Red Velvet Cake with White Chocolate Ganache Glaze and White Chocolate Buttercream

I wanted to make something extra special for Christmas dessert this year. Kyle loves red velvet cake, and we all adore chocolate. I've actually never made red velvet cake before, and it turns out, it's super easy. Basically a really good chocolate cake with red food coloring. Here's how to make - I hope you'll try it!

Red Velvet Cake 
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa, divided
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened, plus more for buttering pans
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 tablespoons red food coloring
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
White Chocolate Glaze
1 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
White Chocolate Buttercream
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
4 cups confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 cup glaze from above

Fruit by the foot, for the ribbon
Fruit roll up, for the bow

To make the cake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 

Butter two cake pans and sift over 1 tablespoon of the cocoa. Tap the pans to spread out the cocoa and discard any excess. Set aside.

Beat the butter and sugar together until smooth and creamy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Beat in the vanilla. 

In a small bowl, make a paste with the remaining 2 tablespoons cocoa and food coloring. Add the paste to the butter mixture. 

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk and vinegar. 

Add the flour and buttermilk mixtures to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. 

Spoon the batter into the prepared pans. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until a wooden pick comes out clean. 

Cool on a rack while you make the glaze and buttercream. 

To make the glaze, bring the milk to a simmer. 

Pour the milk over the chocolate chips and stir until chocolate melts. If necessary, put the bowl over simmering water to melt all the chocolate. 

Fold in the vanilla. Refrigerate 30-60 minutes. 

To make the buttercream, beat the butter until creamy. 

Beat in the confectioners' sugar, 1/2 cup of the glaze and milk. Reserve the remaining glaze. 

Place one cake layer on a cake stand or plate. Top with a thin layer of glaze. 

Top with a layer of the buttercream (about 1/2 cup). Repeat layers. 

Use fruit by the foot to make the ribbon and a fruit roll up to make the bow!