Red Velvet Cake

A friend turned 25 last Saturday and I made this cake to celebrate the occasion. 

The recipe was recommended by a friend and I decided to try it when the opportunity presented itself.  As I was preparing it, the amount of red colourant that goes into the cake seemed a lot, a bit scary if you ask me.  The end results are beautiful though I’m sure you’d agree with me judging from the pictures. Either than that, the cake is easy to prepare.  The icing is a bit pricy considering that you have to add the whole tub of Cream Cheese which goes for R24.00 at retail stores.  However, the icing is what makes the cake in this recipe.  It’s too yummy for words, you’ll be licking you spatula and you bowl by the time you done icing your cake. 

Unlike me, you don’t have to wait till it’s someone’s birthday to tryout the recipe.  Bake it and invite friends over for some hot chocolate and a slice of cake.  Then watch them go for seconds and see the cake disappear! 

From my kitchen to yours.  Happy Baking!

Red Velvet Cake Recipe

625 ml cake flour

375 ml sugar

10 ml bicarbonate of soda

20 ml cocoa powder              

5 ml salt

250 ml buttermilk

2 extra large eggs

330 ml oil

10 ml vinegar

30 ml Moir’s crimson pink food colouring

5 ml Moir’s vanilla essence

Method:

1. Sift the dry ingredients together.  Do this TWICE. 
2. Beat the buttermilk, eggs, oil, vinegar, colouring and essence together. 
3. Add to the dry ingredients and pour into two greased and lined 20 cm cake tins. 
4. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for 30 -35 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. 
5. Turn out on a wire rack and leave to cool.

 Icing:

100 g butter

250 ml icing sugar

230 g cream cheese

5 ml Moir’s vanilla essence

30 ml cream

Method:

1. Beat butter and icing sugar together until pale.  Add cream cheese and vanilla and mix well.
2. Add the cream and beat for 1 more minute.  
3. Sandwichcakes on top of each other with a third of the icing. 
4. Ice the sides and top with the remaining icing.  Decorate with red sugar* and raspberries.

*To make red sugar, shake together sugar and a hint of Moir’s red food colouring until the sugar turns pinky – red.  Spread out on a plat to “dry”.

 Thuli’s Tip: 

 You can also use the recipe to make cupcakes.  It makes about 18 cupcakes.