Red Velvet Cake #2

This is a proper Southern red velvet cake built the old-school way with buttermilk, a touch of cocoa, and vinegar reacting with baking soda for a tender, velvety crumb. Three layers bake up tall and dramatic.

The real star is the ermine icing. Unlike cream cheese frosting, this cooked-flour method creates a silky, almost whipped butter-like frosting that’s lighter and far less cloying. You cook flour and milk into a paste the night before, chill it, then beat it with sugar and fat until it’s impossibly fluffy.

Dust your cake pans with cocoa instead of flour. White flour leaves visible streaks on the red layers, while cocoa blends right in.

Kitchen Tips

• The icing base must be completely cold before you beat it into the butter mixture. Warm paste will melt the fat and give you a greasy, broken frosting.
• Beat the icing for a solid 5 to 7 minutes. It should look like whipped cream. Under-beating is the most common reason this frosting falls flat.
• Don’t skip the vinegar. It reacts with baking soda to create lift, and the acid tenderizes the crumb.
• Spread icing on tops only of each layer, not the sides. This is the traditional presentation.

Variations

• Use cream cheese frosting if you prefer the tangy version most bakeries serve today.
• Add a tablespoon of espresso powder to the batter for deeper chocolate complexity without obvious coffee flavor.
• Make cupcakes instead: reduce baking time to 18 to 20 minutes.