HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY HUBBY!

Yes, he's a Christmas eve baby, poor guy, must've been rough growing up and having to celebrate your birthday at a time when others are celebrating Christmas, not you.  So I've done some mighty nice things for the boy over the years and most were surprise birthday parties.

But what I do every year is bake his favorite cake: red velvet!  I used to bake it from scratch, cuz I couldn't find it in a box… that is until now!  Yeehaa!  although homemade is my way to go for the most part of life, Christmas time is a pretty busy part of the year and a box cake sounds pretty easy to me and it was.

So here ya go - my version of the red velvet box cake:

First the cast of characters:

I replaced the oil with applesauce, not because it cuts fat and calories (well sort of) but because I have found that cake tastes moister with it instead of oil.  And I added another tub of frosting because they never give you enough frosting, you can never have enough frosting. Period.

Next add 2 eggs, 1/4 cup applesauce and 2/3 cup water. Although the cake mix looks like a chocolate cake mix when coming out of the bag, as soon as the wet ingredients hit it, it turns bright red!  My fill of F D & C Red 40 for a lifetime.

I rubbed crisco on the inside of the pans and then put some flour inside and coated the pans so the cake wouldn't stick to the pans.  Old trick.

I mixed it all together and poured it into three pans.  I like a good three-layer cake for the boy.  Plus that's another layer of frosting which is necessary.

be sure to lick the bowl.  Not very often one gets to lick the bowl so I highly recommend it!

Then take a look at how red your tongue is from all the food coloring.

Put pans into a 350 degree oven and bake for 20 minutes.

Soften 1 stick of butter and beat until creamy.

add the packet of frosting mix and beat slowly adding 4 tablespoons of water as you go until it is the right consistency.

Put frosting into supplied pastry bag.

cut the end off and to make it into a start cut two triangles out.  Will make your outer frosting prettier.

Remove cake from pans when done and let cool.

Frost the first layer, then put on the second layer.  Be sure to add lots of frosting here.

top with third layer.

Then get out that pastry bag and start frosting the top and sides.

when is looks all pretty (ok, I don't excel at cake decorating - sorry), put a candle in it for the birthday boy!

and don't leave the room for a second - or the cats will try the frosting.  See?  this is why you need lots of extra frosting! It's precautionary.