While visiting friends in Columbus, OH I was informed that Christina had never had red velvet cake. Normally this would have completely made my head spin, but since she’s incapable of ingesting gluten it’s just unfortunate. Of course this also meant that I had to save the day! After picking up some gluten-free all-purpose “flour” for use in my favorite red velvet recipe, Amber and I went to work. But there was a special request put in by Christina’s man-friend to make it green…
I didn’t get a chance to make it photo-ready as she was breathing down my neck waiting to eat it. Yet somehow when I left to return home to Memphis, TN the next day she sent me off with almost half of the cake! Pondering, pondering, what to do with too much cake in my kitchen. Who am I kidding I didn’t ponder at all and immediately decided to make cake balls out of it, perfect for St. Paddy’s Day!
I have first listed the recipe for the cake itself, followed by steps to make cake balls out of either the entire cake, or leftovers.
CAKE
Ingredients:
3-3/4 cups flour (Bob’s Mill Gluten-Free All-Purpose Baking Flour in this case)
3 Tbsp cocoa powder
1-1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
12 Tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
2-1/4 cups sugar
3/4 cups vegetable oil
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1-1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1-1/2 tsp red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp food coloring
1-1/2 cups buttermilk, at room temperature
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour two 9-inch cake pans and line each pan with a round of parchment paper.
- Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in a small bowl
- Cream the butter, sugar and oil in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl and beat until incorporated. Beat in the vanilla, vinegar and food coloring.
- Add the flour mixture to the batter in 3 batches alternating with the buttermilk, mixing well after each addition. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool on a baking rack for 15 minutes before removing the cake from the pans. Let cool completely before frosting. Slice each cake into 2 layers and frost.
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
Ingredients:
1 lb cream cheese, softened (I used Neufchatel)
4 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
Directions:
- 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.
CAKE BALLS
Ingredients:
1 cooked and cooled velvet cake*
1 recipe (or jar) cream cheese frosting*
1 lb white chocolate bark + 1 Tbsp shortening, melted over double-broiler
Sprinkles
*I used leftover pre-frosted cake instead
Directions:
- Line cookie sheets with wax paper, set aside.
- In a large bowl, crumble the cake and blend together with the frosting. Shape into 1-inch balls and place on a wax paper-lined cookie sheet. Place in freezer for 15 minutes.
- Roll in melted chocolate using two forks and remove, allowing excess to drip off; place back on sheet. Sprinkle with desired toppings.
- Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm. Store in tightly covered container in refrigerator.
Source: Cake adapted from Bobby Flay, Frosting from Cakeman Raven, both from Food Network. Cake balls adapted from All Recipes.
