Red Velvet Cake

Is it March already? Where did the time go? It just seems like I was making chiffon cakes, and here is it almost a month later.

For Greg's birthday (last month), he requested Red Velvet Cake with a chocolate filling. I'd never baked a red velvet cake before, mainly because I find the flavor weird. I like it as a vector for cream cheese frosting though, and who am I to say no to a birthday request?

For the cake, I stuck with my trust America's Test Kitchen Family Baking book, because it has yet to lead me astray. I used the traditional Red Velvet Cake recipe, Cream Cheese frosting, and the chocolate filling recipe that I used for wedding cakes. I do like that in their recipe, they have you mix the food coloring and the cocoa together into a paste before adding it to the rest of the batter. I think that helps with even mixing, and keeps the food coloring contained better than just splashing it in.

It came out quite well. Not really anything I would change on this one. Except to next time remember to whip the filling in the stand mixer so it's stiffer than when I just whisk by hand. I also like the frosting practice this cake gave me with my spatulas and cake turntable. I feel like I need to get more practice in, but pies always seem to be a more popular order. Maybe I'll work on frosted pies...