Red Velvet Anniversary Cake

I made this yummy, moist red velvet cake for my parents 16th anniversary. It was amazing while it lasted though my mean dog, Daisy got on the table and ate my cake. All of it! but even the one slice of cake I had was amazing and the Swiss meringue buttercream was like silk in my mouth. Let’s get baking!  

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 4 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tsp white vinegar
•  red food coloring
• 1 cup hot water

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and prepare two 8 inch pans with parchment paper in the bottom and spray the sides with non-stick spray.
2. In a medium sized bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cocoa and salt. Set aside.
3. Mix the buttermilk, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, eggs, vinegar and red food coloring mix until combined. 
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. The batter will be thick but it will thin out once the water is added.
5. Add the hot water slowly to the batter. Careful not to over-mix.
6. Pour the batter evenly between the pans. Bake for 23-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
7. Cool completely before frosting. You can make cream cheese frosting, vanilla buttercream, or Swiss meringue buttercream (That’s what I made and frosted the cake with). 
8. Frost the layers of the cake and crumb coat the outside.  Chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. Now, frost the outside of the cake (make a thick layer of frosting on the outside). Use a cake comb to make even lines around the cake.
9. Fill a piping bag fitted with a number 23 tip with the remaining frosting. Pipe a shell border around the top rim on the cake and at the bottom. Add fresh roses to the top I put a red and white rose. I even added some edible luster dust. Enjoy!

Thanks for baking with me!

~ Natalie