Red velvet cake

Name: Red velvet cake
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 2 h 10 min
Yield: 1 cake, 20 cm, two layers (12 slices)
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 300 g plain flour; 2 tbsp cocoa powder; 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda; 1 tsp salt; 300 g caster sugar; 250 ml vegetable oil; 2 eggs, large, at room temperature; 240 ml buttermilk, at room temperature; 1 tsp red food colouring paste, check the label if you need it vegetarian, as some use cochineal; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 1 tsp white wine vinegar; 100 g unsalted butter, soft, for the frosting; 250 g icing sugar, sifted; 300 g full-fat cream cheese, cold from the fridge; 1 tsp vanilla extract, for the frosting

2 h 10
Prep 30 min
Cook 30 min
1 cake, 20 cm, two layers (12 slices)
easy

Start cooking

Soft, fine-crumbed red layers with a light cocoa flavour and buttermilk tang, sandwiched and coated with cream cheese frosting.

Method

1
Heat the oven to 180°C. Grease the two tins and line the bases with circles of baking paper.
2
Sift the flour, cocoa, bicarbonate of soda and salt into a bowl.
3
In a large bowl, beat the sugar and oil together, then beat in the eggs one at a time until smooth.
4
Stir the food colouring and vanilla into the buttermilk.
5
Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture in three parts, alternating with the red buttermilk, and mix on low speed just until smooth.
6
Stir in the vinegar, then divide the batter between the tins straight away.
7
Bake until risen and springy, and a skewer in the centre comes out clean.
8
Leave the cakes in their tins, then turn them out onto a wire rack and peel off the paper.
9
Let the cakes cool completely.
10
Slice a thin layer off the domed top of each cake with a bread knife and rub the trimmings into fine crumbs.
11
For the frosting, beat the butter and icing sugar until smooth, then beat in the cold cream cheese and vanilla just until thick and smooth.
12
Sandwich the cakes with a third of the frosting, cover the top and sides with the rest and scatter the red crumbs over the top.

Notes

The buttermilk and vinegar react with the bicarbonate of soda to give the cake its soft, velvety crumb, so get it into the oven promptly once they are mixed.
Paste or gel colouring gives a strong red with very little liquid. Liquid colouring needs 2 tablespoons or more and gives a duller shade.
Store the cake covered in the fridge and bring it back to room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.

Equipment

Two 20 cm deep sandwich tins, Baking paper, Large mixing bowl, Electric hand mixer, Sieve, Wire rack, Palette knife

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