Glorious Wednesday, how I love you!!! (Red Velvet Cake, Cream Cheese Frosting)

I love my Wednesday's off..  they are like a wonderful salve for my soul.. I slept in this morning after taking some Aleve last night and am in my normal amount of pain,  a plus.. I can deal with this.. I am used to it..  :)  The girls and I have been doing some spring cleaning.. I cleaned out the coat closet in the living room and found a bag with newspapers in it from the fire.. I was reading them until the girls took them away..  I did get my Target dogs out of the closet and put them on the bookcase.. where they will stay until SammyLooHoo comes on Friday and insists on playing with them all..  :) 
Last week we did a remodel of my Cosmetic dept and to show my appreciation of all that the Planogram team did and continue to do daily for our store I am baking them a Red Velvet Cake..  It is in the oven happily baking right now..  :)  I love Red Velvet Cake..  Will of course make a cream cheese frosting for it..  love Cream Cheese Frosting..

Red Velvet Cake

1 stick butter, softened
1 1/2 c sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 oz red food coloring
2 heaping tbsp cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
2 1/2 c all purpose flour
1 c buttermilk

In a large mixing bowl beat cream the butter and sugar together until smooth,  add the eggs one at a time,  add in the vanilla and mix well, add the cocoa and blend, carefully add the food coloring and slowly mix in until incorporated,  add the baking soda and 1 c flour,  pour in about 1/3 c buttermilk and pulse the mixer to not splash out of the bowl until partly mixed and then mix well,  repeat until the flour and buttermilk are gone..
Pour into 2-9 inch prepared cake pans(buttered and floured or cocoa) bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes until tests done with a toothpick.. let cool in pans for about 15 minutes,  then turn out onto cooling racks and allow to cool completely..   frost with Cream Cheese Frosting

Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz cream cheese
1/2 c butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract or zest of orange
4 c powdered sugar

Beat cream cheese and butter until combined..  add the extract or zest and powdered sugar,  1 c at a time until desired consistency adding a little milk if needed..  Frost cooled cake.. 

Dinner was wonderful tonight..  BBQ Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, Butter Honey Carrots, Creamed Spinach Gratin