Red velvet cake
Budget
Red velvet cake

Red velvet cake

  • DifficultyEasy
  • Prep0:20
  • Cook0:30
  • Serves 12
  • Budget $ $ $
Annabel213
by Annabel213 Last updated on 07/30/2024
A rich, moist, sweet cake with a dark red colour. - Annabel213
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Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups plain flour sifted
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tbs cocoa powder
  • 50 ml red liquid food colouring
  • 120g butter, room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 2 eggs room temperature
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup buttermilk room temperature
  • 1 tsp white wine vinegar
  • 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

Cream cheese icing

  • 450 g cream cheese softened
  • 120g Lurpak* Butter, softened
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 1/2 cups icing sugar
  • 1 pinch salt

Method

  • Step 1
    Cake: Preheat oven to 180C. Butter and flour two 23cm round cake pans, or three 20cm round cake pans.
  • Step 2
    Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt into a medium bowl. Set aside.
  • Step 3
    In a small bowl, mix food colouring and cocoa powder to form a thin, smooth paste. Set aside.
  • Step 4
    In a large bowl, using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
  • Step 5
    Beat in eggs, one at a time, then beat in vanilla and the red cocoa paste, scraping down the bowl frequently with a spatula. Add one third of the flour mixture to the butter mixture, beat well, then beat in half of the buttermilk.
  • Step 6
    Beat in another third of flour mixture, then second half of buttermilk. End with the last third of the flour mixture, beat until well combined, making sure to scrape down the bowl with a spatula.
  • Step 7
    In a small bowl, mix vinegar and baking soda. Add it to the cake batter and stir well to combine.
    Red Velvet Cake
  • Step 8
    Working quickly, divide batter evenly between the cake pans and bake at 180C for 25-30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
    Red Velvet Cake2
  • Step 9
    Cool the cakes in their pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. To remove the cakes from the pan, place a wire rack on top of the cake pan and invert, then gently lift the pan. Allow cakes to cool completely before icing.
  • Step 10
    Cream cheese icing: With an electric mixer, blend together cream cheese and butter until smooth.
    Red Velvet Cake3
  • Step 11
    Reduce speed to low, and blend in icing sugar, salt and vanilla extract. Increase speed to high, and beat until light and fluffy.
Recipe Notes

Wear an apron and be careful with the red food colouring – no matter how hard I try, I always end up staining something!

If you prefer a sweeter or stiffer icing, more icing sugar can be added (up to four cups) but this will reduce the cream cheese taste.

If you like the sound of this recipe, you might also like this Chocolate Mud Cake.

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Photo Credit: Australia's Best Recipes Team

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