Classic red velvet cake holds memories for many people. Nowadays, there are red velvet cupcakes, cookies, cheesecakes, and sheet cakes, too. But at the end of the day, the three-layer cake stands tall and reigns supreme.

Ingredients

Cake
1 cup butter, softened
21⁄2 cups sugar
6 large eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1⁄4 teaspoon baking soda
1 (8-ounce) container sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 (1-ounce) bottles red food colouring

Cream cheese frosting
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1⁄2 cup butter, softened
2 (16-ounce) packages powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract


Directions
1 Preheat oven to 350F. Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy.

2 Gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.


3 Stir together flour, cocoa, and baking soda. Add to butter mixture alternately with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition. 

Stir in vanilla; stir in red food colouring.

4 Spoon cake batter into 3 greased and floured 8-inch round cake pans.

5 Bake at 350F for 18 to 20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. 

Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks, and let cool 1 hour or until completely cool.


6 Spread cream cheese frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake.



To make cream cheese frosting
Beat cream cheese and butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating until fluffy. Stir in vanilla.



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