Red velvet cake recipe

Details

• Cuisine: American
• Recipe Type: Cake
• Difficulty: Medium
• Preparation Time: 25 mins
• Cooking Time: 20 mins
• Serves: 36

Step-by-step

1. Preheat the oven to180ºC/350ºF/Gas 4. Grease and line a 20cm square cake tin (pan) with baking parchment.
2. Mix the red paste food colouring and the buttermilk together. (Use paste food colouring to get a deep scarlet - liquid colouring cannot achieve this shade without spoiling the taste.)
3. Using an electric mixer with a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. One by one, add the egg yolks and vanilla extract.
4. Sift the flour, cornflour (cornstarch), cocoa powder (unsweetened cocoa) and baking powder into a bowl.
5. Pulsing with the electric mixer, alternate between sifting in one-third of the dry ingredients and pouring in one-third of the buttermilk mix at a time until just fully incorporated.
6. Whisk the egg whites and salt in a clean bowl until they form stiff peaks. Beat one-quarter of the egg white into the cake batter quickly to break some air then carefully fold in the remaining egg white one-quarter at a time using a metal spoon.
7. In a separate small bowl, mix the vinegar and bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) until bubbles form then swiftly but gently fold into the mix.
8. Pour evenly into the tin (pan) and pause for a minute to allow the bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) to work. Bake in the oven for 18-20 minutes or until a cocktail stick (toothpick) inserted comes out clean.
9. Leave the cake in the tin (pan) for a few minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.