Red Velvet Cake

I love red velvet cake! It reminds me of the best parts of other types of cakes; the chocolate from a Devil's food cake and the cream cheese frosting from a carrot cake - all dyed red, how festive!  I made this cake over the Christmas holidays, however, have also made it for birthdays and it's so good that any occasion that requires baking a cake, I will most likely be making this one.  My favourite thing about this red velvet recipe (named #1 in 2010 by the Joy of Baking) is actually the cream cheese frosting, as it combines cream cheese, mascarpone and whipping cream, making it lighter and less sugary than most frostings. (Note, I am not eluding to the fact the cream cheese, mascarpone and whipping cream are 'light' in the calorie department, more so light in flavour and mild in taste).  This recipe is a part of Lisa's treat linky! 

From:  The Joy of Baking

Red Velvet Cake:

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour, sifted

1/2 tsp salt

2 tbsp cocoa powder

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup buttermilk

2 tbsp liquid red food colouring

1 tsp white vinegar

1 tsp baking soda

Cream Cheese Frosting:

8 oz cream cheese, room temperature

8 oz mascarpone cheese, room temperature

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/4 cups icing sugar

1 1/2 cups cold heavy whipping cream (35% MF)

Preheat oven to 350F.  Grease and line the bottom of two 9" pans with parchment paper.  Set aside.  In a bowl soft together, flour, salt and cocoa powder.  Set aside.  In the bowl of a stand mixer, or a bowl with your electric mixer, beat butter until smooth, then add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time and beat until, and mix until well incorporated, next add vanilla and mix until well combined.  Scrape sides of bowl down as necessary to ensure is well mixed. 

In a measuring cup combine buttermilk, and red food colouring.  Next with the mixer on low speed, alternately add flour and buttermilk in 3 additions, ending with flour.  In a small dish combine the vinegar and baking soda, allow the mixture to fizz, then add to the batter, and stir in until well combine.

Divide the batter into the two cake pans, and bake for 25-30 minutes.  Once baked, cool cakes in pans for 10 minutes, then remove to cooling rack to completely cool.  Once cooled, wrap each cake in plastic wrap and chill in fridge for 1 hour.  Cakes can be baked in advance and stored for 1 day in fridge, remove when ready to frost.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

In the bowl of your electric mixer or in a bowl with an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and mascarpone until smooth.  Add the vanilla and icing sugar and beat until smooth.  Next using the whisk attachment (if using electric mixer)  and gradually add the whipping cream and whip until frosting is thick enough to spread, about 5 minutes. Add more sugar or cream if necessary to achieve right consistency.

Assembly:

With a serrated knife, slice each cake horizontally in half.  You will now have 4 cake layers.  Place one layer onto your cake platter and frost, using a large, flat spatula.  Place next layer on top, frosting, and repeat with remaining layers then frost top and sides of cake.