Blood Red Velvet Armadillo Cake Food

DEAD VELVET CAKE

Steps:

• For the Meringue Bones: Preheat the oven to 175 degrees F. Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper. Fit a large pastry bag with a medium piping tip.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, combine the egg whites, cream of tartar and salt. Whisk the whites on medium-high until they start to turn white. Very slowly add in the sugar. Whip the egg whites on high for another 4 to 5 minutes until glossy and stiff peaks form. Transfer to the prepared pastry bag. Pipe the meringue on the lined sheet trays into bone shapes varying in size from 3- to 5-inches-long. You should get about 40 to 50 bones.
• Place in the oven and bake for 3 to 4 hours or until completely dried and cooked through. You can break one in half to determine if they are dry all the way through and done. Remove from the oven and let cool. Store in an airtight container until ready to use.
• For the Cakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 6-inch and 10-inch cake pan with nonstick cooking spray.
• Prepare one box cake mix according to package instructions. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pans, filling them about halfway up the sides. Bake until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 20 to 28 minutes. Let cool in pan for 20 minutes then remove and let cool on cooling rack. Repeat the process with the remaining boxes of cake batter so you have three 6-inch cakes and three 10-inch cakes.
• For Raspberry Blood Sauce: In a medium saucepan combine the raspberries, corn syrup and salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer for 6 to 8 minutes. Strain the cooked raspberries through a fine mesh strainer, making sure to press the raspberry pulp to extract as much of the raspberry liquid as possible. Discard the seeds. Let the sauce cool. Once cooled, the raspberry sauce should have the consistency of pancake batter. Whisk in the chocolate syrup to give it a slight darker color to make it resemble blood. Transfer to a resealable container and keep in the refrigerator until ready to use.
• For Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese on medium until smooth and fluffy. Add the butter and continue to beat until light and fluffy, another 2 minutes. Add the sugar, one cup at a time. Add vanilla and salt and mix for another 15 seconds. The frosting is easiest to work with at room temperature. If you are not using it right away, transfer it to a reusable container and store in the refrigerator. When ready to use, let it sit on the counter for about an hour and then mix it up again in the stand mixer at medium-high speed until light and fluffy.
• To Decorate: Using a long serrated knife, slice the domed top off of each cake layer. Place one of the 6-inch cakes onto a 6-inch cardboard cake round. Using an offset spatula, spread some frosting on top of the cake and place the second 6-inch cake on top. Using a 3- to 3 12-inch round straight-sided drinking glass or round cutter cut out a circle from the center of the 2 stacked cakes and remove the inner cut layers. Crumb coat the cake by frosting it with a thin layer of frosting on all sides and inside the cut out well in the center. Use a little extra frosting inside the well to make sure it is completely coated and sealed. This is where you will add the raspberry blood sauce so it needs to be "watertight". Place the cake in the freezer for about 15 minutes to allow the frosting to harden.
• Place a 10-inch cake on a 10-inch cardboard cake round. Spread some frosting on top and place the second 10-inch cake on top and spread the top with frosting. Place the third cake, cut side down, on top of the second cake to form three layers. Crumb coat the cake by frosting it with a thin layer of frosting on all sides. Place the cake in the freezer for 15 minute to allow the frosting to harden.
• Spread some frosting on the cut side (where the dome was removed) of the third 6-inch cake layer. Remove the cakes from the freezer. Smooth out any imperfection in the frosting with your hands. Pour about 1 cup of the raspberry sauce into the well in the center of the layered 6-inch cake to fill it just to the top. Invert the third 6-inch cake layer on top, cut side down to enclose and seal the well. Frost the top layer with a crumb coat and place back in the freezer for 15 minutes to harden. Frost the 10-inch cake so it is completely coated and smooth. Remove the 6-inch cake from the freezer and frost it so it is completely coated and smooth. Carefully place the 6-inch cake on top of the 10-inch cake so that it is centered in the middle to form 2 tiers.
• Arrange the meringue bones upright around the outside of each tier of the cake. Decorate the top of the cake with more of the bones and any other edible Halloween decorations like white chocolate skulls. Slice the top tier and remove the slice to allow the bloody raspberry sauce core to pour down onto the bottom tier of the cake. Slice the rest of the cake and enjoy!

REALLY RED RED VELVET CAKE

Steps:

• Cream shortening,butter, and sugar until light and fluffy.
• Beat in eggs, one at a time.
• Mix together food coloring and cocoa powder with a small whisk until blended; add to shortening mixture and mix well.
• Combine flour, baking soda, and salt.
• Add a little of the flour mixture to the butter mixture, then a little of the buttermilk, alternating back and forth until you have added all the flour mixture and all of the buttermilk.
• Stir in vanilla and vinegar with a spoon until blended.
• Pour into two 9" round cake tins lined with greased parchment paper.
• Bake in a preheated 350 F oven about 35 minutes or until a toothpick tests clean.
• Let cool on wire racks in pans.
• Meanwhile, prepare frosting by whisking together the milk and the flour in a saucepan (no heat yet) until blended well.
• Turn heat on (low to medium low) and while stirring, and cook until it forms a thick paste, about 10 minutes (yes, really this long, possibly longer depending on the day).
• Remove from heat and let cool.
• When cool, put mixture into a mixing bowl and add all of the remaining ingredients except the optional food coloring.
• Beat until it is thick and peaks form like whipped cream, adding food coloring desired once it thickens (have patience, this will take several minutes even using an electric mixer).
• Frost the top only of the first cake layer, then top with second layer and frost entire cake as desired.
• I like to tint the frosting a bright red or pink to make this really, really red, but you may leave it white (more traditional) or tint it any other color you prefer (In the movie"Steel Magnolias," they tinted the frosting grey and made a groom's cake in the shape of an armadillo!).
• Hint: A whole 2 ounce bottle of food coloring usually equals 1/4 cup.

RED VELVET CAKE

Steps:

• Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease two 8-inch cake pans and line the bottoms with wax or parchment paper.
• In a small bowl, place the cocoa powder and food coloring. Stir to combine and set aside.
• In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and salt. Set aside.
• In a small cup, place the baking soda and vinegar. Stir to combine and set aside.
• In the work bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl with a handheld mixer, place the shortening, sugar, and eggs. Beat on medium-high speed until well blended, 2 to 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice. Add the cocoa mixture and beat on medium just until combined. Add the flour mixture in 3 parts alternately with the buttermilk in 2 parts, starting and ending with the flour. Add the vanilla and beat on medium speed just until combined. Add the baking soda and vinegar mixture to the bowl. Use a rubber spatula to fold it into the batter, gently scraping down the sides of the bowl to make sure the batter is blended.
• Pour the batter into the pans. Bake until the cake pulls away from the sides of the pan and springs back when lightly pressed in the middle, about 30 minutes.
• Cool the cakes in the pans on a rack for 10 minutes. Run a thin knife around the outside and turn out onto racks. Peel off the paper. Flip them over to completely cool right-side up on the racks. If not assembling right away, cover the layers in plastic wrap and store at room temperature for 1 day.
• When ready to fill and frost the cake, hold a serrated knife horizontally and use a gentle sawing motion to shave the domed top off each layer. Fill and frost the cake with cream cheese frosting, using a crumb coat (see box) if you have time.
• Store in a tightly covered container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
• Cream Cheese Frosting
• In the work bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl with a handheld mixer, beat together the cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Add the sugar 1 cup at a time, blending between each addition. Mix in the vanilla, if using, and beat until very smooth, 3 to 5 minutes. Use at once or store in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator for up 3 days. Let stand at room temperature until soft and spreadable before using.
• From Aunt Elsa's Kitchen
• If you have time after all the layers are filled, applying a "crumb coat" to the sides and top of a cake ensures that no crumbs get mixed into the frosting and mar the cake's appearance. To apply a crumb coat, place a small amount of the frosting in a dish and use an offset spatula to spread a thin coat all over the sides and top of the cake. Place in the refrigerator until firm, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove the cake from the refrigerator and frost the sides and top.