Moist Red Velvet Cake topped with whipped Cream Cheese Frosting.
Every recipe has a story. I’m learning this truth as I create in my kitchen and write recipes. Even a brand-new recipe has a story to tell…the things that didn’t work, the layers that fell apart before you could assemble them, the smiles when you served it, the 1st taste of an experiment.
This recipe has a story. My manager at work, Joe, grew up in a small town in southern Indiana and his Aunt Doris was known as the best baker in town. His Aunt Alice found this recipe and when she gave it to Aunt Doris to make it, the result was the BEST Red Velvet Cake anyone had ever tasted. In fact, at a local event called the Chelsea Jubilee two women got in a fight over this very cake at a dessert auction. Aunt Doris stepped in and said she was going home that instant to make a second cake.
When I heard this story, the 1st words out of my mouth were— “I simply MUST have that recipe Joe!” So he spoke with his Aunt Alice and they dug it out of the archives of their family recipes for me. It didn’t come with a frosting recipe (which is at least half the flavor of a cake) so I aimed for a whipped cream cheese frosting. It is a REALLY good cake. It is the very 1st “homemade” cake I’ve made that is VERY moist. It is SO flavorful and it cuts beautifully.
I would consider getting in a fight for this cake.
The original recipe is called “Waldorf Astoria Cake” and here is how you make it:
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 c. flour
- 1/2 c. shortening
- 1 1/2 c. granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 oz. red food coloring ( I didn’t add enough– your cake should be REALLY red- it is a lot of food coloring!!!!)
- 1 t. salt
- 2 t. cocoa
- 1 c. buttermilk
- 1 t. vanilla
- 1 t. baking soda
- 1 t. vinegar
DIRECTIONS:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Spray 2- 8″ round cake pans with non-stick spray and cut a round piece of parchment paper to fit in the bottom of each one. Spray top of parchment paper with non-stick spray as well.
- Cream shortening and sugar together.
- Add eggs, vanilla and food coloring and blend well.
- Sift together flour, salt and cocoa
- Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk, beating together on medium speed until well mixed.
- Mix vinegar and soda together in a small bowl.
- Drizzle vinegar/soda mixture over cake batter and blend in on low speed.
- Pour batter evenly into the two round cake pans.
- Bake 25-30 minutes at 350 until a tooth pick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Cool in pan for about 10 minutes, run a small knife around the edge of each cake to loosen it and gently tip each cake over onto a cake rack to cool completely.
- Frost between layers and on top and sides with whatever frosting you want. I created a whipped cream cheese frosting for this and the recipe is below.
WHIPPED CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 packets of Dream Whip
(4 come in one box)
- 3/4 c. milk
- 1/2 t. vanilla
- 4 oz. (1/2 brick) of softened Philadelphia Cream Cheese
- 1/3 c. powdered sugar (divided)
DIRECTIONS:
- Cream together softened cream cheese and about half of the powdered sugar. Set aside.
- Add remaining ingredients together in a large mixing bowl and stir until all powder is combined.
- Mix with an electric mixer (beaters are ok, but I like to use my whisk attachment if you have one) on high until very stiff peaks form.
- Add cream cheese mixture and continue beating on high until stiff and thick.
- You can frost the cake immediately with this or refrigerate it covered.
- Frost between the layers and on the top and sides. Keep cake refrigerated until serving (it is oh-so-good served cold!!!)
Note: I made twice as much frosting as the recipe above (I wasn’t sure how much I’d need!) and that is why the layers on the pictured cake have PILES of frosting! If you LOVE frosting, just double the recipe given above. If you do, you will probably have some left over–but is that ever REALLY a problem???
Enjoy! -r
EASYBAKED 
No fighting there’s plenty for everyone, but that piece is mine!
lol! 🙂
We just celebrated our anniversary and my husband was out of town. When he comes home this weekend I am going to make this for him. It looks yummy! Thanks for sharing.
Happy Anniversary!!! I hope you and your husband really enjoy your celebration!
Oh my, red velvet I love!! YUM!
This cake is beautiful and I will be trying it in the future. You did a great job. It looks sooo moist and tasty!
Oooh, it’s so pretty! And there’s nothing like a slice of very moist cake. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.
Your cake looks stunning!
It’s a real beauty and no doubt delicious
Thank you so much!
I love red velvet cake! That tangy flavour of buttermilk, that rich hint of cocoa… and, of course, the fact that it’s RED! 🙂
Beautifully done!! And that certainly is a lot of frosting! Hehe. Looks delicious!
This looks so good, can’t wait to try it – I’ve only made Red Velvet cake once and it did not turn out so good! But the frosting – what is Dream Whip? And can I substitute something else for it, because I’m certain I shan’t be able to find it here in the Netherlands!
Hi Sue- I’ve never tried a red velvet cake I like better. I genuinely don’t know what dream whip is…it is a mix, that when made up is a little like whipped cream but more firm. You could try making a whipped cream frosting with cream, powdered sugar and vanilla and add the cream cheese in- I’m just afraid it might not be firm enough to frost a layer cake with….? If you find a good recipe for this with basic (Netherland!) ingredients, let me know!
I was wanting to try this recipe as cupcakes. Is the frosting thick enough to pipe?
It is thick enough to pipe- you can see that I piped the little dots of frosting at the base- it is a soft frosting though and it doesn’t harden up like a buttercream on standing. You’ll just have to be careful storing them once they are frosted. Sounds yummy!!!!
Don’t know if you’ll see this comment this many years later but…very glad this blog post is out there on the internet. Who knew it would be so hard to find a recipe for a cream cheese frosting-type recipe made with cream cheese and Dream whip? I was actually looking for a lemony cream cheese topping for a blueberry tart to send to a funeral but found nothing until I restated the search for something like cream cheese Dream Whip and thankfully your post turned up in the selections!!! I can take your frosting, add lemon to it and then pipe it onto the blueberry tart I’m delivering to the church tomorrow so that they can cut individual slices and nobody has to worry about adding or forgetting the yummy topping. You did the hard work and I appreciate it. Thank you so much if you do see this!
Hi Molly, I did FINALLY see this- so sorry I took forever to reply. I took a blogging break for a couple of years- but I’m back 🙂 I’m so glad you found the frosting recipe you were looking for!!! Hope it turned out exactly as you hoped it would!!! Hugs!