Red Velvet Cake

If you’re looking for a moist vanilla cake with a hint of cocoa, try out this red velvet cake or use the recipe to create multiple cupcakes for everyone to enjoy. With a subtle cream cheese filling and a splash of colour, this cake can be made at any time of the year.

We first came across red velvet cake when we started school in Australia and someone brought a box of cupcakes to school for their birthday. I remember being super confused when they told us they had brought red velvet cupcakes. Seriously, what kind of flavour is that? All I could picture in my mind was a bolt of velvet fabric; and I tried to imagine what that would taste and feel like. It wasn’t a very successful exercise and the bright red cupcake the other kid had just put in front of me, didn’t give me any hints either. It kind of smelled like vanilla. But was it just that? Bright red vanilla cupcake with a mountain of icing?

Red velvet cake is more than just a vanilla cake with red food colouring. It’s a sweet flavour you can never quite put your finger on. Is it vanilla? Is it cream cheese? Did that bite have a trace of cocoa? Not sure, but we can’t stop eating. We want more of this sweet confusion.

If you’re looking for a moist vanilla cake with a hint of cocoa, try out this red velvet cake or use the recipe to create multiple cupcakes for everyone to enjoy. With a subtle cream cheese filling and a splash of colour, this cake can be made at any time of the year. I recently made this cake for a friend’s birthday and it was a hit going by the amount of positive feedback we received for it.

Print Recipe

Red Velvet Cake

Author: admin Cooking Method: Baking Cuisine: Western Recipe Keys: Baking Dairy

Difficulty: Beginner Prep Time 25 mins Cook Time 80 mins Rest Time 20 mins Total Time 2 hrs 5 mins

Servings: 40

Best Season: Suitable throughout the year

Ingredients

Servings

For the Cake

• 300 g White Sugar
• 10 Eggs
• 180 ml Vegetable Oil
• 300 g Plain Flour
• 30 g Corn Flour
• 2 tbsp Vanilla Extract
• 2 tbsp Hot Chocolate Powder (or other Cocoa powder)
• 2 tsp Red Food Gel Colouring
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• 170 ml Buttermilk ((or use 170ml full cream milk with 1 tsp white vinegar, let mix sit for 10min))

For the Cream Cheese Filling

• 400 g Unsalted Butter (softened)
• 400 g Icing Sugar
• 330 g Cream Cheese (2 packs of Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened)
• 3 tsp Vanilla Extract

Instructions

1. Making the Cake

   1. Preheat the oven to 175°C.
   2. Grease and line a baking tray.
   3. Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites in two separate mixing bowls.
   4. Beat the egg whites with 100g sugar in an electric mixer until stiff peaks form.
   5. Beat the egg yolks with the remaining sugar until creamy. Add the oil and mix until well combined.
   6. Add the flour, cornflour, hot chocolate powder and baking powder and mix until well combined.
   7. Add the buttermilk and red food colouring and whisk gently until fully incorporated.
   8. Gently fold in the egg white mixture one-third at a time until just combined. You should have a very fluffy red batter.
   9. Pour half of the cake batter into the baking tray and tap tray on counter to release any air bubbles. Bake for 40 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
   10. Slide the cake (including baking paper) from the tray onto a cooling rack.
   11. Grease and line the baking tray again. Pour remaining batter into the baking tray and bake for 40 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
   12. Let cakes cool on the rack. While cooling, prepare the cream cheese filling.

2. Making the Cream Cheese Filling

   1. Use a handheld electric mixer or a standmixer to beat the butter and icing sugar until smooth.
   2. Then add the cream cheese and the vanilla extract and mix in until the frosting is thick and fluffy. Be careful not to overmix the filling or it may separate.

3. Assembling the Cake

   1. Cut each cake horizontally, so that you're left with 4 even layers.
   2. Place a layer of cake onto a rectangular plate or tray, then spread some of the cream cheese frosting over the top of the cake layer. Repeat with remaining cake layers.
   3. OPTIONAL: To make an extra moist cake, brush a layer of vanilla syrup onto each cake layer before spreading the cream cheese filling over the top of each layer.
   4. Use a spatula to spread any remaining cream cheese frosting around the top and edge of the cake, smoothing out any bumps and holes to create an even coat. Can also use a piping bag to decorate the top of the cake with some rosettes or swirls.

Note

• To make a simple vanilla syrup, mix 100g sugar with 100mL water and 2tsp vanilla essence. Heat mixture on medium until sugar has dissolved and brush warm syrup onto cake layers.
• This recipe makes approximately 36 cupcakes. To make cupcakes, line cupcake tins with cupcake patties and fill each tin until 3/4 full.

Keywords: red velvet, red velvet cake, birthday cake, cake, dessert, pudding, cream cheese filling, icing, cupcakes