How To Make The Best Red Velvet Cake For Valentine’s Day

When the way to their heart is through their stomach, whip up the most romantic dessert: red velvet cake with buttercream icing.

Romantic gifts that are long-lasting, like designer jewellery and men’s watches, make great sentimental keepsakes, but sometimes the best Valentine’s Day gift is something so good it’s devoured in seconds. If you know the way to their heart is through their stomach, Georgia Bateman’s recipe for the best red velvet cake with buttercream icing will not disappoint. Whip one up for your next date night and watch them fall in love.

Dry Ingredients:
- 400g plain flour
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder, unsweetened
- 1 tsp baking soda
- Pinch of salt

Wet Ingredients:
- 115g unsalted butter , softened
- 340g caster sugar
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 250ml vegetable oil
- 1 tsp vinegar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 250ml buttermilk, room temperature
- 3 tbsp red food colouring liquid

Buttercream Icing:
- 400g cream cheese, softened but not too soft
- 115g unsalted butter, softened but not too soft
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 450g soft icing sugar

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 180℃. Butter two 21cm round cake pans (sides and base) and dust with cocoa powder.
2. Sift the dry ingredients and whisk to combine in a bowl.
3. Place butter and sugar in a bowl and beat with electric beater or in stand mixer until smooth and well combined (use paddle attachment if using stand mixer).
4. Add eggs, one at a time, beating in between to combine. At first it will look curdled but just keep beating until it’s smooth.
5. Add vegetable oil, vinegar, vanilla, buttermilk and red food colouring. Beat until combined and smooth.
6. Add dry ingredients to the mix. Beat until just combined – do not over mix, some small lumps are ok.
7. Divide batter between cake pans and bake for 25-30 minutes on the same shelf, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.
8. Rest for 10 minutes in the pan, then turn out onto a cooling rack and allow to cool.

To Make Buttercream Icing:
1. Beat together cream cheese, butter and vanilla for 3 minutes (this makes it really smooth and changes the colour from yellow to almost white). Add icing sugar and beat for 2 minutes or until mixture is light and fluffy to your taste.
2. To ice your cake, cut the top off the cake using a serrated knife (to make the layers neat).
3. Spread one cake with ⅓ of buttercream icing, then place the second cake on top. Use the remaining buttercream icing to cover the top and sides. Decorate to your liking.