that the cakes are right side up. Allow them to cool completely, 30 minutes more.

Frost between the layers, then the top and sides of the cake. Place cake uncovered in the refrigerator until the frosting sets, about 20 minutes. Store in refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1 8-ounce package cream cheese
• 1 stick butter
• 3-3/4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Place cream cheese and butter in a bowl. Allow to come to room temperature. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed. Stop the machine and gradually add confectioners' sugar, running the machine on low speed until mixture becomes spreadable. Fold in vanilla. Use immediately.

For: Debbie Burquieres of Seminole.

From: Hope Heller of Seminole and Lugene Azar of Largo.

Recipe: Chocolate mint cookies.

Chocolate Mint Cookies

• 3/4 cup butter or margarine
• 1-1/2 cups firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 12-ounce package semisweet chocolate chips
• 2 large eggs
• 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1-1/4 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Green chocolate mint wafers (such as Andes), about 1 pound

Heat butter, sugar and water in large, heavy saucepan over low heat until butter is melted. Add chocolate chips and cook, stirring, until partially melted. Remove from heat and continue stirring until chocolate is completely melted. Pour into large mixer bowl and let stand about 10 minutes to cool slightly. With mixer at medium speed, beat in eggs one at a time. Reduce speed to low and add dry ingredients, beating just until blended. Refrigerate about 1 hour.

Line 2 cookie sheets with foil. Roll teaspoonfuls of dough into balls; place about 2 inches apart on cookie sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 9-12 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately place mint (can use 1/2 mint) on each hot cookie. Let soften, then swirl mint over cookies to frost. Decorate with shaved mint wafers. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Makes about 80 cookies.

Recipe requests

Beth Donaldson of Spring Hill writes that, when she visits her aunt at Westminster Shores in St. Petersburg, she enjoys the carrot soup made by a wonderful cook named Bertha. Beth has hesitated to ask for the recipe for this outstanding soup and hopes that this request will help.

Anna Mary Keim of South Pasadena has misplaced the recipe for bean soup that appeared in the Gulfport Gabber about 5 years ago. Among the ingredients were two cans of baked beans and one can of kidney beans. Anna Mary has forgotten the rest and turns to you.

Strawberry shortcake was the dessert served to Jean Marshall of Palm Harbor at the Tampa Bay Downs Club House. The shortcake was served on a biscuit and it was "wonderful." Jean would especially like to have the recipe for the biscuit.

- You Asked For It is a reader mail column. If you have a cooking question or the answer to someone else's question, write to You Asked For It, the St. Petersburg Times, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731. Be sure to include your full name, city and phone number with your letter. Letters without this information will be discarded. Requests cannot be answered by phone or mail.

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