Thursday, March 26, 2009

Red Velvet Cake


Out of the oven....

Homemade cream cheese frosting to go with the red velvet....


Baking from scratch.....it always sounds lke a good idea. When will I learn?? I have always been a fairly good cook, but baking is an entirely different animal. Pillsbury and Betty Crocker make a lot of money from prepared cake mixes for a reason. Despite this, I am once again overtaken with the notion that maybe, just maybe, this time will be different. 

A wonderful red velvet cake recipe came my way a few years back. I once had the honor of meeting Sylvia Woods, who is the founder and owner of Sylvia's Restaurant in Harlem. I was doing some design work for a documentary film company, and they were looking into doing a documentary on Sylvia and her restaurant. (sadly, it never came to pass) The director asked me to come along for the initial meeting in Harlem, and I didn't hesitate to accept the invitation. I hadn't been to Harlem much, but I had passed through via train on my way to work or school every day for many years. I had watched it transform from a burned down, abandoned and sad place, to a vibrant and restored area of the city.

Sylvia is the self proclaimed "Queen of Soul Food" and her food doesn't disappoint. She has the classic American dream story....from a small town in South Carolina, got married, moved to NYC in 1944, became a waitress, bought a luncheonette, and the rest is history. Bill Clinton is a big fan of her food. Our meeting was scheduled at her restaurant. When we arrived, she welcomed us and made us feel right at home. I remember thinking she made me feel like I was coming to dinner at her house. (and I really was) Sylvia was very charming, warm and exuded classic southern hospitality. 

Our meal was an incredible array of classic southern cooking....fried chicken, mac and cheese, collard greens, black eyed peas, ribs, fluffy biscuits and white gravy, etc, etc. This was satisfying, no calorie counting food......lots of frying, butter and cream....yum! Dessert was a piece of red velvet cake. (by then I didn't think I had it in me to eat dessert, but I managed) 

I had always been intrigued by red velvet cake. Maybe it's the artist in me that finds the vibrant red color and velvety texture of the cake so appealing. I never had this cake as a child, which is odd, because my mother has southern roots. I asked Syliva about the cake and how it was made. It contains some strange ingredients to my ear, (vinegar??) but somehow it works. Syliva wrote down her recipe for me and I saved it for some special occasion all these years. 

This week, I decided to make red velvet cupcakes for a potluck dinner with friends. I carefully measured, mixed and poured. When I pulled the cupcakes out of the oven they looked good. I thought I had made it over the hurdle. Not so fast...although they tasted alright to me, they were a bit dry. I knew it certainly wasn't Sylvia's recipe, since I had tasted a piece of the cake at the restaurant. Sigh....it was me. Once again I had to accept that my lot in life was that of the artist and not the baker. 

I still need a dessert for dinner tonight. Trader Joe's here I come! You can always count on them for a wonderful dessert—fully baked and perfectly tasty. Someday I'm sure I will decide one more time that baking from scratch is a good idea, because, maybe....just maybe...one day I will get it right! When will I learn??