elliottfamily.me From Scratch

Recipe

Red Velvet Cake

Soft, deep red layer cake made for cream cheese frosting.

Cook 25–40 min · 180 °C fan

You'll need

  • 315 g plain flour
  • 25 g cocoa powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 115 g unsalted butter
  • 300 g sugar
  • 2 eggs, large
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 240 ml buttermilk
  • 2 tsp distilled white wine vinegar
  • 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • ½ pot red food colouring, strong; paste works well

Equipment

  • 2 × 7-inch (18 cm) round cake tins
  • baking parchment
  • electric mixer
  • cooling racks

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C (fan). Grease the cake tins and line the bases with parchment.
  2. Sift the flour, cocoa and salt into a bowl.
  3. In a separate bowl, beat the butter until creamy.
  4. Add the sugar and beat on medium speed until fluffy.
  5. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each.
  6. Add the food colouring and vanilla and mix well.
  7. On a low speed, beat in a third of the flour mixture, then half the buttermilk. Repeat, then finish with the last of the flour.
  8. In a small bowl, stir the vinegar and bicarb together, then stir into the batter.
  9. Divide between the tins and spread evenly.
  10. Bake for 25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. It can take up to 40.
  11. Cool in the tins for 10 minutes, then turn out onto racks.
  12. Finish with Cream Cheese Frosting.