Red Velvet Cake (Taylor's Version)
Posted by Yolandé Haynes on 3rd Jul 2024
Classic red velvet cake
We're ditching the box mix and whipping up a classic red velvet cake from scratch. With layers as rich as your aunt's gossip and icing smoother than your pick up lines, this cake is more irresistible than hitting snooze on Monday morning. So, grab your apron, preheat that oven and let’s get baking.
You will need:
For the sponges:
300ml vegetable oil, plus extra for the tins
500g plain flour
2 tbsp cocoa powder
4 tsp baking powder
2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
560g light brown soft sugar
1 tsp fine salt
400ml buttermilk
4 tsp vanilla extract
30ml red food colouring
4 large eggs
For the icing:
250g slightly salted butter, at room temperature
750g icing sugar
350g full-fat soft cheese
1 tsp vanilla extract
Step-by-step:
1. Preheat your oven to 180C (160C fan, gas mark 4).
2. Grease and line two 20cm cake tins with baking paper, including the sides if they are shallow (at least 5cm deep).
3. In a bowl, mix together half of the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, sugar, and salt.
4. In a jug, combine half of the buttermilk, oil, vanilla extract, food colouring, and 100ml water. Add 2 eggs and whisk until smooth.
5. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry mixture and whisk until well combined. The batter should be bright red.
6. Divide the mixture evenly between the two cake tins. Bake for 25-30 minutes until risen and a skewer comes out clean. Let cool in the tins for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
7. For the icing, place butter in a large bowl and sift in half of the icing sugar. Mash together roughly with a spatula, then use a hand mixer to blend until smooth.
8. Add the soft cheese and vanilla, sift in the remaining icing sugar, mash together again, and blend with the hand mixer until smooth.
9. Use about half of the icing to stack the cakes on top of each other, spreading generously between each layer. Cover the cake with the rest of the icing.