Sunday, February 7, 2010

Sweet Melissa Sunday - Classic Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Welcome to another addition of Sweet Melissa Sunday. This weeks recipe is Classic Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting. Rosy, of Rosy Lips and Lavender is this weeks hostess and she picked a winner! Be sure to stop by her blog and check out the recipe for this cake. Look around while you are there...she takes great photos! And, be sure to head over to SMS to see what all the other bakers thought of Rosy's choice!

My daughter's birthday is today and I made this cake for her. She loves red velvet cake (though I think she likes Funfetti cake more!) and I figured I would kill two birds with one stone by making this. We are getting together with her and her hubby on Tuesday to have dinner at Fuddrucker's. We have been going there for her birthday dinner for quite a few years now. I will bring several of the heart cakes with me that night. For the birthday girl's dessert,  you know. :)

This was a really simple cake to put together. I didn't read about switching out baking powder for the baking soda, to get a truer red cake, until after my cake was done. But, I think it's pretty red. Other than cutting back on the cinnamon by about 1/2 teaspoon, I made this one just like in the book. I ended up using some of the batter in my mini heart cake pan, getting 6 hearts, and there was still enough batter to bake 2 6-inch rounds!

I did stray from the recipe when it came to the icing. Shocking I know! Coming from someone who seldom if every varies from how the recipe is written. Seeing 3 sticks of butter and only 12 ounces of cream cheese...I just couldn't do it. I have a favorite cream cheese icing that I make. It calls for 1 stick of butter, 1 package of cream cheese, some confectioners' sugar and a little vanilla. It's smooth, creamy and delicious. I decided to use my icing on this cake instead of Melissa's.

The end result? What a great cake! I found it to be moist and tender. I could detect the cinnamon and I am glad I cut back on it a little. I think it would have been overpowering for my tastes if I had used the full 2 teaspoons. The chocolate flavor is there, but very subtle. I think my color turned out pretty nice. Maybe it could have been redder, but I think it looks good. And the icing? Well, I already knew it would be good!
I think my daughter will be very happy with her mini heart shaped Red Velvet cake with Cream Cheese Icing. Happy Birthday Beth!! (if you are reading this!) <3<3<3
This is also a post for Have the Cake, a new group I have joined. Bake once a month for a type of recipe someone chooses. Last month was Rugelach and this month is Red Velvet cake. Can't wait for next month. 

19 comments:

  1. This is adorable! I love the heart shaped cakes! Happy Birthday to your daughter.

    By the way, I joined your group for Baking Gals, but I didn't get the address for some reason. Could get that as soon as possible? Thanks!

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  2. Happy Birthday to your daughter Susan! Hope she enjoys the cakes. Both your little heart cakes and the layer cake look wonderful. I went the cupcake route this week and like you, used a different frosting recipe that I already knew I'd love :)

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  3. Those mini heart cakes are so cute! I'm sure your daughter will love it! I didn't do the baking powder/soda swap either, and mine still came out pretty red, too!

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  4. Gorgeous cakes!!!! Really nice job!

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  5. That is so pretty, Susan. Love the heart shaped cakelettes. I would have used my standby cream cheese frosting too.
    And happy birthday to your daughter. What a lucky girl to have a talented baker for a mom. Beats store bought bday cake any day :o)

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  6. I love the little hearts! They are so beautiful. I hadnt read about switching the baking powder and baking soda either. I guess the lesson will now be to read the hints before I start working. :-) I hope you have a great birthday with your daughter - Fudruckers are about extinct in my neck of the woods, but oh the memories of those burgers, yummy!!

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  7. Your cake is beautiful!!! The little hearts are adorable!!

    Happy Birthday to your daughter!!!

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  8. Your cake is lovely and Im sure your daughter enjoyed it. This was a great recipe and everyone did such a good job decorating and using fun pans!

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  9. Oh, your Beth will love this beautiful mini heart shaped caked. Gorgeous! I am with you about using your own favorite frosting recipe. I did the same.

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  10. Susan, you should submit this to Have the Cake. This month, we are baking red velvet cakes. If this appeals to you, I will be glad to give you the information.

    That heart is a beauty.

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  11. I'm so pleased you liked the cake and the heart shaped ones are just gorgeous!!!!!! Love them - I'll have to add a pan like that to my wish list as it's so sweet! Your layer cake looks very impressive too - great call having 4 layers rather than 2. All about maximising the frosting to cake ratio! Good thing you switched the frosting as I struggled with mine and there seems to be lots of better recipes out there. Thank you so much for baking along with me this week! R x

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  12. Susan,
    Beautiful cakes. Your daughter is lucky to have such a wonderful baker as a mom.
    Mimi

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  13. yummy! your hearts look fantastic and your icing looks divine. i also skipped the frosting because i saw how much butter was in it and i cringed a little bit, so i skipped it all together.

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  14. Look at all the cute little cakes you made! I'm in love with your heart shaped cakes, they're just perfect for a birthday girl.

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  15. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE all the hearts!!! Great job!

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  16. Your cakes look amazing! Definitely a great birthday cake. I ended up adding a lot of extra sugar to my frosting, it seemed like a weird recipe.

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  17. You have such a way with styling and decorating and choosing lovely sizes of pans, etc. to bake your little things. It makes it all look so tempting and delicious just from the presentation alone! Beautiful job on all of it and HB to the daughter! Lucky her to have such a wonderful celebration!

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  18. You did such a nice job of decorating! The mini layer cake looks great and the heart is so sweet!

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  19. Wow! I absolutely love the mini cake!

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Please feel free to comment. I love hearing from others.