Red Velvet Cake
The origins of this delicious cake are uncertain, but whether the recipe began in the 1800s or from the use of beets as a sweetener in Britain during World War II, it has regained popularity with the proliferation of recipe sites and baking programs. The cake in this version is moist with delicate chocolate notes. Red food colouring is now used to tint the cocoa, but the boiled milk recipe is a throwback that produces a silky, pleasant frosting - no surprise it's called Ermine Icing. If you can, bake the cake a day ahead to allow the flavours to meld. Whether you make it for birthdays, Valentines Day or simply for dessert, you'll only be left with crumbs.
This recipe is adapted from the New York Times recipe app. The ingredients for the Ermine Icing are doubled.
Click here for more fabulous desserts.
Serves 12-15
Ingredients for the Cake
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 tablespoons cocoa powder, divided
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 tablespoons red food colouring
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 1/2 cups flour
1 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon vinegar
Method for the Cake
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Prepare 2 or 3 cake pans (either 8 inch or 9 inch) by buttering lightly and sprinkling with 1 tablespoon cocoa powder, tapping pans to coat and then discarding the extra cocoa.
Cream the butter and the sugar together. Add the eggs one at a time and beat vigorously until each is incorporated. Mix in the vanilla.
In a separate bowl, make a paste of the remaining 2 tablespoons cocoa and the food colouring. Blend into the butter mixtures.
Combine the rest of the dry ingredients. Alternating in 2 batches each, add the dry ingredients and the buttermilk to the butter mixture. In the last batch of buttermilk, add the vinegar before adding to the batter. Mix until blended.
Divide the batter between the pans and bake for about 20-25 minutes. Cool on a rack completely.
Ingredients for the Frosting/Ermine Icing
10 tablespoons flour (2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons)
2 cups milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 cups unsalted butter, softened
2 cups granulated sugar
Method for the Icing
Over medium heat, whisk the flour and milk together in a saucepan and heat to a simmer, stirring frequently until it becomes very thick and almost pudding-like. Give it the time it needs - it must be thick!
Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the vanilla and salt. Pour the mixture into a bowl and put plastic wrap on the surface to keep a skin from forming. Allow it to cool completely.
Using a mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally, about 5 minutes. With the mixer on medium, add the cooled flour mixture a little bit at a time. continue to beat until the mixture become light and fluffy and resembles whipped cream.
To assemble:
Remove 1 cake from its pan and place the flat side down on a serving platter. Drop about 1 cup of icing onto the cake and, using a flat spatula, spread evenly over top. Remove the second cake from its pan. Place flat side down on top of its first layer. Use the remaining frosting to cover the top and sides of the cake.
The origins of this delicious cake are uncertain, but whether the recipe began in the 1800s or from the use of beets as a sweetener in Britain during World War II, it has regained popularity with the proliferation of recipe sites and baking programs. The cake in this version is moist with delicate chocolate notes. Red food colouring is now used to tint the cocoa, but the boiled milk recipe is a throwback that produces a silky, pleasant frosting - no surprise it's called Ermine Icing. If you can, bake the cake a day ahead to allow the flavours to meld. Whether you make it for birthdays, Valentines Day or simply for dessert, you'll only be left with crumbs.
This recipe is adapted from the New York Times recipe app. The ingredients for the Ermine Icing are doubled.
Click here for more fabulous desserts.
Serves 12-15
Ingredients for the Cake
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 tablespoons cocoa powder, divided
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 tablespoons red food colouring
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 1/2 cups flour
1 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon vinegar
Method for the Cake
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Prepare 2 or 3 cake pans (either 8 inch or 9 inch) by buttering lightly and sprinkling with 1 tablespoon cocoa powder, tapping pans to coat and then discarding the extra cocoa.
Cream the butter and the sugar together. Add the eggs one at a time and beat vigorously until each is incorporated. Mix in the vanilla.
In a separate bowl, make a paste of the remaining 2 tablespoons cocoa and the food colouring. Blend into the butter mixtures.
Combine the rest of the dry ingredients. Alternating in 2 batches each, add the dry ingredients and the buttermilk to the butter mixture. In the last batch of buttermilk, add the vinegar before adding to the batter. Mix until blended.
Divide the batter between the pans and bake for about 20-25 minutes. Cool on a rack completely.
Ingredients for the Frosting/Ermine Icing
10 tablespoons flour (2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons)
2 cups milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 cups unsalted butter, softened
2 cups granulated sugar
Method for the Icing
Over medium heat, whisk the flour and milk together in a saucepan and heat to a simmer, stirring frequently until it becomes very thick and almost pudding-like. Give it the time it needs - it must be thick!
Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the vanilla and salt. Pour the mixture into a bowl and put plastic wrap on the surface to keep a skin from forming. Allow it to cool completely.
Using a mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally, about 5 minutes. With the mixer on medium, add the cooled flour mixture a little bit at a time. continue to beat until the mixture become light and fluffy and resembles whipped cream.
To assemble:
Remove 1 cake from its pan and place the flat side down on a serving platter. Drop about 1 cup of icing onto the cake and, using a flat spatula, spread evenly over top. Remove the second cake from its pan. Place flat side down on top of its first layer. Use the remaining frosting to cover the top and sides of the cake.