Home For the Holidays Hop: $450 Giveaway + The Best Ever Red Velvet Cake Recipe

Welcome to the Home for the Holidays Blog Hop!

During this hop you have a chance to
win a $450 Gift Card or Paypal Cash, 
a HUGE Ebook Grab Bag and several other prizes on participating blogs! 

The blog hop consists of several bloggers and authors who have sponsored the event to bring you prizes, recipes, book recommendations, and most of all, holiday cheer!

For my stop on the hop I decided to share my 
red velvet cake & cream cheese frosting recipes. 

I am also hosting a 

$25 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway 
below, which is completely separate from the main 

Home for the Holidays Blog Hop Giveaway

You will find all the details for both giveaways below the recipe! 

Without further ado, I bring you.... 

The Best Red Velvet Cake Recipe, Ever! 

The secret to the best red velvet cake recipe lies below...

I had originally posted this recipe on my other blog, So Simply Stephanie, last Christmas and it instantly became a huge hit! Since this is my favorite holiday recipe  and my other readers enjoyed it, I thought I would share it for the Home For The Holidays Blog Hop.

This red velvet cake is a little different from most recipes and quite frankly, the BEST I HAVE EVER HAD! Red velvet cake has always been my favorite-- when it's made right. I have only found a few people in my lifetime who made the perfect red velvet cake and my husbands aunt is one of those people. I had searched high and low for a great recipe and even tried the Paula Deen's Red Velvet Cake recipe and it didn't turn out to my liking, either. Possibly my error, possibly because it's just not the one. 

Unlike traditional red velvet cake recipes, this one has it's own little secret...

Are you ready?

Lean in a little closer so no one else hears...

Instead of flower, it uses a boxed butter cake mix! Shhh! Don't tell anyone until AFTER they have tried it and they tell you how wonderful it is!... No, this recipe still calls for all the other true-red-velvet ingredients such as the vinegar, cocoa, and butter milk. The boxed cake mix is a substitution to the flour only.

So, are you ready to try it? I have included both the Red Velvet Cake Recipe & the Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe!

Red Velvet Cake Recipe:

• 1 Box Butter Cake Mix ( Something Like Betty Crocker  Butter Cake 18.5 oz.)
• 2 ½ Tbsp. Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
• 1 1/3 Cups Buttermilk
• 1 oz. Red Food Coloring
• 1 Stick (8 Tbsp.) Butter, Melted
• 3 Large Eggs
• 1 Tsp. Pure Vanilla Extract
• 1 Tsp. Baking Soda
• 1 Tbsp. Distilled White Vinegar
• Flour for Dusting Pans
• Shortening for Greasing Pans

1. Place rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.

2. Grease 3 9-inch pans thoroughly with shortening or margarine, and then dust with flour.

3. Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl, and beat on low speed for 1 minute, or until all ingredients are well blended. Scrape the sides of the bowl and mix again for 2 minutes on medium speed.

4. Divide the batter evenly among pans, about 1 ½ cups of each, and smooth the tops with a rubber spatula.

5. Bake the cakes for 17-21 minutes or until the sides start to separate from the side of the pan. You can also use the toothpick method. Insert a toothpick, if it comes out clean it’s done.

6. When cakes are done, transfer them to wire racks to cool for 5 minutes. After cakes have cooled, run a knife around the edge of the pan to separate the cake from the pan. Next, flip the pan over on the wire rack so that the cake is upside down on the rack. Now, place another rack on top of that and flip it back over so that the cake is right side up.

7. Move your layers one at the time to your cake plate and frost with cream cheese frosting.

8. ENJOY!

Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe:

• 1 8oz block cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 stick of butter, at room temperature
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• Optional: 1 cup crushed pecans... Optional, but really, it's a delicious-must!

1. Combine cream cheese and butter in a large bowl and beat 1-2 minutes or until light and fluffy.

2. Scrape the sides of the bowl, pulling the frosting back to the center of the bowl. Add vanilla and gradually add powdered sugar. Beat on medium until well combined. Next, beat on high speed for 1 -2 minutes until you reach your desired consistency.

3. If you want to add pecans, which I strongly suggest, stir them in now. Save a couple tablespoons to garnish the top for a beautiful red velvet cake.

Now that you have the recipe for the best red velvet cake you will ever put in your mouth, are you going to try it?

Now for the fun part.... the giveaways!

Okay, for my blog giveaway I am offering a $25 Amazon or Barnes & Noble Gift Card to one lucky winner via Rafflecopter. To enter simply complete the entries on the Rafflecopter below. Some of which will also qualify you for the blog hop Grand Prize of $450+ ! 

BE SURE TO LEAVE YOU EMAIL in the comment

 so that we can contact you if you win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

To enter the Home for the Holidays Blog Hop Giveaway simply post a comment below. 

Then, be sure to visit the main blog hop page by clicking on the banner. There you will find a list of participating authors and blogs were you can visit and comment for more chances to win! 

Hope you enjoy! 

Good Luck & Happy Holidays!