Authentic Red Velvet Cake

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1. 1Step 1: Before you begin: All refrigerated ingredients (eggs, buttermilk, butter, cream cheese) must be at room temperature or slightly warm before starting. Cold ingredients break the batter and curdle the frosting. Grease three 8-inch cake pans with cake goop and preheat the oven to 335º F before you begin mixing.
2. 2Step 2: Whisk the wet ingredients together. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, oil, buttermilk, vinegar, melted butter, vanilla, and red food coloring until smooth. Set aside.
3. 3Step 3: Combine the dry ingredients in your stand mixer. Add the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda to the mixer bowl with the paddle attachment. Mix on low for a few seconds to combine.
4. 4Step 4: Add the wet to the dry and mix. With the mixer on low, slowly pour in the wet ingredients. Once incorporated, increase to medium speed and mix for about 1 minute until smooth. Stop and scrape the bowl thoroughly.
5. 5Step 5: Divide and bake. Pour the batter evenly between the three prepared pans. Bake at 335º F for 40 to 45 minutes, until the centers feel firm, the dome bounces back when lightly touched, and a toothpick comes out clean.
6. 6Step 6: Cool the cakes. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to finish cooling. For same-day stacking, pop the layers in the freezer for 1 hour to firm up. Otherwise, wrap and freeze for up to a week.
7. 7Step 7: Place the softened butter in the bowl of your stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Mix on low until smooth and lump-free.
8. 8Step 8: Add the softened cream cheese and combine on low until smooth and completely homogeneous. Scrape the bowl to make sure it is all incorporated.
9. 9Step 9: Add the sifted powdered sugar one cup at a time, mixing on low to avoid throwing powdered sugar out of the bowl.
10. 10Step 10: Add the vanilla extract and salt and mix until just combined and smooth. Do not over-mix.
11. 11Step 11: Assemble and decorate. Stack the chilled cake layers with cream cheese frosting between each layer. Crumb coat, chill, then frost the outside. Refrigerate before serving for clean slices.