Last weekend we have thrown a party and, as expected, I used it as a perfect excuse to do some baking. The cake has been a complete success: juicy, soft, airy… and I’m already thinking of another excuse to repeat it.
Ingredients (for a 12cm, 2 layers cake):
Red Velvet Cake
125 gr flour
8gr cocoa
130gr sugar
60gr softened butter
1 egg
120ml buttermilk (or milk with the juice of ½ lemon)
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. Vanilla Extract
1 tsp. Red Food Colouring Paste
1 tsp. Vinegar.
Decor and Filling
Strawberries
White Chocolate
Strawberry Jam
White Chocolate Ganache
80gr white chocolate
40gr whipping cream
White Chocolate Buttercream
100gr egg whites
190gr softened butter
150gr sugar
100gr white chocolate
RED VELVET CAKE
Pre-heat the oven at 170ºc and prepare a mould (12cm diameter) with anti-sticky spray.
In a bowl, putt he flour, the cocoa and the salt and mix.
Mix the buttermilk with the food colouring until you get the colour that you desire.
Putt he softened butter in a bowl and beat it until it whites. Add the sugar and mix until smooth.
Beat slightly the egg and add it to the batter while mixing.
Slow down the speed of the mixer and add the dry ingredients and the buttermilk following these instructions: divide the flour in three parts and the buttermilk in two. Add another part of flour, then one of buttermilk, another of flour, the last one of buttermilk and, finally, the last part of flour.
While the batter is mixing, putt he vinegar in a glass and add the soda. When you get bubbles, add it to the batter.
Divide the batter in two and pour into the moulds.
Bake for 25-30 minutes.
Let it cool for 30 minutes before unmould.
WHITEBUTTERCREAM
Mix the egg whites and the sugar y a saucepan and heat it in a boiling water-bath until reaches 65ºc.
Pour the egg whites into a mixer and make the meringue using a medium-high speed for 10 minutes.
Add the softened butter in pieces while mixing.
End up by adding the white chocolate (at room temperature) and beat until thickens or for 5 minutes.
WHITE CHOCOLATE GANACHE
In a saucepan, put both of the ingredients and heat until melt. Do not use until the ganache is 30º or less or the buttercream will melt.
ASSEMBLY
Cut out the top of the cakes so you get perfect tops.
Putt he first layer of cake in a rotatory cake stand. Put on top (with a pipping bag) some buttercream on the borders; then, in the middle, put some strawberry jam and top it with some sliced strawberries.
Putt he other slice of cake and repeat the process.
End up by putting one of the tops you cut out on top of the cake. Cover everything with the buttercream and pour the ganache on top, right in the middle. Help the ganache spread with a spatula if needed.
Dress up the cake using some strawberries and white chocolate.