Recipe for Red Velvet Cake (by Villa Castellamonte)

Castellamonte

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Mar 3, 2005
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www.villa-castellamonte.com
An extremely popular wedding cake is the red velvet cake invented by the New York City Waldorf Astoria in the 1920's. Unfortunately the cake has proven to be very difficult to find through quality bakers in the Dominican Republic. So Villa Castellamonte decided to take on the task of getting the recipe right for the Dominican Republic including offering substitutes for ingredients that are difficult (if not impossible) to find in this country. Hopefully someone will pass this to quality commercial bakeries who can make use of it to offer Red Velvet Wedding Cakes for everyone coming here to the Dominican Republic for a destination wedding.

Recipe for Red Velvet Cake
(modified by Villa Castellamonte)

CAKE:

1/2 cup Crisco shortening
1 1/2 cups white granulated sugar
2 large white eggs
1 oz red food coloring (2 oz for very red)
2 tablespoons (heaping) Hershey's Cocoa Powder
1 cup buttermilk *
2 1/4 cups cake flour **
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon white vinegar

* Buttermilk (suero de leche) substitute. Put one tablespoon of white vinegar in the measuring cup, fill to the 1 cup mark with whole mile (high butterfat) and let sit for 5 minutes. This will curdle the milk enough to get the chemical reaction needed.

** Cake flour (pastel de harina) substitute. Put two tablespoons of corn starch (f?cula de ma?z) in a measuring cup, fill to 1 cup mark with all-purpose flour. Do this for each cup and then do not use any corn starch on the 1/4 cup called for in the recipe.

FROSTING:

Red Velvet Cake traditionally has a white frosting so any white frosting will do. Here is one I have made that I truly enjoyed.

2 cups heavy cream (Nestle in cans)
12 oz cream cheese
12 oz mascarpone cheese
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups confectioners (powdered) sugar, sifted


To Make the Cake:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cream shortening, sugar and eggs. Everything will be added to this creamy mixture through the recipe.
3. In a very small bowl, mix the red food coloring with the cocoa powder as much as possible. After mixing them together, add them into the creamed mixture.
4. In a separate bowl, mix flour and salt together well.
5. In small amounts, alternatively add flour/salt mixture and buttermilk to the creamed mixture. Blend well between additions.
6. In a very small bowl, mix vinegar and baking soda together (it will foam), then blend immediately into creamy mixture.
7. Using separate shortening and flour, lightly grease and flour 3 - 8" cake pans.
8. Bake for 24 minutes, check cake and if needed leave in for 5 more minutes.
9. Remove cake from oven when done, remove from cake pan, cool for over 2 hours (or use refrigerator).

Frosting:

1. All ingredients should be at room temperature to start.
2. Blend together all ingredients.
3. Frost cake while properly assembling all layers.
4. Place in refrigerator for an hour allowing the frosting to solidify.
 

Shiraz72

Bronze
Feb 10, 2010
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I've never tried baking in a gas oven and have always wanted to try it when I'm in DR. I'm wondering if it turns out the same using a gas oven vs electric. Do you have have to make temperature or time adjustments etc? Does the cake rise effectively etc?
 

jrjrth

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Mar 24, 2011
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~Temperature is the same temperature in Gas or electric ovens...the only time cooking difference would be for increased altitudes!!! Plus...vvvvv

?You may need to change the proportion of ingredients in a recipe.
?You may need to raise the baking temperature as well.
Most cake recipes need no modification below or up to 3,000 feet....so you should be OK in the RD..unless you are on the top of Pico Duarte... Above that, it's often necessary to adjust recipes slightly, by decreasing the leavening and sugar (or both) and increasing the liquids. Butter, which melts in the oven, is considered a liquid; eggs, however, are not--they act as stabilizers in baked goods.
 

Bronxboy

Well-known member
Jul 11, 2007
14,107
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~Temperature is the same temperature in Gas or electric ovens...the only time cooking difference would be for increased altitudes!!! Plus...vvvvv

•You may need to change the proportion of ingredients in a recipe.
•You may need to raise the baking temperature as well.
Most cake recipes need no modification below or up to 3,000 feet....so you should be OK in the RD..unless you are on the top of Pico Duarte... Above that, it's often necessary to adjust recipes slightly, by decreasing the leavening and sugar (or both) and increasing the liquids. Butter, which melts in the oven, is considered a liquid; eggs, however, are not--they act as stabilizers in baked goods.

Thanks Chef Pepin!!!! lol