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This is a delicious cake to enjoy in the afternoon with a hot drink or as a dessert after a meal. But the reason why it is red is not just the food colouring, but also the chemical reaction between the cocoa powder and the acidic vinegar and buttermilk whilst the cake is in the oven.

What You Need

For the cake:

250g self raising flour

50g cocoa powder

250ml olive oil

300g granulated sugar

2 large eggs

2 tablespoons red food colouring

½ tablespoons Madagascan vanilla extract

100ml fresh strong cold coffee

250ml buttermilk

½ tablespoon red wine vinegar

For the icing:

90g margarine, at room temperature

200g icing sugar

150g cream cheese

How You Make It

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees and line 2 cake tins.

Put the flour and cocoa powder into a mixing bowl and leave to one side, you will need this a bit later. You may also want to sift the cocoa powder if it is lumpy.

Now pour the olive oil into the bowl and gradually add the sugar slowly and mix in the red food colouring and the vanilla extract for 2 minutes or until light in colour.

Put 1/3 of the cocoa powder and the flour into the sugar bowl and mix until combined well. Mix your coffee and buttermilk together and add half to the bowl and add. Mix until smooth for 1 minute.

Now add half of the flour and mix until smooth for 1 minute.

Whisk the red wine vinegar with the buttermilk and coffee mixture. Now add it to the mixture and beat for 2 minutes or until smooth.

Now fold in the four with a spoon, don’t use the mixer.

Divide the mixture between 3 tins and put them in the oven for 30minutes.

Whilst they are in the oven, start with your buttercream.

To make the buttercream, beat the butter for at least 2 minutes in the mixer and add the cream cheese.

Gradually add the icing sugar and combine for 2 minutes.

Now you have made your buttercream, place it in the fridge to firm up so that you can put it on your cake and it will not slop off.

Once the cakes have come out of the oven, take them out of the oven and leave them to cool, or when you come to ice them, the buttercream will slop off.

To decorate, place one of the cakes on a plate and put a dollop or two on the top and use a pallet knife to spread it around. Now place the one of the other cakes on top of that and put another few dollops on the cake and spread that round with the pallet knife. To finish the cakes, place another dollop of buttercream on the top of the cakes and spread around and down the sides.

And there you have it, a delicious red velvet cake, now all you need to do is enjoy!