RAVISHING RED VELVET CAKE

You might look at this red velvet cake and think it doesn't particularly look like the bright red creations you might see up and down the land in cake shops and bakeries. This is because I think that they look quite gaudy and artificial. My take on the red velvet cake gives a more dark red appearance that is more in line with the chocolate flavor of the sponge. The vanilla cream cheese frosting that holds the two sponges together and adorns the top keeps things moist and scrummy making for a delightfully delicious afternoon treat.

Now there seems to be a bit of  debate online as to whether the red velvet cake should be dense and fudgy or light and fluffy. This recipe is most definitely one for a dense and fudgy cake, more suited for a true chocolate lover! If you are looking something for that's more light and less filling then you should turn around now and head back onto google to find another recipe as this one is not for you.

If you know what you're getting yourself into and you're ready to go then let's crack on with the recipe. If you want to use a different frosting from the one I've used in the recipe below then feel free, I just find the one below is really soft, creamy and compliments the fudginess of the cake perfectly.

Red Velvet Cake

265g Unsalted Butter

55g Cocoa Powder

3 Whole Eggs

250ml Buttermilk

3 Tsp Vanilla Extract

2 Tbsp Red Food Coloring

280g Plain Flour

55g Cornflour

1 and a 1/2 Tsp Baking Powder

280g Golden Caster Sugar + 3 Tbsp For The Frosting

250g Cream Cheese

1.  Pop your oven on to 200 degrees (180 degrees) and grease and line two 23cm cake tins.
2. Place 225g of the butter, cocoa powder and 4 tbsp of water into a small saucepan and on a low heat, melt the contents until smooth. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, 2 tsp of the vanilla extract and food coloring until frothy before pouring in the melted butter mixture and beating until combined. Finally, add in the plain flour, cornflour, bakingpowder and 280g of golden caster sugar and gently mix together until a smooth batter has formed.
4. Divide the mixture between the two cake tins and place in the oven (on the same shelf if possible!) to bake for 25-30 minutes until an inserted skewer comes out clean. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tins before transferring the cakes to a wire rack.
5. When the cakes have completely cooled make the frosting by adding the cream cheese, the remaining butter, sugar and vanilla extract into a bowl and whisk until a smooth spreadable frosting had formed.
6. Spread half the frosting onto the flat bottom of one of the cakes and place the second cake on top, flat side down. Spread the remaining frosting on top to finish.

If you have any cocoa powder left you can use a sieve to sprinkle it over the top of the cake to add a little bit of a final flourish to the frosting on top. Once you are ready to serve you can cut yourself a big slice of this deep dark red fudgy chocolate cake. Perfect for tucking into with a big pot of piping hot tea. That buttery frosting in the centre and spread on top of the cake is deliciously light and creamy making it the perfect companion to the red velvet sponge. Absolutely ravishing, this red velvet cake is definitely going to get you rave reviews with your friends and family!