Trevor’s First Layer Cake

Many will ask me, who bakes for the baker on their birthday? Does the baker do it for herself because she knows just how she likes things? Is a cake purchased from a fancy bakery to give her a new project to strive for?

If you have an adorable husband, sometimes it’s him.

(Is it just me, or is there something particularly attractive about a man wielding a frosting covered offset spatula?)

With a number of Trevor birthday cakes under my belt, he felt it was time to return the favour.

Please note that in the 7 years I have known him, 6 of them on a very personal level, I have witnessed him bake once. Maybe twice, but I’m kind of hazy on that one. With this in mind, I tried to give him an easy out, giving him a general flavour category to follow so that he could pick something easy to make that still fell under the specs.

He didn’t let me get away with that.

Demanding to know what my favourite cake would be for my birthday this year, I confessed.

Red Velvet Cake.

Touch of cocoa, vibrant red, dense, delicious red velvet cake. I don’t know what it is about red velvet cake, but it’s a definite favourite of mine. I hid it as a possibility because I thought a traditional layer cake might be a bit daunting for a beginner baker, but Trevor jumped in without looking back.

It paid off.

Look at those perfect layers. Frankly, I’m kinda jealous.

I mean, my first cake layers were uneven and stuck to the pans.

And he portioned out his frosting appropriately. To this day I have trouble having enough frosting to cover the outside of my cakes because I get too enthusiastic about having thick layers of frosting between layers. And then I find myself scraping the bowl repeatedly because my cake is showing though.

But you know what shows real talent? The scariest thing about frosting a red velvet cake is that vibrant red crumb not only being seen through your bright white frosting, but how one of those crumbs can look like a big bright red blemish on that pristine white.

Not a problem for Trevor. I’m super jealous… but even moreso, I’m proud.

It was a super awesome birthday cake.

Thanks so much Trevor, you’re the best!

Red Velvet Cake

Adapted from AllRecipes.com

Cake

1 cup butter, softened
3 cups white sugar
6 eggs
1 ounce red food coloring
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon white vinegar

White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
12 ounces white chocolate
1 cup butter, softened

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease and flour three 9 inch pans.
Cake: In a large bowl, cream 1 cup butter with sugar. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix food coloring with cocoa and add to mixture.
Add flour alternately with buttermilk. Add vanilla and salt.
Mix baking soda with vinegar, and gently stir into mixture. Be careful not to over mix.
Divide batter evenly into prepared pans. Bake for 25 minutes. Let sit in pans for 10 minutes. Turn out and cool completely on wire racks.
White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting: Melt the white chocolate and allow to cool to lukewarm. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in melted white chocolate and softened butter. Beat until it is the consistency of whipped cream. Refrigerate until cold throughout, about an hour to two hours. Can be made a day ahead. Take frosting out of the fridge about 15 minutes ahead of time. Fill and frost the cake as usual.