RED VELVET CAKE - WITH CHOCOLATE FROSTING

I have been wanting to make this cake for ages! I saw it first at Woolworths(groccery store) but it didn't seem appetising. Then I heard about it on The Ellen Degeneres Show as it is her favourite cake and she had if for her birthday cake. So of course I was further intrigued. It has only been since I have begun blogging and found out how good they are supposed to look and trying it at a church function, that I thought I MUST MAKE MY OWN! So with a couple of family birthdays in August, I figured it was time to show off and make my first Red Velvet cake. Now, I have to say that I was a little disappointed to find out that the main/secrect ingredient for a red velvet cake is really just red food colouring, and lots of of it! I just assumed there was something more. None the less I made the cake from scratch following cathie's (m.e) recipe which she got from Martha Stewart. The only difference on mine was I did add the cocoa, which apparently is the traditional way to do it.

Now the icing I have to say was originally white in colour as is the tradition, however I happened to run out of plain icing sugar/mixture and had to borrow from my sister-in-law and she only had chocolate left. That being said, it was a great mistake to make I think, it worked out just fine, and as no one else in my family cares about the tradition of velvet cake or even knew about it, they were none the wiser!! I did attempt to cut my cake through the middle but I did use the wrong baking tin so it didn't work out. So there was just an overload of frosting on the top, which my fam made no complaints about! When I make this again, I will try it with white/cream frosting and I would like to make a 3 layer cake.

Other than the cream cheese and the eggs (could easily substitute egg powder). The next cake I make I will be using egg powder. This is a good recipe that utilises your food storage items. Buttermilk, I think makes the cake, pun intended! You can make your own buttermilk from milk powder or fresh milk if you don't have buttermilk handy.

Buttermilk

• Milk
• 1 Tablespoon white vinegar or lemon juice

Preparation:
1. Place a Tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice in a liquid measuring cup.
2. Add enough milk to bring the liquid up to the one-cup line.
3. Let stand for five minute. Then, use as much as your recipe calls for.

I obtained this recipe from about.com:frugal living.


RED VELVET CAKE

2 1/2 cups self- rising flour, sifted

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/4 cup of cocoa

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

2 eggs, room temperature

2 1/2 tablespoons red food colour (I had a little over half of my little red bottle which you get from the supermarket and I put all of it in!)

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (essence 1 1/2 teaspoons)

1 cup buttermilk

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons white vinegar


Method

Oven 180C grease and line baking pan

mix together flour, cocoa and salt in a seperate bowl

With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, whisk together sugar and oil until combined.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Mix in food color and vanilla.

Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of buttermilk, and whisking well after each. Stir together the baking soda and vinegar in a small bowl (it will foam); add mixture to the batter, and mix on medium speed 10 seconds.

Pour batter into prepared tin and bake for 30-40mins checking at 30mins. When a skewer inserted comes out clean then its ready to go.

Allow to cool before you frost


Cream Cheese Frosting

1 cup icing sugar/mixture

1 250g block cream cheese

3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or 1 vanilla bean


Sift icing sugar into bowl. Using an electric mixer mix through cream cheese until smooth then add vanilla.


If you do want chocolate frosting use CSR chocolate icing mixture or replace 1/4 cup of icing mixture for cocoa powder.