Buddy Valastro’s Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
“I wanted to celebrate the actual magazines,” says Buddy Valastro, star of TLC’s reality show Cake Boss, when asked about his cake, a trompe l’oeil tower of his favorite issues of O, The Oprah Magazine. “I wanted the cake to be whimsical, so I stacked the cake issues at an offset angle,” says Valastro, a fourth-generation baker from Hoboken, New Jersey. “The result is crazy and fun.” It’s also delicious — layers of red velvet cake with classic cream cheese frosting, a beloved combination that appealed to everyone on staff who tasted it.
This cake is one of 10 sweet creations in celebration of O, The Oprah Magazine‘s 10th birthday. Use this recipe to make an at-home version to enjoy.
Yields:
16
16
Ingredients
Cake
2 1/4 c.
sifted cake flour (not self-rising)
sifted cake flour (not self-rising)
1/4 c.
Dutch-process cocoa powder
Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/2 tsp.
salt
salt
8 tbsp.
unsalted butter
unsalted butter
1 1/2 c.
sugar
sugar
2
large eggs
large eggs
2 tbsp.
liquid red food coloring
liquid red food coloring
1 tsp.
vanilla extract
vanilla extract
1 c.
buttermilk
buttermilk
2 tsp.
distilled white vinegar
distilled white vinegar
1 tsp.
baking soda
baking soda
Frosting
2
package cream cheese
package cream cheese
8 tbsp.
unsalted butter
unsalted butter
2 1/2 c.
confectioners’ sugar
confectioners’ sugar
1 tsp.
vanilla extract
vanilla extract
pinch of salt
Directions
- To make cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 9″ x 2″ round cake pans. Line bottoms with parchment paper; grease.
- Sift flour, cocoa, and salt into a bowl.
- In stand mixer with paddle attachment, beat butter at low speed until creamy. Add sugar; blend on medium speed, scraping bowl occasionally, until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, mixing well after each. Scrape bowl; add food coloring and vanilla. On low speed, beat in flour mixture in thirds, alternating with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. In small bowl, stir together vinegar and baking soda. Stir into batter. Divide batter between prepared pans; spread evenly. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool in pans 10 minutes. Run a knife around edges and turn layers out onto racks. Remove paper and flip cakes; cool completely. Freeze for 30 minutes.
- To make frosting: In stand mixer with paddle attachment, beat cream cheese and butter at medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Add sugar, vanilla, and salt. Blend on low speed for 30 seconds; beat on medium-high until fluffy.
- To assemble: Cut layers in half horizontally with a serrated knife. Place 1 layer, cut side up, on a serving plate; spread with 1/2 cup frosting. Repeat twice. Add last layer, top side up. Ice cake thinly with 3/4 cup frosting to crumb-coat. Refrigerate 20 minutes; finish frosting.
