Red Velvet Cake

Ingredients

• 2 2/3 cups (400 g) plain cake flour ((Note 1))
• 2 tbsp (10 g) cocoa powder (, unsweetened)
• 1 tsp (5 g) baking soda / bi-carb soda (, NOT baking powder (Note 2))
• Pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup (115 g) unsalted butter (, softened (1 US stick))
• 1 1/2 cups (330 g) caster / superfine white sugar ((Note 3a))
• 2 eggs (, at room temperature (around 2 oz / 60g each))
• 1 cup (250ml) vegetable oil
• 1 tsp white vinegar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract ((or essence))
• 1 cup (250 ml) buttermilk (, at room temperature (Note 4))
• 2 1/2 tbsp red food colouring liquid ((UK: use Gel, Note 7))
• 14 oz (400 g) Philadelphia Cream Cheese, block (, softened but not too soft (UK see Note 9))
• 1/2 cup (115 g) unsalted butter (, softened (but not too soft))
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 cups (450 g) soft icing sugar / powdered sugar (sifted (Note 3b))

Steps

1. 1

   Preheat oven to 180C/350F (all oven types). Butter 2 x 21cm / 8" round cake pans (sides and base) and dust with cocoa powder.

2. 2

   Sift the Dry Ingredients and whisk to combine in a bowl.

3. 3

   Place butter and sugar in a bowl and beat with electric beater or in stand mixer until smooth and well combined (use paddle attachment if using stand mixer).

4. 4

   Add eggs, one at a time, beating in between to combine. At first it will look curdle - keep beating until it's smooth.

5. 5

   Add vegetable oil, vinegar, vanilla, buttermilk and red food colouring. Beat until combined and smooth (Note 5).

6. 6

   Add Dry Ingredients. Beat until just combined - some small lumps is ok, that's better than over mixing.

7. 7

   Divide batter between cake pans. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes on the same shelf, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. (Note 6)

8. 8

   Rest for 10 minutes in the pan then turn out onto a cooling rack and allow to cool.

9. 9

   Beat together cream cheese, butter and vanilla for 3 minutes (this makes it really smooth and changes from yellow to almost white). Add icing sugar and beat for 2 minutes or until frosting is light and fluffy to your taste. If your frosting seems too runny (depends on quality of cream cheese/ if the cream cheese was too soft), just add more icing sugar.

10. 10

    Cut the top off the cake using a serrated knife (to make the layers neat).

11. 11

    Spread one cake with 1 1/2 cups of frosting. Top with the other cake. Spread top and sides with remaining frosting.

12. 12

    Optional: Crumble offcuts and use to decorate the top rim and base of the cake.