Red Velvet Loaf Cake

If you are in a hurry, this is a good recipe. I have tried it with the moist chocolate cake mix and the carrot cake mix....both have been excellent. I bake the
batter in two bread pans. I wish I had put chopped pecans and raisins in the carrot cake mix, but we enjoyed it any way.

Hands-on Time: 25 min.; Total Time: 2 hr., 15 min.

Yield: Makes 16 servings


Ingredients
1 (18.25-oz.) package DUNCAN HINES Moist Deluxe Red Velvet Cake Mix
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 (16-oz.) containers DUNCAN HINES Creamy Homestyle Cream Cheese Frosting
Garnishes: white sparkling sugar, fresh mint sprigs
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour 2 (8 1/2- x 4 1/2-inch) loaf pans.

2. Beat first 5 ingredients at low speed with an electric mixer just until dry ingredients are moistened. Increase speed to medium, and beat 1 minute or until batter is smooth, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl as needed. Pour batter into prepared pans.

3. Bake at 350° for 40 to 45 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks, and cool completely (about 1 hour).

4. Place loaves on a serving plate or cake pedestal. Spread frosting over tops and sides of cakes. Garnish, if desired.

Southern Living Food for Today, SEPTEMBER 2009