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Idiot in the Kitchen — Get red, velvety red |
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Written by Howie Rumberg, asap
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Friday, 18 May 2007 |
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Despite the recent backlash against parents who turn their children into hipsters, my wife Izabela and I decided to go all out trendy for our son’s second birthday.
We’re not talking $35 T-shirts with “The Clash” emblazoned on its front. This was a much more serious decision.
There would be no Elmo cake in our house — the boy has more Elmo than we can handle. Instead, Izabela said, “Throw caution to the wind, honey, we’re making a super hot dessert: red velvet cake.”
“What will people say?” I replied, worried that we’d be thought of as bad parents.
OK, I didn’t say that. What I really said was, “Sounds great. I love the movie ’Blue Velvet.’ Let’s do it.”
The inappropriateness (and flimsiness) of the connection between the sadistic “Blue Velvet” and my son’s birthday aside, the red velvet cake was a hit.
And it’s easy to see why a supposedly regional dessert — many say it started as a favorite in the South — has been transformed into a national phenomenon.
“I think it’s brash. It’s beautiful. It’s luscious,” says Elizabeth Karmel, native of North Carolina and Author of “Taming the Flame: Secrets for Hot-and-Quick Grilling and Low-and-Slow BBQ.”
It really is an impressive sight with its shocking, rich red layers separated by billowy white icing.
At least that’s what it’s supposed to look like. The cake we made for the birthday party looked more toxic red — let’s call it Elmo red — than “lush.” So Izabela insisted we try again.
There would be no messing around with recipes the second time: I went straight to one of the places responsible for making the cake universally popular, The Magnolia Bakery in New York.
A red velvet cake is neither a chocolate cake or a yellow cake with red dye. It’s made with cocoa, which should be noticeable but not the dominant flavor. Magnolia gets the color right in their cakes and cupcakes, a deep chocolatey red.
Karen Hirsch, director of operations at the bakery, says it’s the reaction between the cocoa, cider vinegar and the red dye that gives it its unique complexion. It’s extremely inviting.
I felt in good hands: Magnolia makes about 16,000 cupcakes a week in the homey corner store in the West Village, and red velvet is the No. 1 choice, Hirsch says.
There is one thing you should know about making the cake: unless you’re a perfectionist you’ll be left with a permanent reminder of your endeavors. Red dye stains. Cover your work surface. And don’t leave the mixer spinning when you’re adding the mixture with the dye. Remember spin art?
We survived with just a small mark on the rug but that’s not because we were sloppy in the mixing stage. I dropped one of the cake pans ... Let’s not relive it.
Rather, let’s focus on my favorite part. Think back to your third grade science fair. Remember what happens when you combine baking soda and vinegar? If you have young children, bring them into the kitchen for this step, you’re going to make bubbling lava.
The recipe by Allysa Torey, the original owner of Magnolia (she recently sold the bakery), is really easy to follow and the results are fantastic. Izabela couldn’t stop with the platitudes.
One place where you could go wrong is over mixing the batter — a problem when making most baked goods. There is a reminder in the recipe, and you should take it seriously. If you don’t, the moist springy texture will end up dense and chewy. With the red batter you’ll be able to see when things are mixed in. Don’t be afraid to stop the mixer and scrape the sides.
The only time we deviated from the recipe was at Hirsch’s urging. The instruction for the icing calls for a final mix of five minutes, but she says at the bakery they mix for eight minutes. We mixed for eight and the consistency was perfect — more cheeriness from Izabela. The icing will not be a perfect cotton white until the final mix.
In sugar shock from a perfect slice of giant three-layer cake, I couldn’t help but turn to Izabela with this observation:
“If this makes Luca a hipster kid then I’m all in.” (He still can’t have a $35 T-shirt. I’m only an idiot in the kitchen).
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Red velvet cake with creamy vanilla frosting
From “More from Magnolia” by Allysa Torey (Simon & Schuster, 2004, $27).
Makes one three-layer nine-inch cake
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Cake
3 1/2 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 1/2 cups sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
6 tablespoons red food coloring
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoons cider vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and lightly flour three 9- by 2-inch round cake pans, then line the bottoms with waxed paper.
To make the cake: In a small bowl, sift the cake flour and set aside. In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. In a small bowl, whisk together the red food coloring, cocoa, and vanilla. Add to the batter and beat well.
In a measuring cup, stir the salt into the buttermilk. Add to the batter in three parts alternating with the flour. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated, but do not over beat. In a small bowl, stir together the cider vinegar and baking soda. Add to the batter and mix well. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl, making sure the ingredients are well blended and the batter is smooth.
Divide the batter among the prepared pans. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Let the layers cool in the pans for 1 hour. Remove from the pans and cool completely on a wire rack.
When the cake has cooled, spread the frosting between the layers, then ice the top and sides of the cake with creamy vanilla frosting.
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Creamy vanilla frosting
Make enough for one three-layer, 9-inch cake
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
In a medium-size saucepan, whisk the flour into the milk until smooth. Place over medium heat and, stirring constantly, cook until the mixture becomes very thick and begins to bubble, 10-15 minutes. Cover with waxed paper placed directly on the surface and cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes. In a large bowl, on the medium high speed of an electric mixer, beat the butter for 3 minutes, until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the sugar, beating continuously for 3 minutes until fluffy. Add the vanilla and beat well. Add the cooled milk mixture, and continue to beat on the medium high speed for 5 minutes, until very smooth and noticeably whiter in color. Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes (no less and no longer. Set a timer!). Use immediately.
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Kitchen Idiot Howie Rumberg is an asap reporter based in New York. You can e-mail him at
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