Red Velvet Cake with Ermine Frosting: The Forgotten Classic

When my paternal grandfather, the postmaster in a small town in Ohio in the ‘60s, spotted a red velvet cake recipe in a magazine at work, I doubt he imagined that nearly 60 years later it would have reached legendary status among our family and anyone else who had the privilege of having a slice. The spell cast by this cake never wears off. My dad says his cousins, who haven’t had the cake in years, still mention pining for a slice. The secret really lies in the frosting. Instead of cream cheese frosting, Grandma’s version uses a buttercream made with a cooked flour-and-milk paste. Known as ermine, cooked, or heritage frosting, it’s less sweet, oh so creamy, and was actually the original topping for red velvet cake. While the frosting always stole the show, the original cake recipe wasn’t always a favorite. (Don’t tell Grandma, but we often used a boxed cake mix and topped it with her homemade frosting. Store-bought is fine after all!) A few years ago, I reworked the cake itself,…