In the spirit of "Julie and Julia", I am going to try to cook 1 new recipe per week.  (I can hear the naysayers, "how long will that last!?"  I just want to branch out.  I don't want the kids to grow up and say I only made five things.  There are soo many great foods out there - all of the different cuisines and everything. 

I've been wanting to bake something sweet.  Last weekend I used one of those Betty Crocker "just add water and eggs" cookie mixes and I made oatmeal and chocolate chip cookies and peanut butter cookies.  They were good.  The person that discovered putting a slice of bread in a bag of cookies is a real culinary genius.  GENIUS.  Adding water and eggs didn't do much for my desire to bake.  So tonight I made a recipe from my new "More from Magnolia" cookbook.  I received the cookbook from Holly - I love that she knows me well enough to know that I really like cookbooks.  It's more than just a cookbook though; her and I went to Magnolia bakery on my most recent trip to NYC.  It was yummy.

I made Red Velvet Cake (page 86-76) with Creamy Vanilla Frosting (page 126).  I went to the grocery store and bought the special cake flour, red food coloring and the other ingredients that I needed.  I even set up the butter, eggs, and milk so they would get room temperature.  I followed the directions to the letter and I honestly expected to have a light and fluffy cake with dreamy creamy frosting.  First problem, I didn't buy enough red food coloring.  I bought one bottle of red - i assumed that would be enough.  But the recipe called for SIX TABLESPOONS of red food coloring - SIX!!!!  That's three ounces, three shots of red food coloring!  I only had ONE ounce.  I substituted with 2 ounces of water.  I don't know if this was the problem, or if my baking powder was old, or if I over mixed the cake, or if I over baked it.  It was probably a combination of all of those things because the cake didn't get light and fluffy like I expected/wanted.  It was dense, almost breadlike.  And it's kindeve magenta.  Magenta velvet cake doesn't have the same ring to it.  

The Creamy Vanilla Frosting is tasty - and came out better than I expected. How do you screw up butter, milk, vanilla, and sugar?  Actually, this recipie started with making what I would call a roux.  I had to take the milk and 6 tablepoons of flour and cook it until it was "very thick."  I have never made a frosting recipe that started with a roux.  But anyway, the frosting is good, the sugar is a little grainy but it is very light and creamy.

Here are the two recipes if you'd like to give them a go.

Red Velvet Cake from More from Magnolia, 2004.

• 3 1/3 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 1/4 cups sugar
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 6 tablespoons red food coloring
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 cups of buttermilk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Grease and lightly flour three 9x2 inch round cake pans, then line the bottoms with waxed paper.

To make the cake:  In a small bowl, sift the cake flour and set aside.  In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

In a small bowl, whisk together the red food coloring, coca, and vanilla.  Add to the batter and beat well.

In a measuring cup, stir the salt into the buttermilk.  Add to the batter in three parts, alternating with the flour.  With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated, but do not overbeat.

In a small bowl, stir together the cider vinegar and baking soda.  Add to the batter and mix well.  Using a rubber spatula, scrap down the batter in the bowl, making sure the ingredients are well blended and the batter is smooth.

Divide the batter amog the prepared pans. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.  Let the layers cool in the pans for 1 hour.  Remove from the pans and completely cool on a wire rack.

When the cake has cooled, spread the frosting between the layers, then ice the top and sides of the cake with Creamy Vanilla Frosting.

Makes one 3-layer 9-inch cake.

Creamy Vanilla Frosting  from More from Magnolia, 2004.

(Be sure to follow the recipe directions exactly)

• 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups of milk
• 2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups of sugar
• 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

In a medium-size saucepan, whisk the flour into the milk until smooth.  Place over medium heat and, stirring sontantly, cook until the mixture becomes very thick and begins to bubble, 10-15 minutes.  Cover with waxed paper placed directly on the surface and cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.

In a large bowl, on the medium high speed of an electric mixer, beat the butter for 3 minutes, until smooth and creamy.  Gradually add the sugar, beating continuously for 3 minutes until fluffy.  Add the vanilla and beat well.

Add the cooled milk mixture, and continue to beat on the medium high spped for 5 minutes, until very smooth and noticeably whiter in color.  Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes (no less and no longer - set a timer!)  Use immediately.