Red velvet layer cake with vanilla and strawberry frosting

Name: Red velvet layer cake with vanilla and strawberry frosting
Yield: 1 serving
Ingredients: 300 g sugar; 120 g unsalted butter; 1/2 tbsp vanilla paste; 2 egg; 240 ml buttermilk; 1/4 tsp food colouring; 280 g plain flour; 2 tbsp cocoa powder; 1/4 tsp salt; 3 white wine vinegar; 2 bicarbonate of soda; 450 g mascarpone; 200 g powdered sugar; 120 ml double cream; 2 teaspoons vanilla extract; 200 g cream cheese; 80 ml | 1/3 cup double; 2 teaspoons vanilla extract; 3-4 tbsp freeze dried strawberry powder; 50 g icing sugar

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4.6

22 reviews

Excellent

Course
Dessert, Cake

Red velvet layer cake with vanilla and strawberry frosting

Shawn Wheeler

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This thoroughly romantic red velvet layer cake is sandwiched with mascarpone and strawberry frosting and decorated with a medley of berries and flowers.

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Ingredients

For the cake

300 g sugar 1½ cups
120 g unsalted butter ½ cup; soft
1/2 tbsp vanilla paste or 1 tsp vanilla extract
2 egg lightly beaten, large
240 ml buttermilk 1 cup
1/4 tsp food colouring as needed0, red paste; or more
280 g plain flour all purpose flour, 2¼ cups
2 tbsp cocoa powder unsweetened
1/4 tsp salt
3 white wine vinegar level teaspoon
2 bicarbonate of soda level teaspoon

For the vanilla frosting

450 g mascarpone full fat, 1 lb
200 g powdered sugar icing, 2 cups
120 ml double cream heavy cream, 1/2 cup
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the strawberry frosting

200 g cream cheese 7oz full fat
80 ml | 1/3 cup double heavy cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3-4 tbsp freeze dried strawberry powder
50 g icing sugar 1/2 cup

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Instructions

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Preheat the oven to 170°C (325°F). Spray three 6-inch cake tins with cake release and line the bottoms with baking paper.
Sift the flour and cocoa powder together into a bowl and set aside.
Cream the butter, sugar and salt in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until pale and fluffy – this will take several minutes. Make sure to stop the mixer and scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl a couple of times so that everything is well incorporated.
Mix the eggs with the vanilla extract and gradually add to the batter, beating constantly. If the mixture curdles, add a spoonful of flour.
Mix the food colouring with a little buttermilk, then add to remaining buttermilk and mix well until the colour is even.
Alternate adding the flour and buttermilk into the batter, starting and ending with the flour. Mix on low speed and scrape down the sides of the bowl to make sure the ingredients are well blender.
Mix the vinegar and baking soda together and immediately mix it into the batter. Either fold together by hand using a large spatula or beat briefly on medium speed to combine. Divide the batter between the prepared cake tins and level.
Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean and the cakes are coming away from the edges of the tin.
Leave to cool in the tins for 10 minutes, then carefully turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Level the tops of the cakes and reserve any offcuts. Spread those on a tray and dry in the oven at 100°C (215°F) for 10 minutes. Cool and blitz in a blender to make a fine red powder which you can use to decorate the cake.
Make the vanilla frosting: beat the mascarpone, icing sugar, vanilla paste and double cream together until you have firm peaks.
Mix the strawberry powder with the double cream until you have a smooth paste. Beat this with the cream cheese and icing sugar to make the strawberry frosting.
Transfer the two frostings into piping bags fitted with plain round or large star tips (the tip is not really relevant).
Pipe two concentric circles of the mascarpone frosting over bottom cake layer and fill with the strawberry frosting. Sandwich with second layer and repeat.
Finish off by covering the entire cake with a thin layer (crumb coat) of the mascarpone frosting, smoothing it over the top and sides with a palette knife and side scraper. At this point you can freeze the cake for 30 minutes.
Add another layer of frosting over the cake to create a really smooth finish - or leave the sides showing through for a ‘naked cake’ effect.
You can alternate the vanilla and strawberry frostings to create a slightly ombré or watercolour look.
Decorate the top of the cake with a medley of red berries, blueberries, pomegranate seeds and edible flowers plus a dusting of the red velvet crumbs. Alternatively pipe any excess frosting over the top of the cake and decorate with the crumbs.

Notes

Don’t eat all the cake scraps from levelling the cakes. If you spread them on a tray and dry over low heat, you can blitz them to create a fine powder that’s great for decorating the cake.