Blue Velvet Cake

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blue-velvet-moneyshot You may already know that I am a huge fan of red velvet.  The combination of a light chocolate with a cream cheese frosting is what I crave.  I am not a giant chocoholic like my sister.  So, I prefer the more subtle flavors of red velvet.  Yet, I haven’t made much in the way of this kind of cake.

So, when I heard a certain Cheferee had a birthday.  I knew it was the perfect time to craft a velvet recipe.  Only I decided to go blue instead of red.  I didn’t make a cream cheese frosting either.  The blue is definitely coming out these days.  A trend because blue cake looks stunning.  Especially when you naked frost your cake the color really stuns anyone about to have a slice.   blue-velvet

I was lucky enough to receive styling tips for my cake from Gale Gand!  She was a guest on ChicagonistaLIVE.  I was lucky enough to learn a thing or two.  I really should travel with my torch more frequently but it can be a hassle explaining it to people why you have a small blow torch.  It’s for the frosting!  You can use the same frosting recipe I did leaving out the peaches for a plain vanilla French buttercream. 

I do recommend frosting the cake naked.  Not only does everyone love saying naked cake.  They also love the look of the blue velvet peeking out between the frosting.  You can also top yours with fresh sliced berries if you like.  I also made a quick strawberry sauce by just juicing strawberries and then cooking the juice down on the stove with a little bit of added sugar to taste.   blue-velvet-nancy

I can’t take credit for the photos this time.  Cheferee Anthony Martorina took all the photos.  So I had to include one of him and my favorite reporter, Nancy Loo enjoying cake! A tip from the Cheferee is to take that side shot of the cake after everyone has cut into it to show how pretty it looked! 

 

Blue Velvet Cake
Blue velvet is of course blue instead of red but also fluffier and less sweet. Also cream cheese frosting is replaced with french buttercream.
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Ingredients
  1. 1/4 cup crisco
  2. 1/4 unsalted butter at room temperature
  3. 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  4. 2 large eggs
  5. 2 Tbsp cocoa powder
  6. 2 1/4 cups flour
  7. 1 tsp salt
  8. 1 tsp vanilla
  9. 1 tsp baking soda
  10. 1 cup buttermilk
  11. 1 Tbsp white vinegar
Blue
  1. Royal blue gel drops 10-15
  2. Purple gel drops 3-6
Instructions
  1. Grease and parchment line 3 8inch cake pans.
  2. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together crisco, butter and sugar until fluffy.
  4. Then add eggs one at a time. Beating after each addition to incorporate them.
  5. Add 1 tsp vanilla and mix again.
  6. In a separate bowl combine cocoa powder, flour, salt and baking soda.
  7. Then add the dry to the mixer alternating between dry and buttermilk. Dry, then buttermilk, then more dry then more buttermilk until all is combined.
  8. Add color drops to reach desired shade of blue. The blue will darken and bake to be more matte than your batter.
  9. Lightly fold in 1 Tbsp of white vinegar until just mixed in. You don't want to overwork your batter but this makes the cake extremely tender.
  10. Divide batter into 3 pans.
  11. Bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes. Toothpick test for doneness.
  12. Remove pans from oven. Cool in pans 10 minutes before placing cake directly onto wire rack.
  13. Cool completely before frosting.
Notes
  1. I paired my blue velvet with a vanilla french buttercream.
Rosie Discovers https://rosiediscovers.com/

 

For cupcakes, this recipe makes about 18 when filling the cups 2/3 full. I paired my cupcakes with this marshmallow frosting recipe by Martha Stewart. Super easy and super tasty. The best part is that with your handheld torch the wow factor is added with just a few seconds of toasting. This frosting is basically a meringue so without toasting they might not keep well. With toasting the frosting sets up gloriously. I should warn you that it makes a lot of frosting. I frosted about 50 cupcakes with one batch of this frosting.

You can watch me torching cupcakes if you have never done it before. Be cautious if you are unfamiliar with a hand held torch. I would highly suggest using it outside until you are comfortable with adjusting the flame. This is fire you are about to use, so proceed with caution. Also to prevent flames, frost the entire surface of your cupcake. If you leave any exposed cake, then there will be a place for the flame to start. The frosting won’t outright light like cake will. I am in love with this frosting because it looks extremely impressive for the low effort you put into making it. Also it is lower on sugar than some alternatives. I hope you enjoy your cake whichever way you decide to eat it!

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