Italian Tri-Color Cookies

Not much of a story behind making these. They were way easier to make than I thought they'd be, and they were just as yummy as I expected!

I'm going to apologize ahead of time for my future absence from this blog. We're really starting to make progress at out bakery. Tuesday was our first day of construction. We're knocking down a wall to double the size of the kitchen. It was so exciting to take a hammer to the wall and destroy things! ;D I can't wait until we finish the build-out and get to see the big picture. BTW, there are pictures on my Flickr photostream. Here's a link: Building a Bakery!

And here's the recipe!
Baked Tricolor Cookies (from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito)

For the cookie layers
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
7 oz homemade or store-bought almond paste (recipe follows)
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp pure almond extract
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
3 large eggs
Grated zest of 1 orange (I omitted)
Orange food coloring (liquid or gel)
2 tbs dark unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted

For the filling
2/3 cup apricot jam
2 tbs amaretto liquer (I omitted)

For the glaze
6 oz dark chocolate (60% cacao)
1 tsp light corn syrup
1 stick unsalted butter, softened

Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter three 8-inch square baking pans. Line the bottom of each pan with parchment paper and butter the parchment. Dust with flour and knock out the excess flour. (I used cooking spray in place of the butter.) Sift the flour and salt together in a small bowl and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the almond paste, sugar, and almond extract together until small crumbs form. Add the butter and beat on high speed until the mixture is combined. Scrape down the bowl and add the eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated. Add the orange zest and beat until combined. Add the flour mixture in three parts, beating on low speed after each addition until combined.

Divide the batter among three small mixing bowls. In the first bowl, add a few drops of orange food coloring to the batter, and mix well. Continue to add a few drops of food coloring and mixing until the batter is medium orange in color. In the second bowl, add the cocoa powder to the batter and whisk until fully incorporated. Leave the third bowl plain.

Pour each batter into a prepared pan and smooth the tops. Bake the layers for 12 to 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of each layer comes out clean. Transfer the pans to a wire rack and cool for 20 minutes. Invert the cakes onto the rack, remove the pans, and let cool completely. Remove the parchment.

In a small saucepan over low heat, stir the jam and amaretto until warmed through and completely blended, 3 to 5 minutes.

Place the chocolate layer on a serving rack and evenly spread half of the apricot jam over the top. Top with the plain layer and spread with the remaining apricot filling. Top with the orange layer and let the layers sit in the refrigerator for 5 minutes (or while you make the chocolate glaze).

In a large nonreactive metal bowl, combine the chocolate, corn syrup, and butter. Set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and cook, stirring with a rubber spatula, until the mixture is completely smooth. Remove the bowl from the pan and stir for 30 seconds to cool slightly.

Spread the glaze over the top of the bar cookies, completely covering the orange layer (some glaze may spill down the sides of the cake). Place the tray in the refrigerator until the chocolate topping completely sets (about 1 hour). Remove the tray from the refrigerator, wait 30 minutes for the chocolate to warm up, and cut into 20 individual squares or use a small cookie cutter to cream your own shapes.

The bars can be stored in the refrigerator, tightly covered, for up to 4 days.

Almond Paste
1 1/2 cups finely ground almonds
1 cup confectioners sugar, sifted
1/2 tsp pure almond extract

Put all the ingredients in a food processor with 2 tbs water and process until a paste forms. Remove from the processor, wrap tightly in plastic, and refrigerate until ready to use. Extra almond paste, tightly wrapped, keeps well in the freezer.

"Baked" Red Velvet Cupcakes

My mom asked me if I'd make something sweet for her to take to her very last meeting at her job of 31 years. She's leaving to work with me as we open our own bakery. I hadn't made red velvet in a while, so it was time to break out the red food coloring. At first, I foolishly tried a recipe other than my favorite. I tried the one in Southern Cakes by Nancie McDermott. MISTAKE! The cake had almost no flavor, and the tops stuck to the cupcake pan. Never fear, for I see lots and lots of cake truffles in my future. After that bomb, I ran back to my copy of "Baked: New Frontiers in Baking." I've made their red velvet cake as cupcakes before, and they were 100% perfect. Their frosting is the best I've ever tasted! I'll never stray from the red velvet path again!
Recipe here!

1 Pie, 2 Pies, 3 Pies, 4 Pies!!

It's that time of year again. The space between Thanksgiving and Christmas, dubbed by my family as "Thanksmas." And you know what that means... it's time for PIES!!! I started a tradition last year when I brought pies for my aunts and Great aunt to our Thanksmas get-together. This year was slightly more difficult because I now have a busy work schedule to get around. Over a span of 3 days I managed to crank out 4 awesome looking pies! I'm pretty darn proud of myself. I wish I could say I tasted 4 awesome pies, but sadly the aunts don't like to share! :( Oh well, I guess that's what I get when I say "Here's YOUR pie." I don't blame them. I wouldn't want to share my pie with a house full of 23 hungry people either! Thankfully, they all texted back honest reviews. With one exception, the pies were very delicious. The exception being the Bourbon Chocolate Pecan pie, which broke my aunt's hear to tell me it tasted too much of alcohol. Although I didn't taste any of the pies, I did notice that particular pie smelling greatly of alcohol. I don't think I would've liked it either. If you're not a fan of bourbon, it might be a good idea to reduce it from 3 tablespoons to 1 tablespoon. Other than that, she loved the pie and all aunts said the crust was fantastic, flaky, and delicious! *pat on the back* I might start calling myself "Lord of the Pies" ...too much?? ;)

UPDATE: The receiver of the Tollhouse Pie let me know that her children really did not enjoy the whiskey flavor in the pie. I didn't think only 1 tablespoon would make a difference, but if you don't like whiskey feel free to leave it out. It won't make a big difference on the finished pie.

Bourbon Chocolate Pecan Pie (from "Baked: New Frontiers in Baking" by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito)
YIELD: 1 (9-INCH) PIE
1 ball of pie dough (my favorite recipe)
2 cups pecan halves, toasted
3 large eggs
3/4 cup light corn syrup
3 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons firmly packed dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 tablespoons bourbon
1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chip

Dust a work surface with a sprinkling of flour. Unwrap the ball of chilled dough and put it directly on the work surface. Roll out into a 12-inch round. Transfer the dough to a pie dish and carefully work it into the pie dish, fold­ing any overhang under and crimping the edge as you go. Wrap and freeze the crust until firm, about 2 hours, or up to 3 months.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Coarsely chop 3/4 cup of the pecans. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until combined. Add the corn syrup, sugars, butter, salt, vanilla, and bourbon. Whisk again until combined. Stir in the chopped pecans and set the filling aside.
Spread the chocolate chips evenly along the bottom of the frozen pie shell. Slowly pour the filling on top of the chocolate chips. Arrange the remaining 1 1/4 cups pecan halves on top of the filling.
Bake in the center of the oven for 30 minutes, then cover the edges of the crust loosely with aluminum foil and bake for another 30 minutes. (My pie was ready after only 40 minutes of baking.) Test the pie by sticking a knife in the center of the filling. If the knife comes out clean, the pie is done. If the knife comes out with clumps of filling sticking to it, bake for another 5 minutes and test again. (I’ve never fully baked a pecan pie like this. I always take it out when the edges are set and the center is slightly wobbly.)
Cool the pie on a wire rack and serve warm or at room temperature. The pie can be stored in the refrigerator, tightly covered, for up to 2 days.


*One thing I noticed about the two pie recipes from "Baked" that called for the crust to be frozen before baked, the crust browned more evenly and kept it's crimp. As you can see by the Cinnamon Apple Pie and my Gooey Pecan Pie at the end of the blog post (the crusts were not frozen before baked), they did not keep their pretty crimp, and the gooey pecan pie crust browned unevenly.

Tuscaloosa Tollhouse Pie (from "Baked: New Frontiers in Baking" by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito)
YIELD: 1 (9-INCH) PIE
1 ball of pie dough (my favorite recipe)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened, cut into cubes
1 tablespoon whiskey
3/4 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
1 1/4 cups (about 8 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

Dust a work surface with a sprinkling of flour. Unwrap the ball of chilled dough and put it directly on the work surface. Roll out into a 12-inch round. Transfer the dough to a pie dish and carefully work it into the pie dish, fold­ing any overhang under and crimping the edge as you go. Wrap and freeze the crust until firm, about 2 hours, or up to 3 months.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In a medium bowl, whisk the flour and sugars together until combined. Set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the eggs on high speed until foamy, about 3 minutes. Remove the whisk attach­ment and add the paddle attachment. With the mixer on low, gradually add the flour mixture. Turn the mixer to high and beat for 2 minutes. Scrape down the bowl and add the butter. Beat on high speed until the mixture is combined. Scrape down the bowl, add the whiskey, and beat the mixture on high speed for 1 minute.
Fold the walnuts and 3/4 cup of the chocolate chips into the filling.
Pour the filling into the frozen pie shell and spread it out evenly. Top the fill­ing with the remaining 1/2 cup chocolate chips.
Bake in the center of the oven for 25 minutes, then cover the edges of the crust loosely with aluminum foil and bake for another 25 minutes (this will prevent the crust from browning too quickly). Test the pie by sticking a knife in the center of the filling. If the knife comes out clean, the pie is done. If the knife comes out with clumps of filling sticking to it, bake for another 5 minutes and test again. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool before slicing. The pie can be stored in the refrigerator, tightly covered, for up to 2 days.

Cinnamon Apple Pie Gooey Pecan Pie

"Baked" Chocolate Chip Cookies

I've noticed that chocolate chip cookies seem to be one of the most controversial desserts when it comes to finding the "perfect recipe." Some people like them chewy, some people like them crunchy. Some people prefer to use melted butter, some like the creaming method. Some like to use brown sugar, some like to use white sugar. Some say vanilla extract is unnecessary, some say it's a necessity. There are so many issues when it comes to the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe! I'll get this out of the way first: I have not found it. These "Baked" cookies (from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking) are delicious, but I have a few complaints. My first is that there are WAY too many chocolate chips for my liking. I want to be able to taste the caramely flavor of the brown sugar and the vanilla-flavored dough, but instead I get bombarded by chocolate chips in every single bite! My second and last complaint is that the cookies are just too flat. In the picture in the book, the cookies look almost cake-like. While I am extremely pleased that my cookies did not have a cakey texture, I am disappointed by how flat the were. Yes, they were chewy (which I like), but just flat, almost as if they had deflated. I guess it's a weird complaint, but I like my cookies to have a little more volume.

I did notice something strange while I was lining my pans with parchment paper. Inside the Reynolds parchment paper box there is a recipe for chocolate chip cookies. It's almost identical to the "Baked" recipe, but it has 1/2 cup more flour and only 12 oz. of chocolate chips. I just thought that was a funny coincidence! :) PS: This recipe is brought to you by my super awesome boyfriend, Josh. I was getting ready to type the recipe into Google Docs, but I got up to get a drink. When I came back, look who was sitting in my seat doing my dirty work for me! He's the greatest! <3Chocolate Chip Cookies (from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking)
Makes 24 cookies (I used a 2-tablespoon scoop and got 33 cookies!)

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 2/3 cups (16 oz.) semi-sweet chocolate chips

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, salt, and baking soda together; set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter and sugars together until smooth and creamy. Scrape down the bowl and add the eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated. The mixture will look light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and beat for 5 seconds
Add half of the flour mixture and mix for 15 seconds. Add the remaining flour mixture and beat until just incorporated
Using a spatula or wooden spoon, fold in the chocolate chips.
Cover the bowl tightly and put in the refrigerator for 6 hours.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Use an ice cream scoop with a release mechanism to scoop out dough in 2-tablespoon-size balls. Use your hands to shape the dough into perfect balls and place them on the prepared baking sheets, about 1 inch apart. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, rotating the pans once during the cooking time, until the edges of the cookies are golden brown and the tops just start to darken.
Remove the pan from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Use a spatula to transfer the individual cookies to the rack to cool completely (although they are delicious warm).
The cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Banana Espresso Chocolate Chip Muffins

These muffins were super random. I woke up to find some lovely bananas laying on the kitchen table. Fruit doesn't last long in our house because I always find something to bake with it. As soon as I saw the bananas, I knew I wanted to FINALLY try the banana muffins in Baked: New Frontiers in Baking by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito that I've heard so much about . My thoughts? All the reviews are true! These muffins are insane! They are packed with flavor. They're very moist, thanks to the bananas. And the coffee really accents the flavor of the chocolate chips. I didn't have espresso powder, so I used extra instant coffee. I think next time I'll add a bit more to make the coffee flavor really stand out. Other than that, these muffins are perfect. They'll definitely get you going in the morning, but don't think you'll be reaching for one as a substitute for a healthy breakfast. They're definitely not in the healthy-muffin category!

Banana Espresso Chocolate Chip Muffins (from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking)
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 4 medium)
1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cups whole milk
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon instant espresso
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (6 ounces) semi sweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 12 cup pan muffin with non-stick cooking spray. In a medium bowl stir together the bananas, sugars, butter, milk, and egg. Set aside.
In another medium bowl whisk together the flour, espresso, baking soda, and salt together. Make a well in the center of the flour bowl. Pour the wet ingredients into the well and stir until just combined. Fold in the chocolate.
Divide the batter among the muffin pan and bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the muffins in the pan for 15 minutes before removing. Then finishing cooling on a wire rack. Muffins can be kept in an airtight container for 2 days.

Milk Chocolate Malt Ball Cupcakes

Those "Baked" boys have done it again! Of course I'm referring to Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito, authors of Baked: New Frontiers in Baking. This is the second recipe I've tried from this awesome book, and it's just as fabulous as the first one! If you don't remember, I made their Red Hot Velvet Cake in cupcake form a few months ago, and it became my new favorite red velvet recipe! I don't know how often I'll need a go-to recipe for Malt Ball Cake, but this one is definitely it! The cake itself is so soft, it nearly falls apart in your hands. Some of the cupcake wrappers were even coming loose from the cake! Now, usually I'd see that as a bad thing. But since these cupcakes are so freakin good, WHO CARES IF THE WRAPPER IS FALLING OFF?? It's just giving you a head start! ;D Let's talk about this frosting. At first I was nervous, because I've never had good results when ganache is involved in the frosting recipe. And I did have to do things a little differently than the book said in order to get my frosting to a good constistency. But once it was there, it was heaven! My dad says it's so light, you almost don't feel it when you're biting into the cupcake! And it's so chocolatey! You don't even need to scroll to the bottom of this post to know that these cupcakes get a 5 out of 5 all the way across the board!

PS: In case you didn't notice, these cupcakes came in dead last in the poll. The whole time I was making them, I was in fear of being drug (dragged? drug?) out in the street and stoned by you guys for breaking my own poll rules. I hope you trust me that they were WAY worth the rule-breaking! ;) Don't worry though, you'll see the actual winning cupcakes sometime soon. I pinky promise!



Oh I guess you wanna know how I made those little Easter egg nests on top, don't you?? There's really no recipe, but I can give you the general idea. I toasted about 1/2 cup shredded coconut and let it cool. Then I melted umm... maybe 1 cup of guittard dark chocolate apeels? Maybe more? I'm not entirely sure, it was just the last I had and I didn't measure. Then carefully stir the toasted coconut into the chocolate, making sure not to break it up too badly. Spoon it onto a baking sheet lined with wax paper. Press a few malt ball eggs into the "nests." Pop the sheet into the freezer for a few minutes to harden the chocolate. And TADA! Do whatever you want with them! :D

MILK CHOCOLATE MALT BALL CAKE (halved from Baked; original quantities in gray yield 3 8-inch cake layers or approximately 32 cupcakes)
Makes 16 cupcakes
“You can find Carnation brand malted milk powder in most local grocery stores, or you can substitute malt Ovaltine.”

FOR THE MALT CAKE LAYERS
1 cup + 2 tablespoons cake flour (2 1/4 cups)
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (3/4 cup)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder (1 tablespoon)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda (1 teaspoon)
1/2 teaspoon salt (3/4 teaspoon)
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (1/4 teaspoon)
1/2 cup malted milk powder (1 cup)
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened (1/2 cup)
1/4 cup vegetable shortening (1/2 cup)
1 cup sugar (2 cups)
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla (1 tablespoon)
1 cup ice cold water (2 cups)
2 egg whites (4)

FOR THE MILK CHOCOLATE FROSTING
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (8 ounces)
4 ounces milk chocolate, finely chopped (8 ounces)
3/4 cup heavy cream (1 1/2 cups)
1 tablespoon light corn syrup (2 tablespoons)
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, soft but cool, cut into 1-inch pieces (1 1/2 cups [3 sticks])

MAKE THE MALT CAKE LAYERS (or cupcakes!)
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter three 8-inch round cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment paper, and butter the parchment. Dust with flour, and knock out the excess flour. (For cupcakes, line your muffin pans with paper liners, duh silly!)
Sift the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg together into a large bowl. whisk in the malted milk powder. Set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and shortening on medium speed until creamy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the sugar and vanilla and beat on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce the speed to low. Add the flour mixture, alternating with the ice water, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Scrape down the bowl, then mix on low speed for a few more seconds.
In a medium bowl, whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form. Do not overbeat. Gently fold the egg whites into the batter.
Divide the batter among the prepared pans and smooth the tops. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes (or 18-20 minutes for cupcakes), rotating the pans halfway through the baking time, until a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean. Transfer the cakes to a wire rack and let cool for 20 minutes. Invert the cakes onto the rack, remove the pans, and let cool completely. Remove the parchment.

MAKE THE MILK CHOCOLATE FROSTING
Place both chocolates in the bowl of an electric mixer. In a small saucepan, bring the cream and corn syrup to a boil, then remove from the heat and immediately pour the mixture over the chocolate. Let stand for 2 to 3 minutes. Starting in the center of the bowl and working your way out to the edges, whisk the chocolate mixture until completely smooth. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
With the electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, on medium speed gradually add the butter pieces and mix until thoroughly incorporated. The frosting should be completely smooth and have a silky look.

ASSEMBLE THE CAKE
Refrigerate the frosting for a few minutes (but no more), until it can hold its shape. (Here’s a helpful tip from yours truly: Chill the frosting until it feels cool to the touch, about 10 minutes. Switch to the paddle attachment and beat on medium-high until the frosting lightens in color, about 10-20 seconds. This is makes the frosting a lot easier to spread than the way they suggest making it!) Place one cake layer on a serving platter. Trim the top to create a flat surface and evenly spread about 1 1/4 cups of the frosting on top. Top with the next layer, trim and frost the top, then add the third layer and trim. Crumb coat the cake and put the cake in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to firm up the frosting. Frost the sides and top with the remaining frosting. Garnish the cake with the malted milk balls and refrigerate again for 15 minutes.

This cake will keep beautifully in a cake saver at room temperature (cool and humidity free) for up to 3 days. If your room is not cool, place the cake in a cake saver and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Remove the cake from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for at least 2 hours before serving.

Red Hot Velvet Cupcakes w/ Boiled Buttercream Frosting

Ladies and gentlemen... Search no more! I have found the red velvet cake recipe to end all red velvet cake recipes!! I'm serious! I was so excited to post about it I didn't even finish cleaning up the kitchen! The recipe comes from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito. It's for their Red Hot Velvet Cake with Cinnamon Buttercream. I've been wanting to make a cooked flour frosting for a while now, because it's what a lot of folks consider to be the "correct" frosting for red velvet cake. Oohhh I'm so glad I made it! I left out the cinnamon and made it plain vanilla. WOW! It tastes almost like pastry cream, but the consistency is almost identical to Swiss meringue buttercream! I cut back on the butter just a bit (cuz that's just my thang). It was perfect! In my opinion, this frosting suits red velvet cake much better than cream cheese. Red velvet has such a mild chocolate flavor that cream cheese overpowers it. The cupcake itself is moist, tender, and not-too-fluffy/not-too-dense. It's seriously perfect. This is the perfect cupcake! I bet it tastes great in layer cake form too!

Mmmm cuppies cooling... While making the frosting, it kinda goes through stages. Halfway through it's gonna look like sweetened condensed milk (cuz that's basically what it is). When it's ready it'll be like a scary swamp monster!

Cuppie wants to be a layer cake when he grows up! Who's gonna eat all these???
ME!!

I got the original recipe from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito. I roughly halved the cake recipe and VERY roughly decreased the frosting to 2/3. I say "roughly" because I rounded all of my calculations up. It made 12 cupcakes and the perfect amount of frosting! I'll post my rough conversions in orange italics.
PS: If you compare this to Chockylit's recipe, you'll see that it is very similar. Most differences are very miniscule. The biggest differences are 1 less egg in Chockylit's and the inclusion of shortening in the Baked version.

RED HOT VELVET CAKE WITH CINNAMON BUTTERCREAM
Yield: 1 (8-INCH) CAKE (1/2 recipe = 12 cupcakes)
FOR THE RED HOT VELVET CAKE LAYERS
1/4 cup dark unsweetened cocoa powder (2 tablespoons)
2 tablespoons red gel food coloring 1 tablespoon
1/4 cup boiling water (2 tablespoons)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, cut into small pieces (3 tablespoons)
2 tablespoons vegetable shortening, at room temperature (1 tablespoon)
1 2/3 cups sugar (3/4 cup)
3 large eggs (2 eggs)
1 cup buttermilk (1/2 cup [I used water and buttermilk powder])
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (1/2 teaspoon)
2 1/2 cups cake flour (1 1/4 cups)
1 teaspoon fine salt (1/2 teaspoon)
1 tablespoon cider vinegar (1/2 tablespoon)
1 teaspoon baking soda (1/2 teaspoon)

FOR THE CINNAMON FROSTING (approximately 2/3 recipe)
1 1/2 cups sugar (1 cup)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour (3 tablespoons)
1 1/2 cups milk (1 cup)
1/4 cup heavy cream (3 tablespoons)
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, soft but cool, cut into small pieces (3/4 cup [1 1/2 sticks] This is less than 2/3 of the recipe)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (1/2 teaspoon)
2 teaspoons cinnamon (I omitted)
Red Hots (cinnamon imperials) candies, for decoration

MAKE THE RED HOT VELVET CAKE LAYERS
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter three 8-inch round cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment paper, and butter the parchment (or line a muffin pan with 12 paper liners) . Dust with flour, and knock out the excess flour.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder, food coloring, and boiling water. Set aside to cool. (This is to "bloom" the cocoa powder, which enhances the flavor. Don't skip this step.)

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and shortening until smooth. Scrape down the bowl and add the sugar. Beat until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Stir the buttermilk and vanilla into the cooled cocoa mixture.

Sift the flour and salt together into another medium bowl (Pay attention here! I almost added the baking soda. It comes in later...). With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture, alternating with the cocoa mixture, to the egg mixture in three separate additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Beat until incorporated.

In a small bowl, combine the vinegar and baking soda and stir until the baking soda dissolves; the mixture will fizz. Add to the batter and stir until just combined. (If anyone can offer any insight as to what affect this has on the cake versus just sifting the soda in with the flour mixture, I'm curious...)

Divide the batter among the prepared pans and smooth the tops. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean, about 30 minutes (15-18 minutes for cupcakes), rotating the pans halfway through the baking time. Transfer the cakes to a wire rack and let cool for 20 minutes (Cool cupcakes in pan on wire rack 5 minutes; Remove from pan and finish cooling on wire rack). Invert the cakes onto the rack, remove the pans, and let cool completely. Remove the parchment.

MAKE THE CINNAMON FROSTING
In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, whisk the sugar and flour together. (Most recipes I've seen like this don't add the sugar to this mixture. By cooking the sugar with the milk, it dissolves it and prevents the grainy taste most people complain about.) Add the milk and cream and cook over medium heat, whisking occasionally, until the mixture comes to a boil and has thickened, about 20 minutes (It will look like VERY thick glue when it's ready) .

Transfer the mixture to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on high speed until cool (I let mine cool in the fridge, but just until room temp). Reduce the speed to low and add the butter; beat until thoroughly incorporated. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until the frosting is light and fluffy.

Add the vanilla and cinnamon and continue mixing until combined. If the frosting is too soft, transfer the bowl to the refrigerator to chill slightly: then beat again until it is the proper consistency. If the frosting is too firm, place the bowl over a pot of simmering water and beat with a wooden spoon until it is the proper consistency.

Overall rating on a scale of 1-5
Moistness: 5!!
Tenderness: 5!!(Before being refrigerated)
Frosting: 5!!