Red Velvet Cake

Red Velvet Cupcake with Rum Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients
1 1/4 cups vegetable shortening
2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
4 1/2 teaspoons red food coloring
3 cups cake flour
1 1/4 teaspoons fine sea salt
1 1/4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoons distilled white vinegar
3 extra-large eggs
1 1/4 cups buttermilk


8oz Cream Cheese
4Tbsp Butter
1tsp Vanilla
2cups Powder Sugar

• Position a rack in the center of the oven, and preheat to 350˚F.
• Put shortening, sugar, cocoa, food coloring, flour, salt, vanilla, baking soda and vinegar in the bowl. Mix to combine, starting at low speed, then raise the speed to low-medium and mix for about 1 minute. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing for 1 minute after each is absorbed into the mixture. Add the buttermilk in two portions, stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl between additions.
• Grease and flour two 9-inch cake pans (2 inches deep).
• Divide the batter evenly between the two pans, using a rubber spatula to scrape down the bowl and get as much batter as possible out.
• Bake until the cakes begin to pull from the sides of the pans and are springy to the touch, 35-40 minutes.
• Remove cakes from the oven and let cool for at least 30 minutes, preferably 1 hour. The cakes should be at room temperature before you remove them from the pan.
• Put a piece of parchment paper on a cookie sheet, sprinkle with sugar, and one at a time, turn the pans over and turn the cakes out onto the parchment; the sugar will keep them from sticking.

Frosting:

Mix cream cheese and butter until just combined. Add in vanilla and gradually add the powder sugar. 

TIPS:

• If making cupcakes pour batter into a gallon size freeze bag to pour the right amount into each cup.
• Allow your frosting to come to room temperature before trying to ice the cake. 
• Make sure your cupcakes, or cake, have completely cooled off before icing
• Got that one cupcake that didn't come out right, or that you picked at to get a taste. Use some of its crumbs to add a little more decoration to the frosting at the end.
• It is almost always easier to frost a chilled or frozen cake.