{Recipes} - Blue Velvet Push Up Pops

 

As a child, one of the reasons I looked forward to Christmas was my grandma always made her famous Red Velvet Cake.  It was then, and still is, my favorite cake.  My hubby thinks I married him for his hotness, but it was really for his version of Red Velvet Cake that he made on our first Valentine's Day!  I'm not even going to think about telling you how many years ago that was, so don't ask!

When I found Sprinkle Bakes' version in blue, I had to try it for Kentucky game days.  I made a cupcake version of her recipe during March Madness, but thought it would work great again for my Blue & White Tailgating  party.  To make it even easier for tailgating, I put the cake in fun push up pop containers.  Push up pops are genius for tailgating because you don't have to worry about the frosting falling off or getting messed up!

The last time I made the cake, I used vinegar and buttermilk, like the recipe calls for.  This time, I just happened to be out of vinegar and didn't have any buttermilk on hand.  So, I made a couple of substitutions using lemon juice.  I don't know if it was the lemon juice or just plain luck, but this time they turned out even better than the last time I made them.  So, here's the recipe with the lemon juice modifications.  Happy Baking!

Blue Velvet Cake (adapted from Sprinkle Bakes)

• 2 cups sugar
• 2 sticks (1 cup) butter, softened
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon Wilton's royal blue gel icing color
• 1 small dab Wilton's violet gel icing color
• 2 1/2 cups of cake flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup of skim milk
• 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, softened
• 4 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 (16 ounce) box powdered sugar
• 2-3 tablespoons milk

For the cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a 11x16 jelly roll pan with aluminum foil, spray with cooking spray.  Pour 1 tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice into milk.  Let sit for at least 5 minutes.

Using a mixer, cream sugar and butter together.  Add eggs to butter mixture, one at a time, combining completely after each addition.  In a small bowl, combine cocoa powder, royal blue icing color, and violet icing color to form a paste.  Add paste to butter mixture, combine.  Sift together salt and flour.  Add flour mixture to butter mixture, alternately with soured milk.  Add vanilla to mixture.  Combine baking powder and 1 tablespoon lemon juice, mixture should bubble.  Add baking powder, lemon juice mixture to batter, combine fully. 

Pour batter onto lined jelly roll pan.  Bake about 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Remove from oven and cool completely.

 For the icing:  In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter, cream cheese, and vanilla.  Add sugar to butter mixture, alternately with milk, if needed, until icing is light and fluffy.

To assemble push up pops:  Using the top end of a push up pop container, available here, cut and push out circles.  Place one cake circle in the bottom of the push up pop container.  Top cake with a swirl of frosting.  Top with another cake circle and frosting swirl. 



For more great push up pops recipes, check out this great book, Push Up Pops.  It contains many fantastic recipes and styling ideas!