Made from Scratch vs. Semi-Homemade!

Red Velvet Cake, a southern favorite! 

Do you remember licking the batter bowl? I couldn't wait to grab the spoon! It was better than ice cream!! My Mama (grandmother) would start after breakfast dishes were washed and put away baking the dessert for that evening meal! My Papa thought a meal was not a meal without a dessert!!

But today with our busy schedules we do not have that amount of time set aside daily for dessert making!  Sooo,

Made from Scratch Recipe:      (time consuming)
In a large bowl, mix in 1 cup buttermilk, 3 Tablespoons cocoa powder, 2 ounces red food coloring; stir in 2 large eggs, add 2 1/4 cups sifted cake flour, 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, with 1 teaspoon salt. Stir in 1/2 cup lard. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla. Mix until color is uniform.
Beat in by hand, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 Tablespoon vinegar.  Fold into batter with a wooden spoon.
Pour into 2 well greased and floured 9 inch round cake pans.
Bake 350 degrees 25 - 30 minutes.

Wheeeew! That's makes me tired just writing that down!!


Semi-Homemade Recipe:           (quicky)
 In a large mixing bowl beat on low speed, 1 German Chocolate Cake Mix, 1 stick butter, soften, 1 egg, 1 ounce red food coloring.
Pour into a prepared 13x9 pan.
Bake according to cake mix instructions.

Now it matters not about the cake itself as long as it is moist! It's really and truly the icing that makes a red velvet cake special!!

Frosting Recipe:
Add 1 cup milk to 3 Tablespoons flour slowly so that it does not form lumps!
Cook until very thick, stirring constantly to avoid burning.
Cool completely.
Cream together 1 cup sugar, 1 cup real butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla until fluffy.
Add to cooked mixture and beat until real fluffly!
Fold in 1 cup chopped pecans.

Yum, Yum, Yummmmmm!!! (We will add pecans to almost any food if we can!!)

Did you catch that addition of lard and real butter to the scratch made mixture? My grandmother believed in using whole milk, fresh eggs, and real butter! Of course there was always a lard bucket close by in the kitchen!!  Yep, my Papa celebrated his 90th birthday before his death and Mama was almost 96 years of age!

Of course my choice is the semi-homemade cake mix recipe! But I still like the original frosting and of course with lots of nuts!!

Do you have a favorite cake? Share with me! I will probably like it too!! (got that from my Papa too!)

Have a Blessed Day!! And see ya down the junkin' road!!

Jan