Mini Vanilla & Red Velvet Layer Cake

My daughter and I are obsessed with mini cakes. My mom gave me 6-inch cake pans for Christmas and we have been waiting for the perfect occasion to use them. Yay for Valentine’s Day! 🙂 ❤ I will admit that I’m not sure if a 3-layer cake is truly “mini”…. but it was really cute.

Some math is involved in order to adapt a recipe to make a mini cake. In this case, the vanilla cake recipe, originally for an 8-inch layer cake, was reduced to 57%. I made the red velvet cake, originally for 12 cupcakes, in its entirety in order to make additional cupcakes. The icing recipe makes enough to generously frost the layer cake as well as the cupcakes.

The vanilla cake recipe was adapted from The Vanilla Bean Baking Book: Recipes for Irresistible Everyday Favorites and Reinvented Classics by Sarah Kieffer. The red velvet cake and cream cheese frosting recipes were adapted from Martha Stewart Living.

For the Vanilla Cake Layers:

Yield: Two 6-inch cakes

• 2 large eggs
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 3/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 5 1/2 T sour cream
• scant 2 T buttermilk
• 162 g all-purpose flour
• 169 g granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp plus generous 1/8 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp plus generous 1/8 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp plus generous 1/8 tsp fine sea salt
• 9 T (129 g) unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into 1-inch pieces

For the Red Velvet Cake Layer:

Yield: One 6-inch cake and 5 standard cupcakes (Alternatively, 57% of the recipe can be made to just make a single cake layer, if desired.)

• 148 g (1 1/4 cups) cake flour (not self-rising), sifted
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder, sifted
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil (I used canola)
• 1 large egg, room temperature (can put in a bowl of warm water to quickly change the temperature)
• 1/4 teaspoon red gel-paste food color
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 3/4 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoons distilled white vinegar

To Make the Vanilla Cake Layers:

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, preferably on convection.
2. Butter two 6-inch cake pans and then line them with parchment paper. Butter the parchment and then flour the pans. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk the eggs, egg yolk, vanilla, sour cream, and buttermilk.
4. In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt on low until combined.
5. With the mixer running on low, add the butter one piece at a time, beating until the mixture resembles coarse sand.
6. With the mixer still running on low, slowly add half the wet ingredients. Increase the speed to medium and beat until incorporated, about 30 seconds.
7. With the mixer running on low, add the rest of the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined.
8. Increase the speed to medium and beat for 20 seconds. (The batter may still look a little bumpy.)
9. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, and use a spatula to mix the batter a few more times.
10. Divide the batter between the cake pans. Each well should be about halfway full. (I weigh them to make sure that the batter is evenly distributed. Each pan had about 360 g of batter.)
11. Using an offset spatula, smooth the tops. Tap the pan gently on the counter 2 times to help get rid of any bubbles.
12. Bake for 22 to 24 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
13. Let cool for 30 minutes in the pan. Then, remove from pan, remove the parchment paper, and let cool completely before frosting.

To Make the Red Velvet Cake Layer & Cupcakes:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, preferably on convection. Place 5 cupcake liners in a standard muffin pan. Butter one 6-inch cake pan and then line it with parchment paper. Butter the parchment and then flour the pan. Set aside.
2. Sift together cake flour, and cocoa; add salt and whisk to combine.
3. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, whisk together sugar and oil until combined.
4. Add the egg, beating until incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.
5. Mix in food color and vanilla.
6. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of buttermilk, and whisking well after each.
7. Stir together the baking soda and vinegar in a small bowl (it will foam); add mixture to the batter; mix on medium speed 10 seconds.
8. Place 350 g to 360 g batter in the prepared cake pan, about halfway full. Divide the remaining batter evenly among lined cups, filling each about three-quarters full.
9. Bake the cake pan, rotating halfway through, about 23 to 25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean. Transfer to wire racks to cool for 30 minutes before removing from the pan to cool completely.
10. Bake the cupcakes in the center of the oven for about 17 to 18 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

Yield: 4 cups, enough to frost 1 6-inch cake and 5 cupcakes

• 8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 12 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 pound (4 cups) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• gel food coloring, if desired
• decorative sprinkles, if desired

1. Beat butter and cream cheese with a mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low.
2. Add sugar, 1 cup at a time, and then vanilla; mix until smooth. (I sifted 1 cup of sugar at a time prior to adding it to the butter-cream cheese mixture.)
3. Tint the frosting with food coloring, if desired.
4. Fill between the cake layers and the frost the top and sides of the cake. Using a pastry bag with a large fluted tip, pipe onto cupcakes in a circular motion, starting on the outer rim.
5. Decorate with sprinkles, if desired.
6. Refrigerate the cake (and cupcakes) prior to serving.

“Line Friends” Red Velvet Birthday Cake

My daughter absolutely loves the “Line Friends” store in Times Square. The store features adorable plush versions of the characters from a Japanese and Korean messaging app called Line. Most center around a bear named “Brown.” As a pig enthusiast, my daughter owns two “Piggy Brown” plush in her personal collection. She requested a red velvet version of “Piggy Brown” to celebrate her 12th birthday! She also requested an Oreo-cream cheese frosting filling. The results were super cute and delicious.

Both of my kids have winter birthdays. Because my son decided to celebrate his with a gold standard household favorite, a Rainbow Sprinkle Cake, I am combining their “birthday posts” by sharing their number cookie photos at the same time. For those of you who don’t know, my kids always have birthday sugar cookies to celebrate their age. 🙂 This year, my son celebrated his 14th birthday and my daughter celebrated her 12th. ❤

I thought that it was the perfect time to share this cake because a red velvet layer cake would also be a fabulous Valentine’s Day dessert. ❤ The cake recipe was adapted from Martha Stewart Living, the cream cheese frosting adapted from various sources. I used a single vanilla cupcake for the pig snout and bear nose, recipe from Sally’s Baking Addiction. The pig ears were made with reserved number cookie dough.

To Make the Red Velvet Layers:

• unsalted butter, for cake pans
• 2 1/2 cups (300 g) cake flour, not self-rising
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder, sifted
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 cups canola oil
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 tsp red gel food coloring plus 3 1/2 T water OR 1/4 cup red food coloring
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons white vinegar

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees, preferably on convection.
2. Generously butter two 9-by-2-inch round cake pans. Line with parchment paper; butter the paper. Sprinkle with flour, and tap out the excess; set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk cake flour, salt, and sifted cocoa; set aside.
4. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the sugar and oil, and beat on medium speed until well combined.
5. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
6. Add food coloring and vanilla, and beat until well combined.
7. Add flour mixture, alternating with buttermilk, scraping the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.
8. In a small bowl, mix baking soda and vinegar until combined. Add to batter, and beat for 10 seconds.
9. Evenly divide batter between the prepared pans. (I use a kitchen scale to make sure that the batter is evenly distributed.)
10. Bake until a cake tester inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes.
11. Transfer to a wire rack to cool in the pans for 5 minutes. Remove from the pans, and return to the rack to cool completely before frosting/decorating.

For the Vanilla Cupcake Pig Snout & Bear Nose:

• 1 egg white
• 2 T granulated sugar
• 2 T unsalted butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 T milk
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, preferably on convection.
2. Coat 2 wells of a muffin pan with cooking spray or line with 2 liners.
3. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the egg white and sugar until combined.
4. Stir in the vanilla, melted butter, and milk.
5. Add flour and baking powder and mix everything together well.
6. Divide the batter between two muffin pan wells and bake for 10-14 minutes.
7. Let cool completely before frosting/decorating as desired.

For the Cream Cheese Frosting and to Decorate the Cake:

Yield: enough to generously frost one 9-inch layer cake (plus 1 cupcake)

• 16 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
• 6 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 5 Oreos, crushed in a food processor
• pink gel food coloring
• cocoa
• brown m&m’s and pink tic tac’s for eyes and noses
• 1-2 T semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted

1. Place cream cheese and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer.
2. Beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
3. Add sugar and vanilla. Beat, on low-speed to combine.
4. If too soft, chill until slightly stiff, about 10 minutes, before using.
5. Remove and place in separate bowls: 3/4 to 1 cup of icing for the bear face, 2-3 T icing for the top of the pig snout, 2-3 T icing for the bear nose, and 1 1/4 cup of icing for the Oreo filling.
6. Tint the remaining icing light pink with food coloring, mixing well.
7. Incorporate the crushed Oreos in the reserved 1 1/4 cups of filling icing. Spread on one of the layers.
8. Place the second layer on top.
9. Insert the cookie pig ears in between the cake layers until securely in place.
10. Tint the 3/4 to 1 cup of reserved bear face icing with 1 T sifted cocoa, or until desired color is achieved.
11. Tint the reserved 2-3 T of bear nose icing with pinches of sifted cocoa until desired color is achieved.
12. Tint the reserved 2-3 T of pig snout icing with pink food coloring until desired color is achieved.
13. Make a paper or parchment template to outline the edge of the bear face on top of the cake. Place on top of the second cake layer.
14. Spread and swirl the light pink frosting around the sides and top of the cake, outside of the bear face template.
15. Spread and swirl the reserved chocolate-brown frosting circle to form the bear face.
16. Remove the domed top of the vanilla cupcake and trim to form the bear nose. Coat with reserved light brown icing and place on the bear face.
17. Invert the cupcake bottom and coat the sides with light pink icing. Spread dark pink icing over the top. Place the snout in place on top of the cake.
18. Use the m&m’s and tic tacs to form the noses and eyes.
19. Place melted chocolate chips in a small ziplock bag. (I melted the chocolate in the microwave.) Cut the corner of the bag and pipe the bear’s mouth onto the cake.
20. The cake can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 6 hours. (I stored it overnight.) Bring to room temperature before serving.

I’m bringing my red velvet Piggy Brown to share at Angie’s Fiesta Friday #262, co-hosted by Angie and Jhuls @The Not so Creative Cook. Enjoy! 🙂

Red Velvet Brownies

I think that all I have to say is that I’ve already made these wonderful brownies three times before posting them! They are a great modification of the classic Southern cake- including the essential cream cheese frosting.

The recipe was adapted from Fat Witch Bake Sale by Patricia Helding with Lucy Baker. Fat Witch Bakery is a family favorite NYC bakery, and one of the first we visited after moving to New York. I used semi-sweet instead of milk chocolate chips, lined the baking pan with parchment paper, and modified the baking time for a convection oven.

I contemplated omitting the red food coloring, but it just would not have been as much fun. (…besides the fact that my daughter had a very strong objection!) 🙂 Yummy.

Yield: Makes one 9×9-inch pan 16 square brownies or 32 triangle brownies

For the Brownies:

• 5 1/2 T (1/3 cup) unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 T whole milk
• 1 cup milk or semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp coarse salt
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 tsp red food coloring

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 4 oz cream cheese, room temperature
• 3 T unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups Confectioners’ sugar

To Make the Brownies:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, preferably on convection.
2. Coat a 9×9-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Line with parchment paper and coat again with cooking spray.
3. In a small heavy-bottom saucepan over low heat, combine the butter, sugar, and milk. Stir until everything is completely melted.
4. Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the chocolate chips. Stir until everything is melted and well combined.
5. Transfer the chocolate mixture to a large mixing bowl.
6. Add the eggs one at a time and mix until well combined.
7. Sift the flour, salt, and baking soda directly into the chocolate mixture.
8. Using a whisk or electric mixture on low-speed, beat until no trace of the dry ingredients remains.
9. Add vanilla and food coloring and continue to beat on low-speed until everything is throughly combined.
10. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly with an offset spatula.  Bake for 22 minutes on convection, or up to 30-35 minutes in a standard oven, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with only crumbs, not batter, on it.
11. Cool in the pan on a rack for at least 1 hour. Make sure that they are completely cooled before frosting.

Note: This is a good time to bring the cream cheese and butter to room temperature before making the frosting.

To Make the Cream Cheese Frosting:

1. In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth.
2. Beat in the vanilla.
3. Sift the sugar directly into the butter mixture. Beat until thick and creamy.
4. Spread the frosting on the cooled brownies.
5. Transfer to the refrigerator to set the frosting.
6. Cut the brownies just before serving.

Note: The brownies will keep longer if they are stored uncut. Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for 6 to 8 days.

One Year Ago:

• Buttermilk Biscuits

Two Years Ago:

• Flourless Chocolate Cookies
• Candy Corn Sugar Cookies

Three Years Ago:

• Fancy S’more Cupcakes with Toasted Marshmallow Frosting
• Giant Chocolate Chip-Oatmeal Ice Cream Sandwiches

Four Years Ago:

• Glazed Maple Cookies

Birthday Red Velvet “Owl” Cupcakes, Johnnycake, & The One Room Schoolhouse

My daughter is so grown up for a second grader. She chose going to a Broadway show instead of a birthday party to celebrate her 8th birthday. She is a Broadway show tune junkie! 🙂 Another grown up choice was choosing red velvet cupcakes for her special birthday dessert. I thought that I wasn’t a red velvet fan- but these were super moist and wonderful. When we saw the owl cupcakes on Nancy Creative around Halloween, we both knew that we had to make them! I would say that the owl cupcake choice was the 8-year-old part of this birthday celebration, but I want them for my birthday too!! 🙂 The cupcake recipe was adapted from Martha Stewart Living.

To make the owl’s eyes, I microwaved the oreos 3 cookies at a time for 7 seconds, but I still had trouble getting a clean split. I need more practice… I suppose it’s been too long since I’ve eaten oreos the right way! The eyeballs and beak were made out of m&m’s. The eyebrows are made from the remaining filling-less sides of the oreo cookies, scored slightly less than in half. Adorable!

Yield: 12 cupcakes

For the Cupcakes:

• 1 1/4 cups cake flour (not self-rising), sifted
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder, sifted
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil (I used canola)
• 1 large egg, room temperature (can put in a bowl of warm water to quickly change the temperature)
• 1/4 teaspoon red gel-paste food color
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 3/4 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoons distilled white vinegar
• Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe follows)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (convection). Line a standard muffin tin with paper liners. (I used foil-lined paper liners.)
2. Whisk together cake flour, and cocoa; add salt.
3. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, whisk together sugar and oil until combined. Add the egg, beating until incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Mix in food color and vanilla.
4. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of buttermilk, and whisking well after each.
5. Stir together the baking soda and vinegar in a small bowl (it will foam); add mixture to the batter; mix on medium speed 10 seconds.
6. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 18 minutes (on convection). Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes. Cupcakes can be stored overnight at room temperature, or frozen up to 2 months, in airtight containers.
7. To finish, top with Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe below).

Note: These are also wonderful as mini-cupcakes. Bake for 10 minutes on convection.

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

Yield: 2 cups, enough to frost 12 cupcakes

• 4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 6 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/2 pound (2 cups) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
• scant 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Beat butter and cream cheese with a mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low.
2. Add sugar, 1 cup at a time, and then vanilla; mix until smooth.
3. Using a pastry bag with a large fluted tip, pipe onto cupcakes in a circular motion, starting on the outer rim.

Number Cookies: Our Family Tradition! 🙂

Another highlight of her birthday was that her class went on a field trip to a historic One Room Schoolhouse. She has been desperate to go on this trip because part of the fun is that everyone is supposed to dress in old-fashioned attire. She absolutely loves dressing up for everything- but this was particularly special because she wore one of my old dresses! (Thanks to her Nana who saves everything! :)) With a felt bonnet too. Super cute.

The kids also bring their lunch in baskets- with each item wrapped in bandanas or cloth. She brought an apple, a buttered roll, dried fruit, and a buttered johnnycake. We had problems coming up with a vessel for her drink…. Makes one appreciate modern conveniences!

For the New England Johnnycake:

Yield: 12 standard muffins or 1 8-inch square cake (12 squares)

• 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup corn meal
• 4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp coarse salt
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1/4 cup oil
• 2 large eggs

1. Preheat an oven to 375 degrees (convection).
2. Sift together the dry ingredients.
3. Add the milk, syrup, oil, and eggs. Stir until just incorporated.
4. Bake in a lined or greased muffin tin for 14 minutes, or in an 8-inch square pan for 20 to 25 minutes.

One Year Ago:

• Apple Layer Cake with Maple-Cream Cheese Frosting
• The Best Birthday Cupcakes