Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Icing (one layer)

I think I have had a low key obsession with red velvet cakes ever since I laid eyes on the armadillo groom's cake in the movie Steel Magnolias (one of my all time favorite movies, by the way).  Back then, I was like M'Lynn, I couldn't even "begin to think how you'd make gray icing" never mind how they got the cake to be so red!!!  My first experience actually eating a red velvet cake, though, came many years later.  I was at a get together at a friends house and someone had brought red velvet cupcakes.  They had this amazingly luscious vanilla cream cheese frosting on top and I think I ate 6 of them!  I don't know why, but the deep red color of the cake just made it that much more fun to eat!

From that day on, I have threatened numerous times to make a red velvet cake.  Lucky for me, Chris bought me a three piece silicone bakeware set for Christmas.  It included a loaf pan, a 6 cup muffin pan, and..... drum roll please............ an 8-inch round cake pan!!!  YAY!

Ok, ok.. I have cake pans, but this is SILICONE.  

Silicone pans mean;  even baking, super easy removal, no rusting or staining, and clean up is a breeze.  They are also freezer, refrigerator, oven, microwave, and dishwasher safe!  I highly recommending trying them out.

Over the weekend I decided it was finally time to make a red velvet cake.  Now, most recipes are for 2-3 layer cakes and I really just wanted to test the recipe and the new pan, so I decided to just make it a one layer cake.  I actually took a recipe for red velvet cupcakes and adapted it to my needs for the cake.  Here's the original recipe if you want to check it out: Paula Dean's Red Velvet Cupcaks.  If you have never had the pleasure of devouring a red velvet cake, I recommend trying this recipe.  It was simple and so incredibly moist and yummy! 

Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Icing (one layer)
Adapted from Paula Dean

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cocoa powder
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 egg
1 Tablespoon red food coloring
1/2 tsp cider vinegar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray an 8-inch round cake pan with non stick cooking spray, set aside. (If you are using silicone you can skip this step!)

In a large bowl, gently beat together the oil, buttermilk, egg, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla with a hand held mixer or use the paddle attachment for a stand mixer.  Slowly add in the dry ingredients and mix until thoroughly combined.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 20-25 minutes, turning the pan once, halfway through the cooking process, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.  Remove from oven and cool completely before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting
1/4 cup of butter (1/2 a stick), room temperature
6oz cream cheese, room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar (you can add more if you want a sweeter tasting frosting)
1 - 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

With an electric mixer, mix the butter and cream cheese together, about 2-3 minutes on medium speed, until very smooth.  Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure even mixing.

Add the vanilla and mix.  Slowly add the powdered sugar.  Keep adding the sugar until you have the desired sweetness.  Spread or pipe on your cakes or cupcakes.

One last thing, my cake doesn't have the deep red color that a red velvet cake normally has.  This is due to not having enough red food coloring on hand.  I didn't realized it till I was already knee deep in the process, so I just went with it.  It turned out more red then I thought it would and it tasted great, so maybe I'll be forgiven.  Ciao!