2006-01-28

Solid vegetable shortening for greasing the pans
Flour for dusting the pans
1 package German chocolate cake mix with pudding
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 bottle (1 ounce) red food coloring
3 large eggs
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe at bottom)

• Place oven rack in center, preheat to 350. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans with shortening, dust with flour. Shake out excess flour and set pans aside.

• Place the cake mix, sour crea, water, oil, food coloring, eggs and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Blend on low for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides. Increase mixer speed to medium and beat 2 to 3 minutes more, scraping sides as needed. The batter should look well blended. Divide batter between the pans, smoothing it out with rubber spatula. Place the pans in the oven, side by side.

• Bake the cakes until they spring back when lightly pressed with your finger and just start to pull away from the sides of the pans, 28 to 30 minutes. Remove the pans and place them on racks to cool for 10 minutes. Run a dinner knife around the edge of each layer and invert layer onto a rack, then invert them onto another rack so they are right side up. Allow them to cool completely, 30 minutes or more.

• Prepare the cream cheese frosting.

• Frost.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 8 oz. package cream cheese, room temp
1 stick butter, room temp
3 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract.

Blend cream cheese and butter. Add the confectioners' sugar, a bit at a time, blending at low speed each time until the sugar is well incorporated. Add the vanilla, increase the mixer speed to medium and blend the frosting until fluffy, 1 minute more.