[Red Velvet Cake] Velouté Birthday Cake with a passionate color

My little baby, aka Pablo, turned 6 last weekend. I can't quite believe time flies this fast.

I baked a red velvet cake for his birthday. He asked a chocolate cake for his birthday party that is scheduled for this weekend, which means that I am asked to bake a giant chocolate cake on Saturday~ fun fun. :) :(

Well, let's go back to the cake of the day :)

Red velvet cake is a layered cake with a red color. The cake can be dark red, reddish brown or bright red. I made a bright red colored cake.

The popular icing for red velvet cake is cream cheese icing. The red color is attained from red food coloring. Well, you may also use boiled graetd beets like old times.
The red velvet cake became popular during the World War II, the cake came into prominence thanks to the recipe of the famous Waldorf Astoria Hotel of New York city.

You can make 24 red velvet cupcakes with this recipe~

Here goes the recipe for the red velvet cake:
(adapted from Joy of baking)

Ingredients
Cake

2 + 1/2 cups sifted cake flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons cocoa powder, unsweetened
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 + 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons liquid red food coloring
1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
1 teaspoon baking soda

Cream Cheese Frosting8 oz (230g) cream cheese, room temperature
8 oz (230g) Mascarpone cheese, room temperature
(if you don't have Mascarpone, use another 8oz cream cheese)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup icing or powdered sugar, sifted
1 cup cold heavy whipping cream (at least 35% butterfat)

  

 How to make

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven.

2. Butter two - 9 inch (23 cm) round cake pans and line the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper. Set aside.

3. In a mixing bowl sift together the flour, salt, and cocoa powder. Set aside.

4. Beat the butter until soft (about 1-2 minutes) in a stand mixer or hand mixer.

5. Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes).

6. Add the eggs and vanilla one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

7. In a measuring cup whisk the buttermilk with the red food coloring.

8. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk mixture to the butter mixture, flour in three additions and buttermilk in two additions, beginning and ending with the flour.

In other words, the order should be flour buttermilk flour buttermilk and flour.

9. In a small cup combine the vinegar and baking soda.

Allow the mixture to fizz and then quickly fold into the cake batter. 

10. Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans and smooth the tops with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon, as quickly as possible.

11. Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 25 - 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean.

12. Cool the cakes in their pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Cool the cakes completely on a rack. Once the cakes have completely cooled, wrap in plastic and place the cake layers in the refrigerator for at least an hour (or overnight), to make handling of cake easier.

How to make Cream cheese frosting



1. Beat the cream cheese and mascarpone cheese until smooth, in a standmixer or with a hand mixer.

2. Add the vanilla and icing sugar and beat until smooth. 

3. Using the whisk attachment, gradually add the heavy cream and whip until the frosting is thick enough to spread. Add more sugar or cream as needed to get the right consistency.

When both cake and frosting are ready, you are good to assemble the cake.

Peel the parchment paper off the cake.

Cut each cake layer in half, horizontally. I used a horizontal cake cutter, but you can simply cut the cakes with a serrated knife. 

You will now have four cake layers. Place one of the cake layers, top of the cake facing down, onto your serving platter.

Spread the cake layer with a layer of frosting. 

Place another layer of cake on top of the frosting and continue to frost and stack the cake layers. Frost the top and sides of the cake.

You can garnish the cake with cake crust. (optional)

It's a soft sponge cake that melt in your mouth :)
Enjoy.

Red Velvet Cake