My "baked main course challenge" would have to take a back seat for awhile to accommodate my current obsession with red velvet cake. Earlier, I baked a red velvet from a recipe by the man who came up with the "best ever red velvet cake", Cake Man Raven, but I found the cake to be very oily. I thought that I would not bother baking another red velvet again but I was wrong. Clearly, there is something intriguing about its taste. I tried three different recipes in order to come up with the red velvet that I like, one that is light and fluffy compared to the usual red velvet which is dense and has fine crumbs. For the third recipe, I use two different frosting and that explains the four cakes above.
First up is a recipe of my own and I like to call it Red Velvet Sponge since it is adapted from a chocolate sponge cake recipe. If you are into cream cheese, use the frosting recipe here as it has more cream cheese.
This red velvet cake uses butter instead of oil for better flavour whilst more buttermilk is added to keep the cake soft and moist.
Preparation time : 30 minutes
Cooking time: 40-45 minutes
Utensil needed: 8" round cake pan
Serves 10
Level of difficulty: *
Ingredients
90g SR flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp cocoa powder
80g butter
100g caster sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 tbsp red food colouring
1/2 tsp white vinegar
1 tsp vanilla extract
100 ml buttermilk
Cream Cheese and Butter Frosting:
140g cream cheese
100g butter
90g icing sugar
Method
1. Preheat oven to 160C.
2. Mix flour, baking soda and cocoa powder in a bowl and set aside.
3. Add butter and sugar and beat using the paddle attachment until mixture is light and fluffy about 10 minutes . Add in eggs, one at a time and mix until well-combined. Add vanilla, food colouring and vinegar and continue beating for another 1-2 minutes.
4. Fold flour mixture into batter and alternate with buttermilk until all the dry ingredients are well-incoporated.
5. Pour batter into the lined cake pan. Bake for 40-45 minutes.
6. To make the frosting, combine cream cheese, butter and icing sugar in a mixing bowl. Beat mixture until it becomes thick, light and fluffy.
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Next is my favourite. This recipe produces the lightest and fluffiest cake and because it uses the chiffon cake method, I present to you Red Velvet Chiffon. I decided to go for a butter and cream cheese frosting for this cake. More butter than cream cheese.
If you are unconventional and like your red velvet cottony soft, then this is the recipe for you.
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 40-45 minutes
Utensil needed: 8" round cake pan
Serves 10
Level of difficulty: *
Ingredients
4 egg yolks
80g caster sugar1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp white vinegar
50ml beetroot juice
1 tbsp red food colouring
60ml oil
70ml buttermilk
80g SR flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp cocoa powder
4 egg whites
1/8 tsp cream of tartar
80g caster sugar
Butter and Cream Cheese Frosting:
140g butter
100g cream cheese
90g icing sugar
Method
1. Preheat oven to 160C.
2. Mix flour, baking soda and cocoa powder in a bowl and set aside.
3. In a mixing bowl, beat the egg yolks and sugar until mixture is light and fluffy about 10 minutes. Add vanilla, beetroot juice, food colouring and vinegar and continue beating for another 1-2 minutes.
2. Mix flour, baking soda and cocoa powder in a bowl and set aside.
3. In a mixing bowl, beat the egg yolks and sugar until mixture is light and fluffy about 10 minutes. Add vanilla, beetroot juice, food colouring and vinegar and continue beating for another 1-2 minutes.
4. Fold flour mixture into egg yolk mixture and alternate with buttermilk and oil until all the dry ingredients are well-incorporated.
5. Whisk the egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar until stiff peak forms. Fold in the egg white mixture into the egg yolk mixture.
6. Pour batter into the lined cake pan. Bake for 40-45 minutes.
7. To make the frosting, combine butter, cream cheese and icing sugar in a mixing bowl. Beat mixture until it becomes thick, light and fluffy.
5. Whisk the egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar until stiff peak forms. Fold in the egg white mixture into the egg yolk mixture.
6. Pour batter into the lined cake pan. Bake for 40-45 minutes.
7. To make the frosting, combine butter, cream cheese and icing sugar in a mixing bowl. Beat mixture until it becomes thick, light and fluffy.
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And lastly, a recipe adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction. This is a good red velvet recipe that produces a relatively tender cake. I would recommend trying it. I like baking small portions so the recipe below yields half of the original recipe. The coconut pecan frosting from Southern Cakes by Nancie McDermott is delicious!
This recipe uses a combination of butter and oil. Butter contributes great flavour whilst oil makes a moist cake.
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 40-45 minutes
Utensil needed: 8" round cake pan
Serves 10
Level of difficulty: *
Ingredients
170g cake flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp cocoa powder
60g butter
200g caster sugar
2 eggs, separated
3/4 tbsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp white vinegar
1 1/2 tbsp red food colouring
120ml buttermilk
Coconut Pecan Frosting:
1 tsp vanilla extract
240ml milk
2 tbsp AP flour
110g butter
100g icing sugar
40g shredded coconut
30g pecans, chopped
Method
1. Preheat oven to 160C.
2. Mix flour, baking soda and cocoa powder in a bowl and set aside.
3. In a mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar until mixture is light and fluffy about 10 minutes. Add egg yolks, vanilla, food colouring and vinegar and continue beating for another 1-2 minutes.
2. Mix flour, baking soda and cocoa powder in a bowl and set aside.
3. In a mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar until mixture is light and fluffy about 10 minutes. Add egg yolks, vanilla, food colouring and vinegar and continue beating for another 1-2 minutes.
4. Fold flour mixture into egg yolk mixture and alternate with buttermilk and oil until all the dry ingredients are well-incorporated.
5. Whisk the egg whites and sugar until thick and foamy. Fold in the egg white mixture into the egg yolk mixture.
6. Pour batter into the lined cake pan. Bake for 40-45 minutes.
7. To make frosting, combine milk, vanilla and flour in a small saucepan. Stir until flour has dissolved. Cook over medium heat, stirring often until the mixture thickens almost to a paste. Remove from heat and allow to cool before using.
8. Beat butter and sugar at high speed until light and fluffy. Add cooled milk and flour mixture and beat for 1-2 minutes, scraping down the sides to combine everything well. Using a large spoon, stir in the coconut and pecans. Mix everything well into a thick, fluffy and nubby icing.
Butter Frosting
If you want to make a cheese coconut pecan frosting, just replace the butter with cream cheese and you'll have a cream cheese base frosting. It won't be as thick as the butter frosting and it is moister and has a milkier taste. I like the cheese frosting better but it doesn't hold up quite as nicely on the cake as the butter frosting does.5. Whisk the egg whites and sugar until thick and foamy. Fold in the egg white mixture into the egg yolk mixture.
6. Pour batter into the lined cake pan. Bake for 40-45 minutes.
7. To make frosting, combine milk, vanilla and flour in a small saucepan. Stir until flour has dissolved. Cook over medium heat, stirring often until the mixture thickens almost to a paste. Remove from heat and allow to cool before using.
8. Beat butter and sugar at high speed until light and fluffy. Add cooled milk and flour mixture and beat for 1-2 minutes, scraping down the sides to combine everything well. Using a large spoon, stir in the coconut and pecans. Mix everything well into a thick, fluffy and nubby icing.
Butter Frosting
Cheese Frosting
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You could, if you want to add beetroot, reduce the amount of buttermilk and top up with beet root juice. At the same time, you'll get some natural colouring from the beet juice.
I still have 3 other recipes that I love to try but we have been having red velvet for two weeks in a row. I guess I will just have to wait for the next round when the craving kicks in.
Happy baking! xx
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