Sometimes, the best dish for an occasion is the most obvious one. Such is the case with Darius King’s red velvet cake: When Valentine’s Day rolls around, the Garden & Gun Club sous chef can think of no better dessert to mark the holiday. “It’s a Southern classic,” he says. “I always associate it with this time of year.”
After he tested multiple versions, the chef landed on a flexible base recipe with room for modification. “You can use substitutes for pretty much any of the ingredients,” King says. “I prefer apple cider vinegar for its subtle kick, but any standard vinegar will do. And if you’d rather swap sour cream or yogurt for the buttermilk, that works just as well.”
When it comes to the icing, consistency is key. “Make sure all the ingredients are room temperature,” King says. “You want the smoothest cream cheese possible, and when you’re mixing, remember to constantly scrape the sides of the bowl.” A veteran of the Piggly Wiggly cake decorating department, King also knows his way around a spatula. “There’s really no right or wrong way to ice a cake though,” he assures home bakers. “Just go slow. The most common mistake people make when icing is just trying to rush through it.” Red velvet cake can be especially crumby, so patience and control are key. Here, tools and technique are as flexible as the cake’s ingredients. “You could do some piping with a pastry bag, or simply spread with a knife or a spatula. You just have to find what you’re most comfortable with and go for it.”
