Baby showers are so fun, aren’t they? You ooh and aah over the cutest baby clothes in pastel shades, ogle over the new-fangled baby gear and how much it has changed since your baby showers, and then play shower games that can get just a wee bit crazy when they involve guessing how many inches around the pregnant belly is. They also always have a mighty impressive spread of food.
Cake is always a favorite part of any shower and I wanted it to have a surprise inside when you cut it.
Unexpected, vibrant, and perfect for a little boy.
Blue Velvet Cake has all of the great taste of the more traditional Red Velvet Cake, but with such a fun twist that everyone will remember it.
Blue Velvet Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup (92 g) shortening
- 1 ½ cups (297 g) sugar
- 2 large (100 g) eggs
- 1 ounce (28 g) royal blue gel paste food color
- 2 drops (0.2 g) violet gel paste food color
- 2 tablespoons (10.5 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 ¼ cups (270 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 scant teaspoon (2.6 g) kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon (4.7 g) vanilla extract
- 1 cup (227 g) buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon (6 g) baking soda
- 1 tablespoon (15 g) distilled white vinegar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Grease and flour 3 8-inch round cake pans.
- Cream Crisco and sugar together until light and fluffy, about three minutes. Add eggs one at a time, completely incorporating after each addition.
- In a small bowl, make a paste of food coloring and cocoa powder and add to mixture.
- Stir together flour and salt in a separate medium bowl, set aside.
- Pour buttermilk and vanilla into a measuring cup, set aside.
- Alternately, add flour mixture and buttermilk mixture into Crisco/sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Scrape down sides of mixing bowl to ensure all ingredients are well incorporated.
- Reduce speed of mixer and stir in baking soda, making sure incorporated into batter. Then, stir in the vinegar, taking care not to beat hard or over mix.
- Distribute cake batter evenly into the three cake pans. Bake for 25 minutes or until cakes have gently pulled away from the edges of the cake pans and a cake tester or toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.. You can follow my tips for how to tell when your cake is done.
- Cool cake thoroughly before frosting.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Notes: I used Americolor Soft Gel Paste in Royal Blue and Violet. You may also want to try a natural-based food coloring.
why shortening & not regular butter?
The cake is more moist with the shortening and I like the texture better. You can use all butter if you want but the texture will be a little different.
Can you freeze these cakes?
You can freeze this cake, Keekee. Allow the cakes to cool completely, wrap them well in plastic wrap and place each layer into a gallon zip top freezer bag.You can freeze the cake layers for up to 2 months. To frost the cake, simply remove from the freezer and allow to thaw in the refrigerator with wrapping intact. Then, frost the cake once it has completely thawed. Hope you enjoy!
Will this cake stain your mouth?
Jenn, most deep food colorings tend to leave at least a little stain.
Do you have a recipe for the frosting?
Katie, I used my Classic Vanilla Buttercream Frosting on this cake.
Is the crisco shortening regular or butter flavor?
This is regular shortening, Aminah.
Robyn, I use a bottle of liquid food coloring with my red velvet cake? Do you think a bottle of blue would work with this instead of the paste? I’m in a small town and they don’t have the gel paste in my grocery store.
I’m wanting to do this as a 4 layer 6 inch cake- think that will work okay?
I haven’t made this as a 4 layer 6-inch cake, Amanda. Let me know how it turns out for you.
Is white vinegar the same as distilled white vinegar?
Yes, it is, Becky.
Will this stand up to stacking. I need it for a wedding cake.
I haven’t made this as a wedding cake, Jackie. I would do a trial run with the cake to make sure it works as you want it for the wedding.
What kind of frosting did you use?
Stephanie, I used my Classic Vanilla Buttercream Frosting on this cake.