Red Velvet Cake
Red Velvet Cake has quickly become a firm favourite in the UK, and it's not hard to see why...a moist, flavoursome chocolate sponge, with a lightly whipped sweet cream cheese filling and topping, what's not to like?
So for a cake that really needs no introduction, here's the recipe (adapted from The Hummingbird's Bakery cupcake recipe)! I decorated mine with a dark chocolate cage too, which makes it look really cool!
Ingredients
120g softened butter
300g caster sugar
2 eggs
40g cocoa powder
6-8 tbsp. red food colouring (depending on the strength of the colouring
1 tsp vanilla extract
240 ml buttermilk
300 g plain flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
3 tsp white vinegar
600g icing sugar (sifted)
40g softened butter
250g cream cheese (cold)
100g dark chocolate
Method
Preheat your oven to 170C.
Grease and line two 8-inch round cake tins.
Put the butter and the sugar in a mixing bowl and beat well until light and fluffy and well mixed (if using a hand mixer, beat on medium speed). Turn the mixer up to high speed, slowly add the egg and beat until everything is well incorporated.
In a separate bowl, mix together the cocoa powder, red food colouring and vanilla extract to make a very thick, dark paste.
Add to the butter mixture and mix thoroughly until evenly combined and coloured (scrape any unmixed ingredients from the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula). Turn the mixer down to slow speed and slowly pour in half the buttermilk.
Beat until well mixed, then add half of the flour and beat until everything is well incorporated.
Repeat these steps until all the buttermilk and flour have been added. Scrape down the side of the bowl again. Turn the mixer up to high speed and beat until you have a smooth, even mixture. Turn the mixer down to low speed and add the bicarbonate of soda and vinegar. Beat until well mixed, then turn up the speed again and beat for a couple more minutes.
Spoon the mixture into the cake tins and bake in your preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the sponge bounces back when touched.
A skewer inserted in the centre should come out clean.
Leave the cakes to cool in the tray for 10 to 15 minutes before turning out onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
While you're waiting for the cakes to cool, you can make your cream cheese frosting.
To do this, beat the icing sugar the remaining 40g of butter together in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment (or use a handheld electric whisk) on medium-slow speed until the mixture comes together and is well mixed.
Add the cream cheese in one go and beat it until it is completely incorporated.
Turn the mixer up to medium-high speed. Continue beating until the frosting is light and fluffy, at least five minutes. Do not overbeat, as it can quickly become runny.
When the cakes are cold, place one layer onto a serving plate or cake board and spoon a third of the cream cheese frosting on top. Spread this out evenly until it reaches the sides of the cake.
Place the other sponge on top.
Using another third of the frosting, cover the sides of the cake using a palette knife.
With the remaining frosting, cover the top of the cake, and cover any patches on the sides that may be a bit thin.
Pop in the fridge to chill whilst making your chocolate cage.
For the chocolate cage, melt the chocolate in bowl over a pan of boiling water (make sure the bowl does not touch the water otherwise it will burn).
Roll out a piece of parchment paper large enough to fully wrap around the cake.
Once your chocolate is just melted, load it into a piping bag.
Snip the end just a bit, leaving a fairly small hole for the chocolate to pipe through. You don’t want the cage to be too fragile, so don’t make the piped lines too small!
Now, pipe whatever decoration you'd like onto the parchment, whether it be swirls or lines, it's completely up to you!
Now you need to leave it until it's almost set and it has lost it's shine. It should be pretty much set but when you pick up the parchment it should still have a bit of movement. When it has reached this stage, it's time to apply it to your cake.
Take the parchment, chocolate facing the cake, and wrap it around the cake. Put it where you want it the first time-if you move it, it will smear.
Pop it back in the fridge to fully set-about 5 minutes should do it.
Peel off the greaseproof paper, and voila! One Red Velvet Cake with a gorgeous chocolate cage!
Happy baking,
Charley x
So for a cake that really needs no introduction, here's the recipe (adapted from The Hummingbird's Bakery cupcake recipe)! I decorated mine with a dark chocolate cage too, which makes it look really cool!
Ingredients
120g softened butter
300g caster sugar
2 eggs
40g cocoa powder
6-8 tbsp. red food colouring (depending on the strength of the colouring
1 tsp vanilla extract
240 ml buttermilk
300 g plain flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
3 tsp white vinegar
600g icing sugar (sifted)
40g softened butter
250g cream cheese (cold)
100g dark chocolate
Method
Preheat your oven to 170C.
Grease and line two 8-inch round cake tins.
Put the butter and the sugar in a mixing bowl and beat well until light and fluffy and well mixed (if using a hand mixer, beat on medium speed). Turn the mixer up to high speed, slowly add the egg and beat until everything is well incorporated.
In a separate bowl, mix together the cocoa powder, red food colouring and vanilla extract to make a very thick, dark paste.
Add to the butter mixture and mix thoroughly until evenly combined and coloured (scrape any unmixed ingredients from the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula). Turn the mixer down to slow speed and slowly pour in half the buttermilk.
Beat until well mixed, then add half of the flour and beat until everything is well incorporated.
Repeat these steps until all the buttermilk and flour have been added. Scrape down the side of the bowl again. Turn the mixer up to high speed and beat until you have a smooth, even mixture. Turn the mixer down to low speed and add the bicarbonate of soda and vinegar. Beat until well mixed, then turn up the speed again and beat for a couple more minutes.
Spoon the mixture into the cake tins and bake in your preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the sponge bounces back when touched.
A skewer inserted in the centre should come out clean.
Leave the cakes to cool in the tray for 10 to 15 minutes before turning out onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
While you're waiting for the cakes to cool, you can make your cream cheese frosting.
To do this, beat the icing sugar the remaining 40g of butter together in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment (or use a handheld electric whisk) on medium-slow speed until the mixture comes together and is well mixed.
Add the cream cheese in one go and beat it until it is completely incorporated.
Turn the mixer up to medium-high speed. Continue beating until the frosting is light and fluffy, at least five minutes. Do not overbeat, as it can quickly become runny.
When the cakes are cold, place one layer onto a serving plate or cake board and spoon a third of the cream cheese frosting on top. Spread this out evenly until it reaches the sides of the cake.
Place the other sponge on top.
Using another third of the frosting, cover the sides of the cake using a palette knife.
With the remaining frosting, cover the top of the cake, and cover any patches on the sides that may be a bit thin.
Pop in the fridge to chill whilst making your chocolate cage.
For the chocolate cage, melt the chocolate in bowl over a pan of boiling water (make sure the bowl does not touch the water otherwise it will burn).
Roll out a piece of parchment paper large enough to fully wrap around the cake.
Once your chocolate is just melted, load it into a piping bag.
Snip the end just a bit, leaving a fairly small hole for the chocolate to pipe through. You don’t want the cage to be too fragile, so don’t make the piped lines too small!
Now, pipe whatever decoration you'd like onto the parchment, whether it be swirls or lines, it's completely up to you!
Now you need to leave it until it's almost set and it has lost it's shine. It should be pretty much set but when you pick up the parchment it should still have a bit of movement. When it has reached this stage, it's time to apply it to your cake.
Take the parchment, chocolate facing the cake, and wrap it around the cake. Put it where you want it the first time-if you move it, it will smear.
Pop it back in the fridge to fully set-about 5 minutes should do it.
Peel off the greaseproof paper, and voila! One Red Velvet Cake with a gorgeous chocolate cage!
Happy baking,
Charley x
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