CREAM CHEESE ICING FOR RED VELVET CAKE RECIPES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• In a mixing bowl cream sugar and butter, beat until light and fluffy.
• Add eggs on at a time.
• Mix cocoa and food coloring together in a small bowl; add to mixture and mix well.
• Sift together cake flour and salt.
• Add flour to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour.
• Blend in vanilla.
• In a small bowl combine baking soda and vineager. Add to mixture.
• Pour batter into 2 9inch or 3 8 inch cake pans.
• Bake 20-25 minutes or until done.
• Cool completely before frosting.
• For Icing:.
• Blend cream cheese and butter together in a mixing bowl.
• Add marshmallow creme and sugar; blend well.
• Fold in coconut and nuts if desired (or what I always do is press them into just the sides of the cake after I get the icing on it; very pretty this way!).
• Spread between layers and on top and sides of cooled cake.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil and flour three 9 by 1 1/2-inch round cake pans.
• In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. In another large bowl, whisk together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla.
• Using a standing mixer, mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined and a smooth batter is formed.
• Divide the cake batter evenly among the prepared cake pans. Place the pans in the oven evenly spaced apart. Bake, rotating the pans halfway through the cooking, until the cake pulls away from the side of the pans, and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean, about 30 minutes.
• Remove the cakes from the oven and run a knife around the edges to loosen them from the sides of the pans. One at a time, invert the cakes onto a plate and then re-invert them onto a cooling rack, rounded-sides up. Let cool completely.
• Frost the cake. Place 1 layer, rounded-side down, in the middle of a rotating cake stand. Using a palette knife or offset spatula spread some of the Cream Cheese Frosting over the top of the cake. (Spread enough frosting to make a 1/4 to 1/2-inch layer.) Carefully set another layer on top, rounded-side down, and repeat. Top with the remaining layer and cover the entire cake with the remaining frosting. Sprinkle the top with the pecans.
• In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or with a hand-held electric mixer in a large bowl, mix the cream cheese, sugar, and butter on low speed until incorporated. Increase the speed to high, and mix until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. (Occasionally turn the mixer off, and scrape the down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.)
• Reduce the speed of the mixer to low. Add the vanilla, raise the speed to high and mix briefly until fluffy (scrape down the bowl occasionally). Store in the refrigerator until somewhat stiff, before using. May be stored in the refrigerator for 3 days.