A few years ago, my eldest asked for a fancy cake for her birthday. Fancy cake? Aren't all cakes fancy?? ;) After some research and looking at pictures online, she picked red velvet cake. Well, that cake certainly looks fancy! With my favorite gluten free flour in hand, I went to work. It turned out beautifully. It was a gorgeous red color, moist, and delicious! I'd post s picture of it, but my computer has misplaced it's hard drive. :( Flash forward a few years to my soon to be 7 year olds birthday. At her private school, they are allowed to bring a treat to share with their class on their special day. She asked for "that awesome red cake you made". Of course it happened to be a fasting time for us (no meat, dairy, eggs..) so I has to think a wee bit harder on the replacing in the recipe. I mean it's one thing to replace the glutarded flour with a gluten free one; but to replace the eggs and buttermilk was another story. I set out to research how to replace these without messing with a good thing. Hours later, I came up with a battle plan. How were they you ask? Does the fact that the entire K-1st grade class ate them all answer it? ;) ok, ok, so they were awesome! I could'nt believe it! I didn't screw it up! (thank God, because then what would I have told my birthday girl??) Originally this recipe comes to us from the Food Network and a great cook, Paula Deen. I've adapted it to fill our needs (changed the name for my girls too) and here it is with the vegan replacements in parenthesis.
Cake Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 sticks of butter room temp(or 1 cup Earth Balance natural buttery spread-non dairy)
2 eggs (or 3 tsp EnerG egg replacer with 2 Tbl water, mixed)
2 Tbl cocoa powder
2 oz red food coloring
2 1/2 cups Better Batter Flour
1 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk (or cup milk replacement- I like to use coconut milk- with 1 Tbls of vinegar. Let sit for few minutes)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 Tbls vinegar
Icing ingredients:
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese (or tofutti 'cream cheese' substitute)
1 stick butter softened (or 1/2 cup Earth Balance natural buttery spread-non dairy)
1 cup melted marshmallows (beware the pre melted ones have egg whites in it)
1 pound confectioners' sugar (plus some, when doing vegan-for some reason needs more.)
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
In a separate bowl, mix together your flour and salt, set aside. In a mixing bowl, cream sugar and butter, beating until it's fluffy. I like my kitchenAid for all my baking. Add your eggs or pre mixed replacer, one at a time and mix it good after each. In a separate bowl, mix together your food coloring and cocoa; then add it to your fluffy sugar/butter. Add your flour mix and your buttermilk, alternately, to the creamed mixture. Mix in your vanilla. In a small bowl, add your baking soda and vinegar and then add it to your mixture. If you are making cake, pour into 3 (8-inch) round, greased and parchment lined pans. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until your toothpick, inserted into the center comes out clean. Let sit for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a cooling rack. Cool completely before frosting. If you are making cupcakes, line 2 (12 muffin) muffin tin trays with paper liners. I use a 1/4 cup "ice cream" scoop to fill my tins. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of one comes out clean. Let sit for a few minutes and then take them out and cool completely on racks before frosting.
ICING:
To melt your own marshmallows, the mini ones are the fastest. I used about 2 cups minis to melt for one. (I was guestimating) I got out a medium sauce pan and sprayed it with Pam, putting it on med/low heat. Pour in your minis and stir continuously till melted and set aside. Cream together your room temperature cream cheese and butter in your mixing bowl. Add your melted marshmallows and sugar and mix until blended and of a good spreading consistency.
ENJOY! ;)
~Yevette
Keep fighting the safe food fight!
