MMM. Baked Southern Goodness.

Yes, this is Goodness.  It deserves the capital G.  For my twenty-first birthday, I'm having red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting - a much underrated Southern treat.  This year, red velvet cake (or cupcakes!) has become a bit of a specialty of mine.  Baked goods are a perfect thank-you for little favors that friends (especially male friends) do for a classic collegiate, and cupcakes are my favorite way to serve this dessert! For those of us with small sweet-teeth, one cupcake is a perfect serving size.  For those of us with larger sweet-teeth... there's always seconds... or thirds.  Hey, you only live once!

Here is the recipe I use for red velvet cake, adapted from Bon Apetit.  West Coast Sister and I tried these at Christmas, and they were a big hit.  For cupcakes, check them after about eight minutes in the oven.  They bake quickly.

Cake

• 2 1/4 cups sifted cake flour (sifted, then measured)
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 tablespoon red food coloring
• 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 large eggs

Frosting

• 2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

For cake:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Sift sifted flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into medium bowl. Whisk buttermilk, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla in small bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until well blended. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating until well blended after each addition. Beat in dry ingredients in 4 additions alternately with buttermilk mixture in 3 additions.

Divide batter between prepared pans. Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 27 minutes. Cool in pans on racks 10 minutes. Turn cakes out onto racks; cool completely.

For frosting:
Beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl until smooth. Beat in vanilla. Add powdered sugar and beat until smooth.

Place 1 cake layer, flat side up, on platter. Spread 1 cup frosting over top of cake. Arrange 1 basket raspberries and 1/2 basket blueberries atop frosting, pressing lightly to adhere. Top with second cake layer, flat side down. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Arrange remaining berries decoratively over top of cake. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour before serving.)

Helpful hints: 
Large zip-up bags make great piping bags!  For less-mess cupcakes, pour your cake batter into a large plastic bag.  Cut off one bottom corner, and squeeze out the batter, a little bit at a time, into the cupcake tin (make sure not to fill each cupcake liner much more than 2/3 full!  They will rise!).  You can do the same for the icing.  Just make sure to let the (cup)cakes cool fully and keep the frosted dessert out of the sun - otherwise, the cream cheese may melt.

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Red-Velvet-Cake-with-Raspberries-and-Blueberries-108256#ixzz1N2gUA72P