Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Icing

• 2 1/2 cups cake flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons red food coloring
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
• 12 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 to 2 tablespoons heavy cream

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and make sure the rack is in center of oven.
2. Butter two 9- inch round cake pans and line the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper.
3. Set aside.
4. In a mixing bowl sift the flour, salt and cocoa powder together.
5. In an electric mixer or with a hand held mixer beat the butter until soft.
6. Then add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
7. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing after each addition until it is well incorporated.
8. Scrape the sides of the mixing bowl and add the vanilla.
9. Beat until combined.
10. In a little bowl combine the buttermilk and red food coloring.
11. With the mixer on low, alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk to the butter mixture.
12. In a different bowl combine the vinegar and baking soda.
13. Allow the mixture to fizz and then quickly fold into the cake batter.
14. Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans and smooth the tops.Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick or skewer inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean.
15. Cool the cakes in their pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes.
16. Then invert, lifting off the pan.
17. Once they have completely cooled, wrap in plastic and place the cake layers in the freezer for at least an hour or overnight.
18. This is how the pros do it.
19. It makes icing and assembling the cake so much easier.

cake flour, salt, cocoa powder, unsalted butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, buttermilk, red food coloring, white vinegar, baking soda, butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla, heavy cream

Taken from www.foodrepublic.com/recipes/red-velvet-cake-with-cream-cheese-icing-2/ (may not work)