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Peachy the Magazine

Red Velvet Strawberry Cake

This recipe is featured in our April/May 2014 Food + Entertaining article, Pretty, Pink, and Personal.

Red Velvet Strawberry Cake
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Red Velvet Strawberry Cake

Course: Dessert

Ingredients

  • Cake:

  • 1 cup vegetable shortening

  • 2 eggs

  • 1 ½ cups sugar

  • 1 teaspoon cocoa powder

  • 2 ounces red food coloring

  • 2 ½ cups cake flour

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 1 cup fresh orange juice and orange zest

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 1 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1 teaspoon vinegar

  • 1 quart fresh strawberries, halved

  • Cream Cheese Frosting:

  • 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

  • 12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 ½ sticks), at room temperature

  • ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

  • 3 ½ cups sifted confectioners’ sugar (¾ pound)

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 9-inch cake pans.
  • In the bowl of a mixer, cream together the shortening, eggs, and sugar. In a separate small bowl, mix together the cocoa and food coloring. Add the paste to the shortening mixture.
  • Sift the flour and salt together over parchment. Add to the batter alternately with the buttermilk in 3 additions. Add the vanilla extract. Fold in the baking soda and vinegar.
  • Pour the batter into prepared pans. Bake for 30 minutes or until an inserted cake tester comes out clean. Let cool on a cooling rack. Invert the cakes from the pans.
  • To make the frosting: Place the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, and mix on medium speed just until combined. Don’t whip! Add the sugar and mix until smooth.
  • Frost the top of the first layer with frosting and top with halved strawberries. (The strawberry leaves are pretty and you can eat them as well!) Place the second layer on top, frost and top with strawberries. Repeat with remaining layers. Decorate the top layer with edible cake pearls, fresh mint, and more strawberries. Frost the sides of the cake, if desired, or leave it as is.

Notes