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Red Velvet Cake Bars

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Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1 c. vegetable oil
  • 1 1/4 c. sugar
  • 1/2 c. buttermilk
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1/2 to 1 tsp. red food coloring gel I like the gel because it doesn't add liquid, yet it's highly color saturated
  • 2 c. all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 2 Tbsp. baking cocoa
  • Frosting:
  • 8 oz cream cheese softened
  • 1/2 c. butter softened
  • 4 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Method
 

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Coat a 9"x13" pan with nonstick cooking spray. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine oil, sugar, eggs, vanilla and red food coloring gel. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, salt, baking soda and baking cocoa.
  2. Add flour mixture and buttermilk, alternating, while mixing. At this point, if you'd like to enhance the red color of the batter, mix in more red food coloring gel until desired color is reached.
  3. Spread mixture into prepared pan and bake for approximately 20 minutes, or just until a toothpick comes out mostly clean. Moist crumbs are ideal.
  4. For the frosting, in the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together all ingredients until creamy and fluffy. Spread over cooled bars. Slice and serve.