RED VELVET CAKE

The most incredible Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting is fluffy, soft, buttery and moist with the most perfect velvet texture! Super easy to make with a few tips and tricks for the best results! You will go crazy for a second slice!

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup (120g) unsalted butter, at room temperature

• 1 1/2 cups (300g) caster sugar (or fine white granulated sugar)

• 2 large eggs

• 1/4 cup cooking oil

• 1 tablespoon (10g) unsweetened cocoa powder plus 1 tablespoon extra for dusting

• 2 1/2 tablespoons (45ml) red food colouring (liquid, not gel)

• 2 teaspoons (10ml) pure vanilla extract

• 1 tablespoon (20ml) white vinegar

• 2 1/2 cups (350g) plain cake flour, sifted (or all purpose/plain flour)

• 1 teaspoon baking soda (bi-carb soda)

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 cup (250ml) buttermilk*

Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 14 ounces (400g) cream cheese (not spreadable), at room temperature

• 1/2 cup (120g) unsalted butter, at room temperature

• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

• 4 cups confectioners (or icing) sugar

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice (optional -- adds subtle hint of lemon)

INSTRUCTIONS For Cake:

• Heat oven to 350°F | 175°C. Lightly grease two 8-inch cake pans with butter or nonstick oil spray and lightly dust with 1 tablespoon of the sifted cocoa powder.

• Cream butter and sugar together until light in colour. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition to combine well.

• In a smaller bowl, mix together oil, remaining cocoa powder, red food colouring and vanilla until smooth. Stir colour mixture and vinegar through the creamed sugar mixture to combine.

• Sift together flour, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl. Add half of the dry ingredients and half of the buttermilk to the wet ingredients; mix well. Repeat with remaining dry ingredients and buttermilk.

• Divide batter among the 2 prepared pans and bake for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack completely.

For Cream Cheese Frosting:

• Beat together cream cheese, butter and vanilla until smooth lighter in colour (about 3-4 minutes). Beat in icing sugar until frosting is light and fluffy (if frosting is too thin, add more icing sugar and beat again until reaching your desired consistency). Optional if using: mix in the lemon juice.

Assemble Cake:

• Transfer 1 cake onto a serving dish/plate, flat-side down. Trim the top dome off of the cake to create a flat bottom later. Scoop about 1 1/2 - 2 cups of frosting onto cake and spread evenly over the top.

• Place second cake layer on top and use remaining frosting to cover top and sides of cake.

• Crumble trimmed pieces of cake to decorate. Enjoy!

NOTES *To make your own buttermilk, mix 1 cup of full cream milk with 1 teaspoon vinegar before baking. Allow the milk to sour for 5-10 minutes. Adapted from The New York Times

NUTRITION

Calories: 607kcal | Carbohydrates: 72g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 110mg | Sodium: 128mg | Potassium: 129mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 66g | Vitamin A: 995IU | Vitamin C: 0.5mg | Calcium: 70mg | Iron: 0.7mg

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