For Your Valentine’s Day Party: Red Velvet Cake Recipe

Whether you’re making a cake or cupcakes, you’ll want to serve something decadent and romantic. Nothing says Valentine’s Day like a rich velvet cake. Forget your diet for one day and try this recipe:

INGREDIENTS

Cake

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon vinegar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla 
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk
• Red food coloring (2 ounces or so)

Icing

• 1 package cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 4 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (That’s 175 degrees for those of you who do the Celsius thing). Prepare 3 round 8 inch cooking pans with cooking spray, flour or oil.
2. In a large bowl, mix sugar, oil, and eggs. In a separate bowl, mix food coloring and vinegar with the buttermilk. In a third bowl stir baking soda into flour. Alternate mixtures into one big bowl and mix well. Stir 1 teaspoon vanilla into batter. Pour batter into prepared pans.
3. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove and cool.
4. Mix together cream cheese, butter or margarine, confectioners’ sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla. Stir in nuts. Frost once the cake cools