← Nouns Cooking · Bakery

Ingredients

• 270 g plain flour
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 tsp Bicarbonate of soda
• 1 tsp Salt
• 115 g unsalted butter, soft
• 60 ml vegetable oil
• 265 g caster sugar
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 tsp red food colouring gel (or 2 tbsp liquid)
• 2 tsp Vanilla extract
• 240 ml buttermilk, at room temperature
• 1 tsp cider or white vinegar
• 300 g full-fat cream cheese, fridge-cold
• 125 g unsalted butter, soft
• 400 g Icing sugar
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract

Method

1. Heat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan, 350°F). Butter two 20 cm round cake tins and line the bases with baking paper.
2. Whisk the flour, cocoa, bicarbonate of soda and salt together.
3. Beat the butter, oil and sugar for 3 min until pale. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the food colouring and vanilla, until the mixture is evenly red.
4. On low speed, add the flour mixture in three goes, alternating with the buttermilk, starting and ending with flour. Stir in the vinegar last.
5. Divide between the tins and bake for 25–30 min until a skewer in the centre comes out clean. Cool for 10 min in the tins, then on a rack for about 1 hour until cold.
6. Beat the butter until creamy, beat in the icing sugar, then the cold cream cheese and vanilla until just smooth. Trim any domes off the cakes (crumble the trimmings to decorate), then sandwich and cover the cake with frosting. Chill for 30 min before slicing.

Tips

• Use gel or paste colouring: natural liquid colourings can turn the sponge brown or even green.
• Cream cheese frosting holds best when the cheese goes in cold and is mixed briefly.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

King Arthur Baking BBC Good Food Joy of Baking