Red Velvet Cake

I am having some mixed emotions as I write this post.  I am ashamed and excited at the same time. It started on Wednesday night this week when I was seriously in need of cake.  It was that time of the month and I was craving something sweet.  There on my kitchen table was a box of Duncan Hines red velvet cake mix and a can of cream cheese frosting that I was actually going to return (yes, I have no shame in returning things).  I had bought them when I was planning to make Bakerella’s Red Velvet Cake Balls to ship to my brother but ended up going with raspberry and cream cheese brownie bites instead.  Ok, back to my need for cake.  Just this past weekend I made a layered chocolate cake for an engagement party by doctoring up a cake mix and then making my own mocha buttercream.  It was such a success that I figured I would jazz up the red velvet mix and hopefully satisfy my urgent need for cake.  Fast forward to my cooled and frosted cake…oh my goodness…it was DELICIOUS!  Granted, the frosting most definitely tastes like it comes from a can but I didn’t have any cream cheese at home to make it myself.  I took the cake to work yesterday and only told one friend the truth behind the cake.  Everyone knows I always bake from scratch so I didn’t want to reveal that I had used a cake mix even though I was sure the frosting would give me away.  I asked my friend to taste it without the frosting at first and give me her honest opinion.  She loved it and told me I could make it for her any day of the week.  That cake was gone quicker than anything else I have ever brought to work!  I got compliments yesterday on how good it was and today one co-worker even told me it was better than the red velvet cake she recently had at her friend’s wedding!  My eyes and taste buds have been opened to the world of cake mixes. They were BOGO free at Publix yesterday so I am stocked and ready to experiment!

Ingredients:

• 1 box Duncan Hines red velvet cake mix
• 1 small box Jello instant chocolate pudding mix (3.9 oz I think)
• 1 cup sour cream (used Daisy’s)
• 1 cup canola oil
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Mix all ingredients in large bowl.  Pour batter into 2 buttered and floured 9″ cake pans (or use baking spray).  Check for baking times on the cake mix box as it can vary depending on the type of pan you use.  Mine were done in about 35 mintues.