I love red velvet cake, well, the cream cheese frosting actually, so when I was looking for a dessert to make for my 4^th of July party, I opted for a red and blue velvet cake.

I love that this cake turned out not…fussy and perfect for a casual outdoor party that involved grilling a whole beef tenderloin.

I made my life easier by baking the four cakes the night before my party so they’d be completely cooled by the time I got around to frosting them with the decadent cream cheese frosting.

The recipe below is for two red velvet cakes. Make those than make the exact recipe but with 2 ounces of royal blue paste food coloring (I use Wilton). I dipped some strawberries in chocolate for an additional festive touch.

Red Velvet Cake Ingredients:

• 2 ½ cups cake flour
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 ounces red food coloring
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• ½ cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 tsp. white vinegar
• 1 tsp. baking soda

Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients (enough to cover the whole 4-layer cake):

• ½ cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
• 2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted

Red Velvet Cake Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using cooking spray or a bit of softened butter, coat two 9-inch round cake pans.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, salt and baking powder.
3. In a small bowl, blend the cocoa powder and the food coloring with a teaspoon to create a smooth mixture.
4. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the sugar and the butter until light and fluffy, about three minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula every minute.
5. Add the eggs to the butter mixture, one at a time, mixing well after each one.
6. Add the food coloring mixture and mix well, about 1 minute, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
7. Add half of the flour mixture to the creamed butter mixture, then, add half of the buttermilk. Add the rest of flour mixture, then the rest of the buttermilk. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula to ensure the batter in completely blended without white streaks of batter.
8. In a small bowl, combine the vinegar and the baking soda with a teaspoon to form a bubbly mixture.  Add the mixture to the cake batter and stir gently until just combined.
9. Divide the batter evenly in each cake pans and place them in the preheated oven. Bake for 25-30 minutes.
10. Cool the cakes in their pans for 10 minutes then remove the cakes from the pans and allow to cool completely on wire racks.

Frosting Directions:

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula every minute. Incorporate the vanilla.
2. Turn off the mixer and add the powdered sugar. Turn mixer on low and blend until the powdered sugar has been incorporated, about 2 minutes, again scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
3. Use the frosting right away or refrigerate, covered, until ready to use. To use refrigerated frosting, bring to room temperature then stir thoroughly using a wooden spoon.
4. Place a red cake on a large platter or cake stand. Cover with a thin layer of cream cheese frosting using an offset spatula or butter knife. Top the red cake with a blue one, ice it, then, repeat the process with the remaining cakes, ensuring that the top layer is the flattest slice – this will ensure a smooth surface for the finished cake.
5. Crumb coat the entire cake with a thin layer of frosting and refrigerate for 30-60 minutes. Finish icing the cake with the rest of the frosting then refrigerate. Serve within a day at room temperature.

Serves 12.