Red Velvet Layer Cake

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar 
• 1 teaspoon baking soda 
• 1 cup buttermilk 
• 3 cups cake flour (sift before measuring)
• 8 cups confectioners' sugar 
• 32 ounce cream cheese softened
• 3 tablespoons dutch-process cocoa powder unsweetened
• 3 large eggs at room temperature
• 1.8 cups granulated sugar 
• 1 tablespoon juice of lemon fresh
• 1 tablespoon food coloring red
• 0.1 teaspoon salt 
• 0.5 teaspoon salt 
• 2 sticks butter unsalted softened
• 12 tablespoons butter unsalted softened plus more for the pans ()
• 0.5 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• 0.3 cup vegetable oil 

Equipment

• bowl
• baking paper
• oven
• whisk
• toothpicks
• stand mixer
• serrated knife

Directions

1. Make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 9-inch-round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper; butter the parchment.
2. Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl.
3. Beat the granulated sugar, 12 tablespoons butter and the vegetable oil in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 4 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Beat in the food coloring, vinegar and vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low; add the flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour, until just combined.
4. Divide the batter between the prepared pans.
5. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes.
6. Let cool 10 minutes on racks, then turn the cakes out onto the racks to cool completely. Using a long serrated knife, carefully slice each cake in half horizontally to make 2 even layers.
7. Make the frosting: Beat the cream cheese and butter in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment on medium-high speed until fluffy.
8. Add the confectioners' sugar, lemon juice, vanilla and salt; beat until smooth.
9. Put 1 cake layer on a platter; spread 1 1/4 cups frosting on top. Repeat to make 4 layers, ending with the cake. Cover the top and sides with a thin layer of frosting (this is the "crumb coat"; it doesn't have to be perfect). Chill 15 minutes, then cover with the remaining frosting.
10. Photograph by Levi Brown