Santa Baby Red Velvet Cake

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 350 °F. Grease and line the bottom of 3 (8 inch) cakes with parchment paper. Set aside.
• Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, and continue mixing just until the yolk disappears (do not over mix).
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the cocoa, salt, vanilla and food color. Add the cocoa mixture into the butter and sugar. Blend until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl.
• Add 1/3 buttermilk and blend on low until incorporated. Next add 1/3 of the flour and mix on low. Then, add half of the remaining buttermilk and half of the remaining flour until incorporated while being careful not to over mix. Repeat until remaining buttermilk and flour is incorporated.
• In a small bowl, stir together the vinegar and baking soda until dissolved. Gently fold the vinegar mixture into the cake batter with a rubber spatula. Do not beat!
• Divide the batter equally into the prepared 8-inch cake pans. Bake for 18-20 minutes (until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean). Let cake cool before transferring to a wire rack.
• Cream Cheese Frosting:
• Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, cream together butter and cream cheese until combined. Add powdered sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add the salt and vanilla extract and mix on low until smooth.
• Frost the cake layers with a crumb coat, and assemble. Refrigerate before adding a final top coat. Garnish the cake with sprigs of rosemary in the shape of a wreath on top. Sprinkle with sugared cranberries (see recipe below), and embellish with handmade fondant Santa’s.
• Sugared Cranberries:
• In a small saucepan, add 1/4 cup of water and 1/4 cup of granulated sugar. Heat on medium-low heat and stir until sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from the heat and add 1 cup of cranberries and stir to gently coat. Allow cranberries to rest in simple syrup for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Strain using a small colander or remove with a slotted spoon. Place and separate sticky cranberries on a cooling rack. Allow them to dry for 5-10 minutes before tossing them one at a time into a bowl of sugar. Return the cranberries to a clean rack for them to dry. Dry at room temperature for at least 1 hour, then refrigerate until ready to use.