Red Velvet Cake for High Altitude

Ingredients

• FOR THE CAKE:
• 2-¾ cups Cake Flour
• 1-¼ cup Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Baking Soda, Scant
• 2 Tablespoons Cocoa Powder, Dutch Preferred
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 2 whole Eggs
• 1-½ cup Vegetable Oil
• 1 cup Buttermilk
• ¼ cups Milk, Scant
• 2 Tablespoons Red Food Coloring
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla
• 1 teaspoon White Vinegar
• _____
• FOR FROSTING:
• 12 ounces, weight Cream Cheese, Softened (1 1/2 Packages)
• 12 ounces, weight Butter, Softened (3 Sticks)
• 1-½ teaspoon Vanilla
• 3 cups Confectioners (Powdered) Sugar

Preparation Instructions

1. For the cake: Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Sift together flour, sugar, baking soda, cocoa, and salt into a medium bowl.

3. Beat eggs, oil, buttermilk, milk, food coloring, vanilla, and vinegar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until well combined.

Add dry ingredients and beat until smooth, about 2 minutes. Do not overbeat either the liquids or after adding the dry ingredients, as this adds excess air which may cause your cake to fall at this altitude.

4. Divide batter evenly between 3 greased and floured 8″ round cake pans, or 2 9″ round pans.

5. Bake cakes, rotating halfway through, until a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean, 25–30 minutes. Let cakes cool 5 minutes, then invert each onto a plate, then invert again onto a cooling rack. Let cakes cool completely.

6. For the frosting: Beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla together in a large bowl with an electric mixer until combined. Add sugar and beat until frosting is light and fluffy, 5–7 minutes.

4. Put 1 cake layer on a cake plate, level off with a serrated knife, and spread one-quarter of the frosting on top. Set another layer on top, level, and repeat frosting. Set remaining layer on top, level, and frost top and sides with the remaining frosting.

5. Chill for 2 hours to set frosting.

Notes: for two 9″ layers instead of three 8″ layers, make 2/3 of the frosting (8 oz each of butter and cream cheese, 1 tsp vanilla, 2 cups confectioner’s sugar)

At altitude, the edges of the cakes may be slightly “chewier” than the center, but still delicious.