Red Velvet Cake
An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott
Preparation time: 75 minutes plus chilling time (this cake is best made across 2 days)
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Serves: 12
- 2.5 cups/375g/13ozs. cake flour
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon bicarb
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 225g/8ozs. softened butter
- 1.5 cups/330g/12ozs. caster or superfine sugar
- 4 eggs, room temperature
- 1/2 cup/125ml/4flozs buttermilk
- 1/2 cup/125g/4ozs. sour cream
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
- 1.5 tablespoons LorAnn Red Velvet Emulsion
For Frosting:
- 1/2 cup simple syrup* recipe below
- 112g/1 stick butter, softened
- 200g/7ozs. cream cheese, softened
- 675g/24ozs. icing or powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- Pinch of salt
Step 1 - Preheat oven to 160C/320F and line two 15cm/6inch round tins (you can also do these in 20cm/8inch tins but they will spread out more). Sift the flour, cocoa, bicarb and salt together in a large bowl and set aside.
Step 2 - In the bowl of a mixer beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy for around 3-4 minutes. Add in eggs one at a time beating well between additions. In a jug whisk the buttermilk, sour cream, vanilla and colouring.
Step 3 - On low speed alternate with half of the flour mixture and half of the buttermilk mixture and repeat with the remainder of flour and buttermilk until just combined (do not overmix.) Scoop into the prepared tin, tap gently a couple of times to get rid of any large bubbles and rest for 5 minutes on the counter. Then bake for 40 minutes (bake for 30-35 minutes if you are using a 20cm/8inch pan) or until the centre springs back when gently pressed. Cool on a rack and then wrap in cling film until the next day.
Step 4 - To make the frosting beat the butter and cream cheese together until you get a smooth, homogenous mixture. On low speed add in the icing sugar, vanilla and salt and beat until you get a smooth frosting and it is completely combined. Place some frosting in a large piping bag and snip off the tip.
Thermomix directions. Place the icing sugar in the Thermomix bowl and set to speed #7 for 10 seconds. Then add the butter and cream cheese and set to speed #5 for 15 seconds. Scrape down the sides and set for another 15 seconds Speed #5. Place some frosting in a large piping bag and snip off the tip.
Step 5 - Take each cake and trim the top reserving the leftover cake. Then split each cake in half and rewrap so that you have 4 cake layers. If you have time place these in the freezer for 30 minutes.
Step 6 - Take one cake layer and place on a cake disc on a cake turntable. Brush with the cold syrup and then pipe the cream cheese frosting in a spiral. Place another cake layer on top and then repeat until you have used all 4 cake layers. Then add some frosting on the top and sides but not too much. You are going to make a crumb coat that catches all the red cake crumbs. Crumb coats are not thick and you should be able to see the cake underneath it (see pic). Place the cake in the fridge or freezer to firm up the frosting.
Step 7 - Then ice the cake with most of the remaining icing on the top and sides. This takes time to make it smooth so keep scraping the cake with a tall cake scraper and turning it on the cake turntable. If there are any gaps in the icing which there will be, patch it with some frosting and then keep scraping and turning. This can take anything from 5-10 minutes.
Step 8 - Crumble up the reserved cake and mash with a metal spatula. I find it easiest to add the crumbs by taking small amounts with the spatula and then scraping the spatula upwards which distributes the crumbs evenly and not too heavily. Some people prefer using their hands, it's up to you. Cover the sides and top of the cake. Then cut roses with a 2 inch stem and tape them around the stem cut and insert them on top of the cake.
Simple syrup: To make a simple syrup boil 1 cup sugar with 1 cup water for 5 minutes and then cool.
Personal Note
My little brown bear has proven to be such a different personality from Teddy. We call Teddy "Ten Second Teddy" because most people get 10 seconds with Teddy in their arms or on their lap before he thinks, "Yup that's enough byeeee" and wriggles out. Milo is most comfortable in a lap. He curls up and breathes a sigh of relief and settles in your lap until you get sick of it.
And while Milo does have the puppy playfulness, he desperately wants to be a good boy. It's a contrast from Teddy who pretty much does that he wants and will not be told what to do. Teddy's puppy phase involved numerous trips to the vet as he would eat something he shouldn't or do something that he shouldn't and he racked up an impressive vet bill.
The day before Milo's first birthday I made him some turkey jerky for his birthday present and even when I dried it in the oven at a very low temperature and he saw the door ajar he didn't try anything on like opening the door which he could have easily done. I marvelled that we had almost made it to first birthday without a visit to the vet (apart from his necessary shots of course). I guess like human siblings, dog siblings can be so different from each other.
That evening we were eating dinner and watching tv and Mr NQN had absent mindedly left the chicken bones on his plate on the side of the couch. I was in the kitchen and heard this crunching and like a dog parent just knows, that sound is no good when you haven't given them anything to eat. On the eve of his first birthday Milo had helped himself to the cooked chicken bones which are very dangerous bones for a dog to eat as they splinter in their digestive system.
Within seconds I was calling the emergency vet panicked and since he had only eaten a couple of bones they said that it was a wait and watch situation and to look out for vomiting and lethargy. I hung up and still worried I asked Mr NQN "What else should we do?". He looked it up and said, "Feed him some bread." So there I was feeding Milo some bread and then Teddy poked him little nose in and wanted some too. "Whyyyy did I say that about making it one year without a vet visit?". We watched and waited and Milo was fine, the same bright eyed and bushy tailed puppy that he always was. He passed the bones without incident and I decided that I will never tempt fate again by saying vet related milestones out loud again!
So tell me Dear Reader, do you ever think that saying things out loud is tempting fate? And do you like red velvet cake?