Red Velvet Cake

NOTE: All refrigerated ingredients (eggs, buttermilk, butter, cream cheese) must be at room temperature or slightly warm before starting. Cold ingredients break the batter and curdle the frosting. Grease three 8-inch cake pans with cake goop and preheat the oven to 335°F (168°C) before you begin mixing.

Whisk the wet ingredients together. In a medium bowl, whisk the 3 eggs, 6 oz oil, 12 oz buttermilk, 1½ tablespoons vinegar, 9 oz melted butter, 1½ teaspoons vanilla, and 1½ tablespoons red food coloring until smooth. Set aside.

Combine the dry ingredients in your stand mixer. Add the 21 oz flour, 21 oz sugar, 3 tablespoons cocoa, 1½ teaspoons salt, and 1½ teaspoons baking soda to the mixer bowl with the paddle attachment. Mix on low for a few seconds to combine.

Add the wet to the dry and mix. With the mixer on low, slowly pour in the wet ingredients. Once incorporated, increase to medium speed and mix for about 1 minute until smooth. Stop and scrape the bowl thoroughly.

Divide and bake. Pour the batter evenly between the three prepared pans. Bake at 335°F (168°C) for 30 to 35 minutes, until the centers feel firm and a toothpick comes out clean.

Cool the cakes. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to finish cooling. For same-day stacking, pop the layers in the freezer for 1 hour to firm up. Otherwise, wrap and freeze for up to a week.

Place the softened butter in the bowl of your stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Mix on low until it is smooth and lump-free.

Add in the softened cream cheese and combine on low until smooth and completely homogeneous. Scrape the bowl to make sure it is all incorporated.

Add in the sifted powdered sugar one cup at a time, mixing on low to avoid throwing powdered sugar out of the bowl.

Add the vanilla extract and salt and mix until just combined and smooth. Do not over-mix.

Assemble and decorate. Stack the chilled cake layers with cream cheese frosting between each layer. Crumb coat, chill, then frost the outside. Refrigerate before serving for clean slices.