Red Velvet Cake

- Submitted by Dahlia

(Crimson Coloured Chocolate Layer Cake)

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Red Velvet Cake is a traditional cake with a bright red or brownish red colour. The cake is dense but has a soft and crumbly texture. This velvety texture probably gave its name. The tastes of the cake is a unique one. It has a slight chocolately taste with the cocoa powder added. The acidity added in the form of buttermilk and vineger imparts that unique taste to the cake.

I have heard that traditionally beet puree was used to moisten the cakes as well as give it the colour. These days I have seen red velvet cake made with red food colour. The cake tastes the same even without the food colour but it gives that attractive classic look. I make the cake with liquid food colour whenever available. In India powdered color is more easily available. The shade of red sometimes differs but that really doesn't matter.

The frosting used in a classic red velvet cake is made with cream cheese.This again is important for that traditional taste. In India, cream cheese is not easily available and is also quite pricey. Even in some bakeries, cream cheese is combined with whipped cream froasting. My suggestion is to try out the cream cheese frosting if you can get hold of it.

So here comes the recipe. Do make it for the next birthday in your family.

Recipe for Red Velvet Cake

Preparation Time : 20 minutes
Cooking Time : 60 minutes
Decoration Time: 20 minutes
Serves : 10-12

Ingredients

For the Cake

• All purpose flour (Maida) - 2 1/2 cups
• Cocoa powder - 1/4 cup
• Sugar - 1 1/2 cup
• Buttermilk - 1 cup
• Butter - 1/2 cup
• Oil - 1/4 cup
• Eggs - 2 big (or 3 small)
• Vineger - 2 tsp
• Vanilla extract - 1 tsp
• Baking soda - 1 tsp
• Baking Powder - 1 tsp
• Salt - 1/2 tsp
• Red food colouring - 2 tbsp (either liquid, gel or powder colour)

For the Frosting

• Cream cheese - 12 oz (about 300 gms, should be at room temperature)
• Butter - 4 oz (about 100 gms, at room temperature)
• Powdered Sugar - 4 cups (app. 1 lb)
• Vanilla extract - 1 tsp

Method

For The Cake

1. Cream together the butter, oil, vanilla extract and sugar. Use a hand blender or mixie to get the job done easily.
2. Add the eggs one at a time and continue beating. 
3. Mix together the dry ingredients i.e flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in another mixing bowl.
4. Add the buttermilk little by little and keep mixing.
5. Add the egg-butter mixure and mix until everything is nicely blended.
6. Finally blend in the red food colour and vineger.
7. Divide and spread the batter uniformly in 2 9 "cake pans or 3 8"cake pans. Baking the cakes separately is easier and you do not have to cut the cake for frosting. If you have just one pan, bake as a single large cake.
8. Bake for 25 -30 minutes in the oven preheated to 350 degree F (180 degree C). If you bake a single large cake, it will take about 1 hour to cook. Check if the cake is done by inserting a toothpick in the middle of the cake. It should come out clean.
9. Switch off the oven and cool the cake before applying the frosting. 

For the Frosting

1. In a large bowl beat the cream cheese, butter first for couple of minutes.
2. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract and continue whipping until a fluffy frosting is ready. It takes 5-7 minutes of whipping to get a creamy frosting. 

Decorating the Cake

1. Take the cake in a plate or cake stand. Slice off the top to make it flat. You can reserve the crumbs for decoration at the end,
2. If you have made one big cake like me, cut it in the middle in half. Take one piece on the cake stand. 
3. I like to put pieces of parchment paper all around in the bottom so that the cake stand doesn't get messed up while decorating.
4. Put some frosting on top and spread it evenly using a spatula or a long knife.
5. Place the other piece of cake carefully on top. Apply the frosting all over on the top and sides of the cake. Be gentle while spreading the frosting so the crumbs don't get mixed up.
6. Finally I finished by sticking some crumbs in the sides of the cake and decorating the top with some cherries. 
7. Refrigerate the cake for at least 10-15 minutes before cutting it. This gives it time to set and the cake doesn't break while cutting.

Detailed Steps to make Red Velvet Cake

Using a hand blender, cream together the butter, oil, vanilla extract and sugar. 

Add the eggs one at a time and keep beating. 

Take another bowl and mix together the dry ingredients i.e flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.

Mix the buttermilk with the dry ingredients.

Mix the egg-butter mixture gently using a wooden spoon.

Finally mix the red food colour and vinegar.

Grease the bottom of the pan with butter.

Pour the batter in a 9" round pan. 

Bake for 60 minutes in the oven preheated to 350 degree F (180 degree C). 

Cool the cake before frosting.

To make the frosting, take room temperature cream cheese and butter in a bowl and whip it. Add the sugar and vanilla extract and continue whipping until a fluffy frosting is ready. (I forgot to click a picture of the frosting.)

Transfer the cake to a plate or cake stand. Slice off the top to make it flat for frosting. Reserve the crumbs for decoration at the end,

Cut the cake in half from the middle. Keep one piece on the cake stand. You may put pieces of parchment paper all around in the bottom to prevent the cake stand from getting messed up while decorating.

Put some frosting and spread it evenly using a spatula or a long knife. 

Place the other piece of cake and apply the frosting all over on the top and sides of the cake. 

I finished by sticking some crumbs in the sides of the cake and decorating the top with some cherries. It gave a beautiful look to the cake

Refrigerate the cake for 10-15 minutes before cutting it. This gives it time for the frosting to set and the cake doesn't break while cutting

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Comment by ruchi jain
what can be used in place of egg...(for vegetarians)..??

Reply :-
Hi Ruchi, You can substitute eggs with 2-3 tblsp of condensed milk or butter. You can also substitute each egg with 1 tblsp of flax seed powder + 3 tblsp of water.

Comment by anisha sunny
hi....after beating the eggs,what should i add butter or oil...?
and what oil should i add

Reply :-
You can use either butter or some olive oil.

Comment by Merlin in Orkut
Hi, Dahlia...I tried the cake..it was good....but it tasted like a chocolate cake.....i think i have added more coca powder...anyway its good....thanks for the recipe..

Reply :-
Good Merlin. It has a chocolaty flavour but it is not as chocolaty as the chocolate cake. good that u enjoyed the cake.

Comment by Merlin on Tuesday, June 03, 2008 7:32:12 AM
Thanks dahlia.....I will try the cake this weekend and let u know how it came out....

Reply : -
Sure Merlin, waiting to hear from you

Comment by Merlin on Sunday, June 01, 2008 12:41:51 PM
and the sugar, is it powdered sugar? or normal?

Reply :-
i used normal sugar only since that is what i had on hand. u can use powdered if u have it,

Comment by Merlin on Sunday, June 01, 2008 12:39:04 PM
Hi, Dahlia, I would like to give a try to this cake....but make me clear "Baking soda" is baking powder or Sodium bi carbonate?because I use baking powder for cakes....

Reply :-
hi merlin, i use baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) for my cakes. baking powder is milder than baking soda.

Comment by Fiza on Monday, May 19, 2008 6:41:02 PM
yeah true,looks really yummy , hi this is fiza, i just wanted to know tht wat is buttermilk?
 
Reply :-
buttermilk is beaten and diluted yogurt.

Comment by Freeda on Sat 2/16/08 7:09 AM
very different!
hi. went through the recipe. looks very different. i havent come across such a cake. feel like trying it , but i doubt if we would get that red food colouring here.i also wanted to ask u , how much of gms does one cup of ingredient contain? could u pls tell me it in gms and litres?

Reply :-
u will surely get red food colour. may be in spencers daily...
1 cup = 0.23 litres = 16 tblsp
1 oz = 30 gm = 30 ml
1 tsp = 5 ml=5 gm
1 tblsp= 15 gm
i hope this will help you.

Comment by Vijitha on Fri 2/15/08 3:37 PM
Superb
Good akka you made it. Even i got the same color when i tried this. This looks very good. When are you planning to courier me some?
Vijitha, http://viji-ny.blogspot.com/

Reply :-
Theres nothing left to courier dear. The cake was so yummy, it disappeared in a day.