Happy new year! The festivities are gone and now all we are left with is new years resolutions and the realisation that they are far to big to tackle. My new years resolution is to make things pretty and keep breathing (also maybe the perfect frosting), the next post will be more of an end of year thing. This recipe is just close to my baking heart and something I felt I needed to do before the year was out.
I once made a version of this cake that I hated and that some of my friends still rave about.
I’m not trying to be humble, I honestly was very disappointed with how it turned out, they were supposed to be amazing birthday cupcakes, full of deep red colour and chocolatey taste; the colour and the taste were at best mild.
Being that I can be a perfectionist, I just had to tackle the red velvet again, this time it turned out exactly as it should have aside from the frosting, but that’s just something that is perpetually wrong.
Recipe from Joy the Baker
I am in the middle of doing conversions to weight for everyone. It is far more accurate than the cup system, I misplaced the paper that had all the weights on it unfortunately so this is a bit half/half.
114 grams of unsalted butter, at room temperature
338 grams of sugar
2 eggs
5 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
4 Tablespoons red food coloring mixed with 2 Tablespoons water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
282 grams of all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 teaspoons distilled white vinegar
Preheat oven to 175 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease your pan, I use a 6″x3″ pan for cute little tall cakes.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fit with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about three minutes. Turn mixer to high and add the eggs. Scrape down the bowl and beat until well incorporated.
In a separate bowl mix together cocoa, vanilla and red food coloring to make a thick paste. Add to the batter, mixing thoroughly until completely combined. You may need to stop the mixer to scrape the bottom of the bowl, making sure that all the batter gets color.
Turn mixer to low and slowly add half of the buttermilk. Add half of the flour and salt and mix until combined. Scrape the bowl and repeat the process with the remaining milk and flour. Beat on high until smooth.
Turn mixer to low and add baking soda and white vinegar. Turn to high and beat a few more minutes.
Spoon batter into prepared cake pans and bake for 45-50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
Let rest in the pan for 20 minutes, then invert onto a cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.
Cream cheese frosting from Joy the Baker
340 grams of butter, softened
227 grams cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt
4-6 cups powdered sugar
2-4 tablespoons milk
depending on desired consistency
Cream the cream cheese in an electric mixer for 1 minute. Scrape down the bowl and add the butter, beating for 1-2 minutes, or until incorporated. (Be sure that the two are at room temperature. Cold cream cheese or butter can make your frosting lumpy.) Add the brown sugar, pinch of salt and vanilla extract, and beat until incorporated. Turn off mixer and add 2 cups of powdered sugar. Turn the mixer on a low speed so the sugar doesn’t fly out of the bowl. Slowly add more sugar alternately with the milk until you reach your desired consistency.
The Little Cookbook 