Ah, Red Velvet Cake. Is there a better cake to end the week with? Well, yes. But I had a bottle of red food coloring, a cup of soon-to-go buttermilk, some butter extract and ½ cup of Crisco shortening to use up. So I went with red velvet! Besides, a few months ago I'd promised I'd try the authentic Waldorf Astoria Original Red Velvet Cake with cooked icing, so I can now cross that off my list.
Jump to Recipe
Shortening Red Velvet Cake
Since posting this I've acquired so many red velvet recipe. Some are better, but this one is still good if you make it correctly. Plus it calls for shortening. Shortening is not a healthy ingredient, but that train left the station when we decided to bake red velvet cake. The advantage to shortening is that it is less expensive and in many cases, gives cakes a better texture. The downside is that it doesn't add flavor, but in this recipe the other ingredients take care of that. And remember, you can weigh it so you don't have to worry about smashing shortening into a measuring cup!
Icing Tastes Like Twinkies Filling
I grew up eating red velvet cake with cream cheese icing, but the older recipes for this cake often call for a cooked icing. I first learned of this cooked icing as "boiled icing" and have been calling it that for years, but really it's a cooked icing or cooked frosting. It calls for flour, milk, butter and granulated sugar. It doesn't sound great on paper, but it's slick and fluffy and makes the cake taste like a big red Twinkie.
Ermine Icing
Thanks to a not-so-polite comment from a reader who absolutely did not like this cake, I learned that the cooked icing that goes with the Waldorf cake is also called Ermine Icing. That sounds so much fancier than boiled icing! I googled it and the first one that came up was in The New York Times. It's pretty much the same as this one but with more flour. Also, I did try the NYT version of the cooked icing and have to say, I liked this one better. It's less flour-y tasting. I'm sticking with it for now.
Waldorf Astoria Original Red Velvet Cake Tips
Before you read the tips, keep in mind this is an old recipe adapted from one that appeared in newspapers in 1959. It's not my favorite red velvet cake. It’s a good one for sure, but there are more modern recipes out there. This is not one you just throw together. You have to be mindful, measure everything out ahead of time and go slowly. If you would like to bail out now, here’s a link to one of my favorite red velvet cake(s) which is similar to Waldorf Astoria Original, but a little easier. Here's one that starts with cake mix that is a lot easier. But if you are determined to make this old style version, here are some tips.
Equipment Tips
- Have ready some Dawn dish spray. It gets red dye off all different types of kitchen surfaces. Ask me how I know! Also have a lot of towels, paper or cloth, to clean up red batter spills.
- It really helps to have a stand mixer. You can use a handheld mixer, but icing requires quite a bit of beating.
- For pans, you can use 8-inch or 9-inch.
- Don’t use butter in place of shortening here or the cake will be dry and less fluffy. If you don’t like shortening, go with the other recipe I mentioned earlier.
- Eggs -- You can use large eggs or extra-large eggs. I recently tested with extra-large eggs (total weight of 110 grams vs. 100 grams without shell) and the cake was still very good. Not sure 10 to 12 extra grams of egg makes much difference in the scheme of things, but if you buy extra-large (FOI, friends-of-Ina) it's okay.
Cake Tips
- Butter extract or butter flavoring. This is a weird ingredient, and I was almost tempted to leave it out the first time. Oddly enough, when mixed with the vanilla and other ingredients it really improves the flavor of the cake. And this is coming from someone who doesn’t (usually) like the flavor or smell of butter extract. Update: I found one I like! Happy Home brand butter flavoring. The link is in the recipe card.
- You can use 1 ½ teaspoons of Wilton Christmas Red paste instead of food coloring. The color will be more of a brick red. My personal favorite thing for red velvet cake making is Americolor Super Red. When using a gel or something more dense like Super Red, you won't need the full 1 ½ oz or 3 tablespoons.
- If you'd rather not have dry cake, weigh the cake flour. If you don't have a scale yet, sift it before you measure it. 2 ½ cups sifted cake flour weighs about 240 grams which is somewhere between 2 and 2 ¼ cups un-sifted. This is why it's best to just weigh flour.
- If you absolutely have to you can use 240 grams of all-purpose. The volume of 240 grams of all-purpose will be more like 1 ¾ cups. But it's best to use cake flour for a softer crumb.
Ermine Icing Tips
- If making an 8-inch 3 layer cake, you might want to make 1 ½ times the icing recipe. so you can be more generous with it.
- Be sure not to overcook the milk and flour mixture or it will be lumpy. Also, press a piece of greased wax paper or plastic wrap over it so that a skin will not form while it cools.
- As mentioned, this icing is best suited for a stand mixer with a whisk attachment. You can use a handheld mixer, but it will take a while to dissolve the sugar.
- It seems to help if the butter is cut into small chunks and slightly cool, especially if you are using a powerful stand mixer with a whisk attachment. This gives the sugar more time to dissolve as the butter warms slightly from the friction of the mixer.
- If the icing curdles during the whipping process, spoon out about 2 tablespoons and put it in a small microwave-safe custard cup or bowl. Heat 5 to 8 seconds to melt. With the mixer going, pour the melted icing into the bowl. If the icing is still curdled repeat. Curdling can happen with certain brands of butter or if the butter is too cold, but it can be fixed!
I'm re-reading this and it sounds so bossy, but the truth is I've made my share of dry red velvet cakes and the dryness was due to making substitutions.
New! Instant Pot Red Velvet
I've been testing all my cake recipes in a 6 quart Instant Pot, and this recipe works very well. I've put the instructions for how to do it in the notes.
Related...
Recipe
Waldorf Astoria Original Red Velvet Cake with Cooked Icing
Ingredients
- ½ cup shortening (96 grams)
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar (285 grams)
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon butter extract
- 1 ½ ounces red food coloring (liquid type, such as McCormick)
- 3 tablespoons natural unsweetened natural cocoa powder, sifted (15 grams)
- 1 teaspoon salt I use Morton Kosher
- 2 ½ cups sifted cake flour, this means sifted before measuring if using volume, or just weigh (240 grams), make sure to weigh**
- 1 cup buttermilk room temperature
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
Cooked Icing aka Ermine Icing
- 3 tablespoons flour (23 grams)
- 1 cup whole milk (230 grams)
- ½ teaspoon salt omit if using salted butter
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into chunks and at cool room temp. (230 grams)
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200 grams)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray three 8-inch or 9-inch round cake pans with flour-added cooking spray. For a higher ratio of cake to frosting, use two 9x2 inch pans. If you use three 8-inch or go with two 9-inch, you will probably need to tack on about 4 minutes to the cook time due to the batter being deeper.
- Using high speed of electric mixer, beat shortening and sugar until creamy. Beat in eggs, vanilla extract and butter extract, scraping sides of bowl occasionally.
- Make a paste of red food coloring and cocoa powder, then stir that in. Or, do what I do and just stir the red food coloring and cocoa in, then beat. When the batter turns red, stir in the salt and beat so that it's very well mixed.
- Starting and ending with flour, add the flour and buttermilk alternately to batter, stirring so that flour gets absorbed.
- Place the baking soda in a little cup. Add the vinegar to the baking soda, then stir the fizzy vinegar mixture into the cake batter to lighten it.
- Now, empty the cake batter into the pans, dividing evenly. I weighed my last batch and got about 318 grams per pan (for 3 layers).
- Bake for 20 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs. Let cakes cool in pans on a rack for 10 minutes. Flip out of pans and cool completely.
- If your cake domes, you can trim off the domes and crumble them for garnish.
Icing Directions
- In a small, heavy saucepan, not yet over heat, whisk together flour and milk until smooth. Set over medium heat and cook, whisking constantly, until mixture is thick and creamy. Be careful not to overcook or cook it over too high of a heat or you'll get lumps. Scrape into a clean bowl, cover with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming, and let cool completely.
- Using your electric mixer, preferably a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, beat butter and granulated sugar until fluffy. Beat in the vanilla. Beat in the thoroughly cooled flour mixture. Beat until the icing is fluffy and no longer grainy. With a stand mixer and whisk this should take about 5 minutes. The icing will look very curdled at first, but should lose some of the curdled look as the sugar dissolves.
- Cover cake with frosting.
Anna says
Joy, thanks for taking the time to comment! I'm also not so great at organizing recipes, which is why I have this blog. This is a great cake, just not for absolute beginners so it's great you mastered it. If you have any questions this year, feel free to leave them here or email me.
JOY A JOHNSTON says
I'm commenting again to thank you for your quick reply to my question last year! I was looking forward to making this cake again for the birthdays this year and could not remember exactly what recipe I had used. I no longer have my computer and I am horrible at organizing recipes I've used from online. I was able to search through my email and find your response to my question last year and then search through your page to find the recipe I had commented on! I figured I shouldn't change recipes since I knew I really liked this one. if I have time I'm going to do cream cheese between the layers and the ermine frosting to cover the cake. I made this twice last year and everybody loved it.
Anna says
Hi Rebecca! I'm glad you found the recipe and hope the extra tips will help. One extra tip. This is not necessary, but if you happen to have some Plugra or European style butter, use about 8 tablespoons of that in place of 8 tablespoons regular butter. I had to use my "special" butter in a pinch (for just half the butter) and made the best batch yet. It does require patience because the icing goes from curdled and strange looking to silky smooth.
Rebecca Grierson says
Oh my goodness, I thought this icing recipe had disappeared! This is the only kind of icing my grandmother ever used on her Red Velvet Cake. My husband's grandma used it exclusively for her famous chiffon cakes. I lost the recipe somehow and I'm so looking forward to trying this one out. I loved reading the recipe's history too! Thanks so much!
Anna says
Joy, I'm glad it all worked out! It's amazing how much the humidity factored into the flour measurement. About the 285 vs. 300, I just used kind of a scant 1 1/2 cups for that measure so I put 285 rather than the full 300. I generally go with 300 for a 1 1/2 cup measure and 200 grams for a 1 cup measure. Thanks for sharing all your notes, and I think it's awesome that you have coworkers to taste test. I'm sure whatever mixer your aunt has will work for a cream cheese frosting. Thanks again for sharing your experience with the flour and humidity.
JOY A JOHNSTON says
Thank you for your quick response to my flour question! I finally settled on weighing the 240 grams of cake flour which was slightly less than 2 cups and everything turned out great! I did later notice that for 1.5 cups of sugar the recipe said 285 grams but for one cup of sugar in the frosting it was 200 grams. The scientist in me was curious about the density of sugar and I may have to check sometime, but the 285 grams worked. I only had butter flavored shortening, so I skipped the additional butter flavoring for the cake. I want to try this cooked frosting again, but i prefer the cream cheese flavor with red velvet, so I made a cream cheese frosting to fill and crumb coat the cake. I used the cooked frosting as the final coat. One recipe would not have quite filled and covered this as three layers for me. I like a good amount between layers and a couple coats to completely cover and smooth a cake. I read in a comment thread somewhere that the cooked frosting tastes better with the cake after it sits a few days and I think the last pieces I ate were the best ones. Because I had the cream cheese crumb coat, it was still evident in every piece, but one of my coworkers said she liked the other frosting. She could tell there was something less intense than cream cheese, so i look forward to using it on maybe cupcakes sometime soon to take to work. I am visiting family this weekend and am about to make this again to take. I'm carry unfrosted cake layers with me and hoping my aunt has a mixer that will make good cream cheese frosting. I may be depending on a small handheld after I have gotten spoiled with my kitchenaid. We are kind of celebrating three February birthdays. My aunt just turned 85, I turned 45, and my cousin's daughter is about to be 7.
Anna says
Hi Joy,
I tried to email you because it sounds like you've got a flour issue going on. Sifted cake flour should only weigh between 95 and 105 grams per cup. It will vary, but if your sifted flour is weighing in at 170 grams per cup, something is wrong. Are you using Swans Down or Soft as Silk? Those are the two regular American cake flours. If you are using something like all-purpose or bread flour and not sifting, it would weigh up to 150 grams per cup. It sounds like your flour is super heavy for some reason. By any chance are you using a gluten-free blend of some sort? Go with the gram amount.
JOY A JOHNSTON says
It's only taking a bit over 1.5 cups of sifted cake flour to make 240 grams?
Anna says
Maryann, thanks for sharing! I put the flour in with your recipe. If you see any other changes you need to make, just comment here and I'll update it.
Maryann says
I think I left out the flour.....it has to be 2 1/4 cup of sifted CAKE flour ( Softasilk)
MaryAnn says
When I went to a friends graduation party in 1973...I had a piece of the RVC and loved it. His grandmother gave it to me. She said she begged the waiter at the Waldorf for it and here it is: Batter
1 cup of shortening (Crisco)
1.5 cups of regular white sugar
2 eggs cream these items together
Add:
1 teaspoon of unsweetened Cocoa (Hershey's) and 1 teaspoon of baking soda
1/3 cup red food coloring
1 teaspoon of vanilla & 1 teaspoon vinegar - mix well
2 1/4 cups sifted cake flour
Add: 1 cup of buttermilk
350 degrees approx 40 minutes. Rectangle cake pan, tooth pic comes out clean
FROSTING:
1 cup of milk 2 tablespoons of CORNSTARCH ( not flour ) cook until real thick, whisking constantly. It thickens in a few minutes. Go to frig & let cool at least 1 hour.
Beat sugar, butter and vanilla for 10 minutes. Add the cooled cornstarch mixture and beat for 15 more minutes. Ready to icing. Enjoy
Anna says
What a nice memory! I'm partial to the cream cheese frosting because that's what I grew up with, but I like the cooked frosting as well. In fact I've been meaning to make it again just for fun.
Rev. Joe Ruyle says
My brother and I requested this for our birthday's until mom got too old to bake anymore. We would carefully eat all the cake leaving the frosting for last. While a cooked frosting might sound weird the taste cannot be matched.
Anna says
Let us know how it works!
Debbie Strum says
I can still remember the first time my mom made this cake. The recipe was given to us and it came with the recipe for boiled milk frosting. Recently, I made the frosting and wondered if the sugar could be added to the milk and flour as the sugar would dissolve and would eliminate the 'grainy' situation. I happened on a comment that suggested to do just that, so the next time I made the frosting that is what I am going to do! LOL
Sherry Hubbard says
I grew up with my Mom making this cake every Christmas. So, when she got older, I picked up the torch. My only problem is, I follow the recipe to the letter. However, my icing is always too runny. Would confectioner's sugar do a better job. Does anyone else have this problem?
Anna says
I grew up on the cream cheese type, but I am warming up to the cooked type as well. It's so light textured. As for sitting with age, I've never tried waiting to cut into it, but this cake isn't very oily, so I can see how letting it sit might improve the texture and possibly the flavor.
Kelly says
We always had the cooked icing. I don't want it any other way. But ...The cake flavor improves even more if you can ice it and let the cake set till the 3rd day before you slice it. It is not just the anticipation. The flavor is more pronounced.
Anna says
It is! I used to not care much for the cooked icing, but over the years I've grown to like it.
Mary Ann fry says
The cooked icing is also good used in the filling of whooping pies too !!
Anna says
Thanks Nurse Jackie! I like to try different variations. The ones with more oil are always easier to make and seem to be instant crowd pleasers. The one with less oil are still good, but they take a day or two to meld with the icing and soften up. I think they take a little more skill, too. I just wish I could settle on one single recipe, but I have to try them all.
Jackie Cooper says
I love your version of this delightful red velvet cake!! When my husband and I married 40 years ago, his mother gave me nearly this same one on a recipe card, with a note telling me that it was my husband's favorite dessert. The only difference is that her recipe had an extra 1/2 cup of oil in the batter. I have made it many times over the years and and plan to continue until I'm too old to continue. I printed out your recipe for continued use, as my original is nearly illegible.
Marsha says
We always refrigerated this cake. In doing so, the frosting becomes somewhat firm and so creamy good. Nothing like a Twinkie. Just the best taste.
karine says
I love the "boiled" frosting on Red Velvet Cake. I make this cake every year for my husband's birthday, July 3 ( though he is not a sweet eater.I decorate it with tiny paper flags and red and blue plastic Revolutionary War soldiers from his childhood.
try the frosting on a dark chocolate cake-delicious too!
Anna says
Hi Jacqueline,
I do like to keep my cakes refrigerated simply because of the weather here in Texas. If it's cool where you are, it can sit at room temperature for a few hours.
Jacqueline Gnott says
Since the frosting has milk in it, does this cake have to be kept refrigerated? Maybe since it's cooked frosting it doesn't. Thanks in advance for letting me know....
Miriam says
Hi can u tell me what am doing wrong? I always have the cocoa powder seperated from the red food colouring in my red velvet cake when it's baked. Red colour up and cocoa colour down. Meanwhile, here in Nigeria, I can't get buttermilk so I substitute with milk and lemon.
Karen says
Thanks Anna
I will try again. I think my biggest problem was the flour. We always sifted (3times per the hand written family recipe). But that was after we measured it LOL. I can't wait to try again. I may be the hit of Easter this Sunday!
Anna says
Hi Karen,
This recipe is trickier than some of the others out there because it has less fat. If you are a beginner cake baker, you might want to Google Cake Man Raven's recipe. It has 1 1/2 cups of oil and is pretty much fool proof. This one requires meticulous attention to detail. Here are some tips. #1. Make sure to measure your flour with a light hand or weigh it. This recipe calls for sifted cake flour, which means you sift the flour and THEN measure it. If you have a scale, each cup should weigh about 3.7 ounces. Don't try to use all-purpose. Use cake as directed. Another tip, use the shortening. Butter or margarine doesn't work as well in this particular recipe. And finally, based on your description of how the cake is baking (dry sides, doughy middle) it sounds like it's baking at too high a heat. Either your oven is running hot or you need to move the rack down slightly. Most likely, your oven is running a little hot. You might want to try reducing the heat to 325F. And finally, it could be whatever pan you are using. If you are using a black pan, it's always a good idea to reduce the heat by 25 degrees. Good luck!!!
Karen says
Please Help !! My aunt used to make this for us when I was young & although we have the recipe, for the past 30 years various family members have tried to make it without success. I want to try again however the problem I/we have had is that the top & sides will cook or dry out & the middle is the consistency of "play doh" Can you advise me on what I may be doing wrong? We love the cooked frosting but can't get the cake right.
Karen says
My mom also made this cake when I was young, I have made it numerous time over the years. The only difference is she used almond extract in the frosting instead of vanilla soooooooooooooooooo delish. I am making this cake tonight with my granddaughter in heart shaped pans for valentines day.
Anna says
Yum, you're making me want to go bake one right now!
Jane says
I am in my early 60's and I grew up on this recipe of the Waldorf Astoria Red Velvet Cake. We always had it (in a heart shape) for Valentine's Day and at Christmas. I have been making this recipe for years and just filled a request from a friend for her daughter's 17th birthday. I can't imagine eating it with cream cheese frosting, however. Sometimes I cut each layer in half and make a double batch of frosting. That makes for a nice tall cake and lots of frosting!!
Darlene says
I am so happy to have found this recipe again. My Mom used to make this cake with the boiled frosting. However, she added ground pecans to the frosting. She used 9" square cake pans, when they were completely cooled, she used a piece of thread and cut the cakes horizontally making 4 layers. She always made it for my birthday, ( one of my sons loved it and asked her if we could have my birthday every month.) I have tried the boxed red velvet cake mixes, but found them dry. To remedy that, I used International Delight Amaretto coffee creamer in place of the water and that made it more moist.
mary says
We always called this cake "Waldorf Astoria cake". If you leave out the red food coloring you get a chocolate cake! This has been my favorite since I was 7yrs old. My mom made the icing with Crisco instead of butter. I prefer the boiled icing recipe to the cream cheese icing. One summer you couldn't buy red food coloring. We made blue and green ones for our summer birthdays!
June says
Hello ladies,
Just wanted to share with you when I was in highschool my home ec teacher introduced us to this beautiful and delicious red velvet cake. But, her name for it was the Waldorf Red Cake with boiled frosting. It was magnificent and I have made it many times after graduating high school. However, through the years I have lost this recipe and have never been able to replace it. I am hoping this is the same recipe which from memory looks to be for the cake, but I am not sure about the frosting. I really don't remember it being difficult to make, but time consuming and the boiling on the stove. But soooooooooooo worth it. For those of you who decide to make this cake, I know you will love it too. Enjoy!!!!
Anna says
Hi Rachel,
Thanks for the review! This is one of my favorites as well. The other one you might want to try is Aunt Mildred's.
Rachel says
I made this cake tonight for my husband's birthday. Everyone loved it! It's delicious! Of the various red velvet cake recipes I've tried, this one came out the best. I doubled the frosting recipe so I could put more on top and between each layer.
Anna says
Hi Clara,
That has happened to me too. Are you ingredients at room temperature? Usually, having ingredients at room temperature helps. Also, be careful not to overbeat.
Clara says
I have made the cooked frosting which is Wonderful. But, I am having problems with the frosting separating. What am I doing wrong? One batch will be perfect the other will be grainy and separated. Even looks yellow not white. It has been very frustrating because I just love the taste of this frosting. Can anyone help with suggestions?
Anna says
Hi Carol! That cooked icing is good stuff when made properly. Whenever I make it, I wonder why I don't make it more often. Have fun making your cupcakes today.
Carol says
I am cookleitz's mom and nothing beats the cooked icing. It is a pain in the hiney to make, but oh so worth it. When the kids were small they liked the icing with graham crackers. I always make a double batch. Used to make the scratch version of the cake, but now use the cake mix. Also at Christmas, the girls and I would make 1 scratch batch into the round layer pans, cut the layers. then we would make 1 scratch batch and add green food coloring, cut the layers and alternate red, green, red green. Haven't tried the green food coloring with the mix but I am making cupcakes today and filling them with the icing, but will add some green food coloring to the end of the batter and see how it turns out colorwise.
Nicole says
Thank GOD someone else knows about this frosting. I am looking for a real red velvet cake for my wedding and no one makes them. Or it is close to the same kind of cake (dense, moist) but is a cream cheese frosting. I think cream cheese frosting takes away from the actual cake whereas the cooked frosting only complements it. It is a pain in the butt to make but oh so worth it!
meg says
For many years my Grandmother made a red velvet cake with the cooked icing, and I think of her every time I make one...now coupled with the memory of my kids waiting patiently to lick those bowls clean! I have to say that there are so many cream cheese frosted cakes, that I prefer the old fashioned traditional cooked one for this deliciously special cake. It's the "perfect marriage"!
Lori Ventimiglia says
This is my favorite cake! My birthday is today, Cristmas Eve, and I've indulged in this decadent pleasure every birthday for the last 50 years! The cooked icing is my favorite as I am spoiled and always have the homemade version...never the cream cheese or God forbid a store bought knock-off! I've been told my grandfather bought this recipie from a chef at the Waldorf because grandmother fell in love with the cake. It's a piece of my family history I always found amusing!
dee says
I think this is the cooked icing my Grandma made, I lost her copy, she always made this cake for Christmas in the shape of a big Chritmas tree and used stencile of a tree with green colored sugar on top, she was from New Orleans and I am hoping this is the southeran cake frosting I grew up with
Marilyn says
I usually add an extra tablespoon of cocoa to my cake batter and use no butter flavoring.
Try 1/2 butter at room temperature, 1/2 vegetable shortening for the icing. Gradually add the sugar, beat well. Chill the cooked frosting base in the refrigerator until it is cold. Add the COLD flour milk mixture 1 tablespoon at a time, and whip well between additions. That makes a big difference.
Charlotte says
I also meant to say that using extra fine sugar in the frosting helps elimate the potential grainy texture. Nonetheless, mix it well!
Charlotte says
Yes! This is the red velvet cake I grew up with in Louisville. I'm in the butter cream frosting camp rather than the cream cheese frosting camp because I think the butter cream recipe compliments the delicate cake flavor without overwhelming it. Your cake recipe is a bit different than mine (the addition of butter extract is interesting), but three cheers for the frosting!
Virginie says
This is the first red velvet cake that I've made, and though the teachers at my school ranted and raved about it, I thought the flavor was rather muted. (I used cream cheese icing, btw). But is that the way Red Velvet should be? Of course, recently I've made Guinness cupcakes and Cook's Illustrated's devil's food, so perhaps it's only in comparison.
Emilie says
Thank you so much! I knew I could count on you. I'm going to try making these. My sister's baby shower is next month and she wants a chocolate cake. Now I have to go practice!
Anna says
Randi, believe me. I've let buttermilk sit in my refrigerator long after the expiration date. The best way to tell if it's usable is smell. If it's bad, it's pretty obvious!
Amy, I thought about adding cream cheese to the boiled icing even before I saw the Small Batch Baking hybrid (thanks to you, I looked it up). I like the thick, tangy, heavy cream cheese icing. Anyone who grew up with the lighter boiled frosting, would probably expect a vanilla flavor. So the "best of both worlds" thing is a fun concept to play with, but I think I will just stick to making one or the other rather than combining those two ideas.
Therese, Duncan Hines has been making red velvet cake mix for quite a while. There's another smaller company that makes it too, but I forgot their name.
Poutine says
Anna,
Buttermilk is still good for about a month after the expiration date. I like you, always chucked it out when it expired, but my catering boss saved it and used it and honestly it still works.
Amy says
Small Batch Baking includes a recipe for a hybrid boiled/cream cheese frosting. I tried it and it was pretty good, sort of the best of both worlds.
Anna says
Cookleitz, I like both of the frostings. I think I prefer the tangy flavor of the cream cheese icing, but the cooked icing was very, very good. I can see why people would flip for the cooked type as well.
Jen, yes -- it's definitely Twinkie like.
I kind of wonder if the cooked icing/frosting recipe was originally developed as a poor folks or depression era version of whipped cream frosting. That is, with shortening standing in for the butter. The texture is similar to stabilized whipped cream.
Jen says
Still haven't tasted or made a red velvet cake yet but anything remotely Twinkie-ish certainly gets my attention.
cookleitz says
woo hoo for trying the cooked frosting. Will you ever go back to cream cheese??? My sister is a pastry chef in Louisville and she used to make red velvet cupcakes at the restaurant she last worked at. People flipped for them - you wouldn't believe what they pay for a cupcake.
Anna says
Emilie, the Dr. Pepper cake is really good. Another cake I've always had good luck with is this one from Epicurious. I use a different icing recipe, though.
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/107944
Here's another one that looks good.
http://www.recipezaar.com/2496