Classic red velvet cake meets pound cake texture in this dense, moist cake.
4 cups cake flour or White Lily All Purpose Flour
1/3 cup natural cocoa powder
1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
7 cups powdered sugar or 4 cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
8 large eggs, room temperature
4 tablespoons (2 oz) red food color
¾ cup buttermilk, room temperature
2 teaspoons white vinegar
Preheat oven to 300°F. Prepare Old Country Kitchenware square tube pan by brushing with pan coat (if using two piece pan, fit with a parchment paper square between the two pieces first). Whisk together flour and cocoa powder. Beat butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer until pale, light and fluffy (about 6 minutes at medium speed). Add extract, baking powder, salt, and 1/2 cup flour mixture, beat until combined. Add one egg at a time, beating each until fully incorporated. With the mixer on low, alternate adding the flour and buttermilk, starting and ending with the flour. Mix each addition of flour just until it disappears before adding more wet ingredients. Beat in vinegar. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl and beat for another 10 seconds. Pour batter into prepared tube pan and gently shake to settle the batter. Place on middle rack of oven with a baking sheet on the rack below it to catch any drips. Bake 1 hour 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean. Let cool until the pan is comfortable enough to handle. Transfer the cake to a wire rack in two steps: first, turn the cake up on its side, then invert fully. Let cool completely.
Cream cheese glaze
1/2 package (4 oz) cream cheese, softened
3 cups powdered sugar
3-5 tbsp milk
Chopped pecans and pecan halves, toasted
With an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and powdered sugar together. Add 3 tbsp milk, then add more liquid a spoonful at a time until you reach desired consistency. If a thicker icing is desired, add more powdered sugar, one tablespoon at a time. If a thinner icing is desired, add more liquid, one teaspoon at a time. Slowly pour over cooled cake. Top with pecans.
