Last Sunday was Kaleb’s Birthday! In keeping with the tradition I started on his first birthday, I made yet another red velvet cake for my baby’s third birthday. I don’t know exactly what started this tradition, other than the fact that we were in the South and what better cake to represent this region of the country than a good ole red velvet cake?!  This year was extra special because Kaleb was actually aware that he was indeed having a birthday for the first time, which made my heart melt: “My birfday, Mommy. My BIRFDAY!” So I knew I had to put a little more “Mmph” into this particular red velvet. He even went so far as to request that we sing Happy Birthday as soon as we got home from the circus, and asked where the candles were before I could even break them out (my baby’s not a baby anymore! *tear*).

Every time I make red velvet cake I make it a little differently, trying out this or that according to my mood and taste. With red velvet, though, there’s not much variation amongst any recipes I’ve ever found. Always cocoa powder, red food coloring, vinegar and buttermilk in addition to the traditional flour, sugar and fat included in most other cakes. But as they say, the devil is in the details. So I detailed this bad boy to the nines and the result was what Hubby Trav called “The best cake that you’ve ever made.” What WHAT?!? My work here is done…

As a first, I added chopped pecans to my frosting (very traditional Southern Red Velvet). It will NOT be a last!

Red Velvet Cake

2 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 tsp. salt

2 Tbsp. cocoa powder

1 tsp. baking soda

2 eggs

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup vegetable oil

2 tsp. white vinegar

1 cup buttermilk

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 oz. red food coloring

Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature

2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Confectioners sugar, to taste

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour two 9″ cake pans. Sift dry ingredients. Mix butter and sugar. Add eggs. Alternate adding buttermilk and butter mixture to dry ingredients. Add oil and vinegar. Fold in vanilla extract and food coloring. Pour into cake pans. Bake until toothpick comes out almost clean, about 20-25 mins. Allow to cool. Mix frosting, then put in refrigerator to firm a bit. Frost cake and ENJOY! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY BEAUTIFUL BIG (NOT SO BABY) BOY AND HAPPY EATING TO YOU!