Darius King’s Classic Red Velvet Cake – Garden & Gun

Make the cake:Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease 2 round 8-inch cake pans with baking spray. In a mixing bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, mix together the sugar, eggs, and canola oil. Mix well until all ingredients are incorporated. Add the vanilla extract and mix well. Add the red food coloring and let it incorporate into the batter. Add the flour mixture and the buttermilk in four alternating portions with buttermilk going in last (flour, buttermilk, flour, buttermilk). Scrape down the sides of the bowl thoroughly between pours. Add the apple cider vinegar and mix well. Pour the batter into the two prepared pans and bake for 20–25 minutes. Using a toothpick or fork, poke the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, the cake is done. Let the cake rest for at least 10 minutes before removing it from the pan. Once removed, let the cake cool completely before decorating. Note: At this stage, the two cakes can be iced separately, or stacked with a layer of icing in between to create a two-layer cake. For a four-layer cake (as seen in photo), cut the two cakes in half horizontally and stack, icing between each layer. Make the cream cheese icing:Combine the butter and cream cheese in a bowl. Beat until well-incorporated and lump free. Add the vanilla extract and salt and stir well to combine. With a mixer on low, slowly add the powdered sugar until completely combined.