Red Velvet Cake

I was recently in New York and whilst there I sampled numerous tasty baked goods - black & white cookies, apple crumb cake, pretzels, m&m cookies, rice crispie treats, and French toast. I stayed with a friend who is a fellow baking blogger, you can find her blog here - we previously had a bake-off, but this time joined forces to create this quintessential American cake.

Red Velvet Cake 

Ingredients:

4oz unsalted butter

12oz sugar

½ tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs

2 tbsp cooca powder

few drops red food colouring

9oz cake flour (use plain if you can't get hold of this)

8fl oz buttermilk

1 tsp baking powder

For the cream cheese frosting:

6oz cream cheese
3oz butter

1¼ tsp vanilla extract

11oz icing sugar

Step 1

Cream together the butter, sugar and salt until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and eggs, beating the mixture between each addition.

Step 2

Make a paste of the food colouring and cooca and add to the creamed butter mixture.

Step 3

Add to the mixture a quarter of the buttermilk followed by a quarter of the flour and baking powder, alternating until all is added.

Step 4

Pour the mixture into two greased 8-inch round cake tins. Place in a 350°F preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes.

Step 5

When the cake is cooked leave it to cool in the tins for 10 minutes, before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Step 6

To make the frosting beat the butter and cream cheese until smooth, and add the vanilla. Sift in the icing sugar slowly, beating until smooth. You should get a nice thick consistency that will spread on the cake but not drip over the edges (tip: if the icing is runnier than desired put in the freezer for 5-10 minutes until it has firmed and will be easier to spread).

Step 7

Place one cake onto a plate and spread with the frosting, place the other cake on top and spread more frosting over. (We used one cake tin, and cut it in half to make a sandwich cake, if you do this simply halve the mixture.)

So there you have it, our very traditional American cake, perfect with a cold glass of milk.

Did you know?

Red Velvet Cake was traditionally made red by the reaction caused between light cocoa powder and buttermilk. Today it is rarely done by this, and food colouring is added. It doesn’t stop it tasting delicious though!

Adapted from this recipe.