14-Layer Red Velvet Cake

My husband believes Sunday night was a folly from the beginning.  Let's take what I was wearing:

I liked it.  It's perfect for the holidays.  He thought it was perfect for the Racino.

Whatever.  The fact that I brought what became "the exploding cake" to the party only magnified my issues for the night.

Exploding cake, you ask?  Yes, exploding cake.  One very time consuming cake that ended up exploding upon cutting.  But I'll get to that.  Let's start with the recipe first.

INGREDIENTS

White Cake

1 box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® white cake mix

1 1/4 cups water

1/3 cup vegetable oil

3 eggs

Red Velvet Cake

1 box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® German chocolate cake mix

1 cup water

1/2 cup vegetable oil

3 eggs

2 tablespoons unsweetened baking cocoa

1 bottle (1 oz) red liquid food color (about 2 tablespoons) 

Or... just buy red velvet cake mid.  Seriously.  Why bother with all this messiness when they make it?

Frosting

2 1/2 cups marshmallow creme (from two 7-oz jars)

1 1/2 cups butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 to 2 tablespoons milk

4 1/2 cups powdered sugar

DIRECTIONS

Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 3 (8-inch) round cake pans with cooking spray. Line bottom of each pan with cooking parchment paper. Spray parchment paper with cooking spray. So, you know how I'm really bad with following directions?  I couldn't figure out why they used parchment paper when it clearly wouldn't stay in the pan and made the cake not perfectly round.  But if I had read the directions, I probably would have cut a small circle for the bottom of the pans only.  Huh.

In large bowl, beat White Cake ingredients on low speed 30 seconds, then on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Loosely cover and refrigerate. 

In another large bowl, beat Red Velvet Cake ingredients on low speed 30 seconds, then on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. 

Spread 1/2 cup red velvet batter in bottom of each pan. Not 1/2 a cup, but 1/2 the total batter spread equally into three pans.  Again with the reading directions thing.

Place all 3 pans on oven rack positioned in center of oven. Bake about 8 minutes or until cake is set when lightly touched in center. For next cake layer, spread 1/2 cup white batter evenly over each baked red velvet layer. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until cake is set when lightly touched in center. 

Repeat layers again baking 9 to 12 minutes per layer or until top of cake layer is set when lightly touched in center. Cool 10 minutes. 

Remove cakes from pans; remove parchment paper from bottoms of cakes. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.


Meanwhile, in large bowl, beat marshmallow creme, butter, vanilla and 1 tablespoon milk with electric mixer on medium speed until blended. Beat in powdered sugar until fluffy. If necessary, beat in more milk, a few drops at a time until spreading consistency.  My little handmade mixer nearly had a meltdown doing this.  That is some thick, sticky stuff!   

To assemble, stack cake layers, spreading 1/2 cup frosting between each layer. Spread thin layer of frosting over side and top of cake to seal in crumbs. Refrigerate cake 30 to 45 minutes to set frosting. Spread remaining frosting on side and top of cake. This direction I DID read, and it makes all the difference.  After the first coating of frosting 'sets', it is much easier (and prettier) to put on the second coat.
 

VERDICT

It looks beautiful, right?  A little tall, but it's going to be beautiful.

And it was.

Until, that is, someone decided to cut into it.  I'm not sure if they used a butter knife or a machete, but when everyone came upstairs for dessert this is what my beautiful cake looked like.

 

It literally had exploded all over the cake platter and table supporting it.  Chunks of red velvet cake and marshmallow frosting were everywhere. 

I got the following picture of one of the better looking pieces amid the wreckage.  It's only about 8 layers, but you get the idea of what it should have looked like.

The taste?  SO good.  Of course, it should taste good with 3 sticks of butter and 4 1/2 cups of confectioner sugar!  As to how it became the exploding cake... I'd love to know.