Red Velvet Cake

3

Ingredients

  • For the red velvet cake:

  • 560g plain flour
  • 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 1 tsp cocoa
  • 340 g granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 340 ml vegetable oil
  • 1 tsp vinegar
  • 1 (25 ml) bottle red food coloring (recommended: Dr. Oetker)
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 225 ml buttermilk

  • For the cream cheese icing:

  • 115 g margarine
  • 1 (225 g) packet cream cheese
  • 1 (500 g) box icing sugar, sifted
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 225 g chopped lightly toasted pecans

Use imperial measurements

Method

How to make Red Velvet Cake

1) Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 4. Grease and flour 3 (23cm) round layer cake tins.

2) Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda and cocoa together. Beat the sugar and eggs together in a large bowl. In a separate bowl mix together the oil, vinegar, food colouring and vanilla and then add to the bowl of eggs and sugar and beat until combined.

3) Add the flour mixture in batches to the sugar/egg mixture, alternating with the buttermilk. Always start with the flour and end with the flour.

4) Pour the batter into the prepared tins. Tap them on the table to level out the batter and release air bubbles. Bake for 25 minutes or until a cake tester inserted near the middle comes out clean. Be careful not to over bake or you will end up with a dry cake.

5) Let the cakes cool on a wire rack for about 10 minutes before turning out of the tin. Cool completely before frosting.

For the cream cheese filling/icing:
1) This is the official cream cheese recipe but we always use about 1 1/2 the amount on each cake to cover it well.

2) Let margarine and cream cheese soften to room temperature. Cream together well. Add the sugar and beat until mixed, but not so much that the mixture becomes loose.

3) Add the vanilla and nuts. Spread part of the cream cheese mixture between the layers of cake. Use the remaining cream cheese mixture to cover the top and sides of the cake.

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