Red Velvet cake, in Italian, torta di velluto rosso, so elegant, colorful, super tasty and also very caloric. It is one of the most spectacular and famous American cakes, the recipe I prepared is by Peggy Porshen, the most admired German cake designer by professionals but also by celebrities, in fact, she has prepared cakes for big celebrities like Elton John and Madonna.
A perfect red cake for Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s and Father’s Day, or for any other occasion, its velvety texture and delicious frosting will surely make it your favorite cake. It is one of the best cakes I have eaten, and it is among my favorites like the sacher torte or the mimosa cake.
It is a perfect base for preparing a layered cake, it does not require soaking because it is already moist and soft on its own, so let’s go discover this wonderful and scenic red cake!
See you soon, Susy
Also discover:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Affordable
- Rest time: 1 Hour
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 10
- Cooking methods: Electric oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Energy 528.12 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 62.42 (g) of which sugars 42.07 (g)
- Proteins 8.39 (g)
- Fat 28.94 (g) of which saturated 7.15 (g)of which unsaturated 4.14 (g)
- Fibers 1.16 (g)
- Sodium 134.77 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 138 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for the red velvet cake
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup butter (soft)
- 2 eggs (medium)
- 1 tablespoon red food coloring
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt
- 1/2 cup partially skimmed milk
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup cream cheese (mascarpone)
- 2/3 cup vanilla powdered sugar
Tools
- Electric whisk
- 2 Bowls
- Spatula
- 2 Pans 8 inches
How to make the red velvet cake
In a small bowl, pour the milk, add the yogurt and lemon juice, mix to combine everything and let it sit at room temperature for half an hour.
Sift the flour and cocoa into a bowl and set aside.
In a bowl, work with electric beaters to mix the butter with the sugar and vanilla until the mixture is homogeneous. Add the eggs one at a time, allowing the first to be absorbed before adding the other.
Put the food coloring into the buttermilk and mix it well. Then incorporate into the butter mixture at moderate speed, alternating the buttermilk with the flour and cocoa, mixing well without overworking the batter.
In a small bowl, dissolve the baking soda with vinegar; it forms a foam and immediately add it to the batter, mix with a spatula and if you prefer a more intense red you can add a little more food coloring.
Pour the batter into 2 8-inch pans, so I have 2 perfect layers; if you prefer, you can use a 9-inch pan but you will need to cut it in the middle. Bake the 2 pans at 338°F for 30/35 minutes. Once baked, let them cool, remove them from the pans and wrap them in food film. Leave them in the refrigerator for a couple of hours to make them more compact.
Keep the bowl and beaters in the freezer for half an hour, so the cream will whip up faster. Pour the cream, add the cream cheese, and powdered sugar and start whipping with the electric beaters, as soon as the cream is firm and homogeneous, stop the beaters.
Remove the 2 bases from the fridge, trim them to remove the driest parts and make them equal, keep all the crumbs aside because they will be used to decorate the cake. Place one layer on the plate, and fill it with the cream cheese frosting, overlap the other layer, use the spatula to frost the entire cake with the cream cheese frosting, and sprinkle with the remaining crumbs as a final decoration.
Store the cake for 3/4 days in the refrigerator covered under a cake dome, it will surely be gone before! 😁
Tips
Do not overwork the batter otherwise, we will have a less soft and less moist cake.
The vinegar and baking soda are essential because they allow the cake to rise and enhance the characteristic red color.
The vinegar and baking soda are essential because they allow the cake to rise and enhance the characteristic red color.
The vinegar and baking soda are essential because they allow the cake to rise and enhance the characteristic red color.
