Red Raspberry Velvet Cake

Ingredients

• Cooking spray
• 3 cups sifted cake flour
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 4 large egg whites
• 2 cups fat-free buttermilk
• 1 (1-ounce) bottle red food coloring
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Frosting:
• 7 ounces 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 3/4 cups powdered sugar
• Remaining ingredient:
• 1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Coat 2 (9-inch) round cake pans with cooking spray, and line bottoms of pans with wax paper.
3. Lightly spoon 3 cups cake flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, cocoa, and next 3 ingredients (through salt). Set aside.
4. Beat granulated sugar and butter with a mixer at medium speed 4 minutes or until well blended. Add egg whites to sugar mixture; beat at medium speed 5 minutes or until fluffy. Combine buttermilk, food coloring, and 1 teaspoon vanilla in a small bowl; stir well with a whisk. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture alternately with buttermilk mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture; mix just until moistened.
5. Pour batter into prepared cake pans. Sharply tap pans once on counter to remove air bubbles. Bake at 350° for 28 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean (do not overbake). Cool in pans 10 minutes; remove from pans. Cool cake layers completely on wire racks.
6. To prepare frosting, combine cheese and 1 teaspoon vanilla in a medium bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed 3 minutes or until fluffy. Add powdered sugar, and beat at low speed just until blended (do not overbeat).
7. To assemble cake, place 1 cake layer on a plate. Spread with jam; top with second cake layer. Spread frosting over top and sides of cake. Store cake loosely covered in refrigerator.