Roopa
My coworker Hannah had her birthday during Whole 30, which apparently does not include cake. I told her I’d make a belated birthday cake since everyone should get birthday cake! Her favourite is red velvet, so I decided on this red velvet cake from StyleSweetCA. I haven’t made red velvet in a while, so I thought I’d try something new.
I have controversial views on red velvet cake. I think it’s pretty overrated. Traditionally, vinegar and buttermilk would react with anthocyanin in cocoa and cause the red colour. Nowadays, cocoa is dutch processed (or treated with an alkalizing agent) so this reaction doesn’t occur. Instead, people add a crap ton of red food colouring to get the red colour. So basically, red velvet cake is like a chocolate cake with not enough chocolate and a lot of (potentially carcinogenic) red food colouring.
But, I digress. Look at my cake!
RED VELVET CAKE
INGREDIENTS
- 250 g cake flour
- 1.5 tsp. baking soda
- 0.5 tsp. baking powder
- 0.5 tsp. salt
- 112 g (½ cup) unsalted butter, softened
- 300 g (1.5 cups) granulated sugar
- 56 g (¼ cup) oil
- 2 eggs
- 2 tbsp. cocoa
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- red food colouring (~1 tbsp.)
- 1 tbsp vinegar
- 210 g buttermilk
DIRECTIONS
- Line 3 6″ pans with parchment and shortening. Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- Cream the butter until light and fluffy. Add in sugar and mix well.
- Add oil and eggs to butter mixture and mix well.
- Add in cocoa, vanilla, food colouring (optional), and vinegar.
- Add in flour mixture in three batches while alternating with buttermilk. Start and end with the dry ingredients. Do not overmix.
- Add batter to pans evenly. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean.
Notes:
- I actually did 2 6″ layers and made some cupcakes.
- This cake didn’t rise so well for me. When I looked back at the ingredients, I realized that I’m a fool and forgot the vinegar. Amazingly, it still turned out quite well.
CREAM CHEESE ICING
INGREDIENTS
- 224 g unsalted butter
- 200 g cream cheese
- 3-5 cups icing sugar
- pinch of salt
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
DIRECTIONS
- Cream butter at medium speed until pale and creamy.
- Mix in cream cheese until well mixed.
- Add icing sugar until desired texture has been obtained.
- Mix in salt and cinnamon.
Chateau Gateau 