Gluten Free Red Velvet Cake and Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

• Oil and rice flour, for dusting
For the Cake
• 2 1/2 cups Carla's Gluten Free Cake Flour Blend Recipe* (See Notes)
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt or salt
• 1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/3 cup cooking oil (I used grape seed oil.)
• 1 cup milk, at room temperature
• 1 Tablespoon +1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 Tablespoon gluten free super red gel paste food coloring (Americolor brand)
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
• 2 - 8 oz. packages cream cheese, softened
• 3 1/2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
• 1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For the garnish
• 1 cup walnut baking pieces, chopped finely, between a nut meal and tiny pieces (optional)

Instructions:

1. Oil and flour (with rice flour) three 9" cake pans. You may use just 2 and bake a little longer.
2. Add vinegar to milk and allow to sit for 5 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 350°F.
4. In a large bowl, sift together all of the dry cake ingredients except the sugar. Once sifted add the sugar, stir and whisk again.
5. In the large bowl of your mixer, add the eggs and beat for about 2 minutes. Add the oil, milk mixture (homemade buttermilk, but a little thinner) and food coloring. Once mixed add well, add vanilla while mixer is still running.
6. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients while the mixer is still running. Cream together just until smooth.
7. Distribute the batter evenly among the cake pans. A kitchen scale is ideal for this step, as you can weigh the batter precisely. Smooth out the tops. If the batter seems thick you may use a spatula dipped in water to smooth out easily. Place the pans in the oven, two in the back, on the sides; and one in front in the middle. Bake for about 23-25 minutes. Halfway through baking move the back pans to the top front shelf and the top pan to the back bottom shelf. Bake until toothpick clean and the cake is no longer touching the sides of the pan.
8. While the cake is baking, make the frosting. In the large bowl of your electric mixer (using the paddle attachment for stand mixers), cream the cream cheese, sugar, and butter on low speed just until blended and then on high speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape bowl as needed. Add vanilla and beat on high speed thoroughly incorporated. Store in the refrigerator until cake is baked and cooled. You can prepare the frosting the day before, if desired.
9. Remove the cakes from the oven Using a knife, loosen the cake from the edge of the pan. Place each layer top side down onto a sheet of parchment or wax paper; and then place them top side up onto a cooling rack. Allow to cool completely.
10. If you have left the frosting in the refrigerator too long it will be too stiff to frost the cake. Leave it out for a few minutes. Frost the cake using an angled spatula by placing one layer, top side down onto a serving platter. Using a cake frosting or rubber spatula, distribute the frosting over the top of that layer. Place another layer on top, top side down, frost the top of it, and then place another layer top side up. Frost the top and sides.
11. Cupping your hands full with chopped walnuts, drop them onto the sides of the cake, patting them in gently. Top with halved walnuts.

Tips

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