Red Raspberry Velvet Cake Recipe 435

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Grease and line the bases of 2 x 20cm sandwich tins with baking parchment. Using an electric hand whisk, beat together the caster sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well between each addition.
• Sieve the flour and cocoa powder into a bowl. Add half to the egg mixture and fold in carefully. Mix together the buttermilk, vinegar, cream cheese, raspberry purée and food gel. Fold half the buttermilk mixture into the cake batter and repeat the process with both the flour mixture and buttermilk mixture.
• Spoon the combined mixtures into your prepared tins and cook for about 25-30 mins, until an inserted skewer comes out clean. Leave to cool for 10 mins before turning out onto a wire rack.
• For the frosting, mix together the icing sugar and butter until soft and creamy, then stir in the cream cheese. Sandwich the cooled cakes together with half of the frosting, adding 150g fresh raspberries if you like, then spread the remaining frosting over the top. Will keep for up to 3 days in a cool place.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Cut two 22-by-3 1/2-inch strips of parchment paper. Spray a 7-inch springform pan with nonstick spray. Line the bottom with parchment and fit one of the strips of parchment around the inside of the pan, so that the parchment sticks up above the edge. Spray again with nonstick spray.
• Whisk together the coffee and cocoa powder in a small heatproof bowl until the cocoa has dissolved. Set aside to cool.
• Whisk together the flour, salt and baking powder in a medium bowl. Set aside. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix together the granulated sugar and vegetable oil on medium speed. Add the eggs, vanilla and food coloring and mix until well combined. Mix in the cocoa mixture. Mixing on low speed, add the a third of the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
• Add half the buttermilk. Add another third of the dry ingredients, mix until combined, and then add the remaining buttermilk.
• Stop the mixer. Stir the baking soda and vinegar together in a small bowl (it will bubble up). Immediately add it to the batter along with the remaining dry ingredients and mix for 15 seconds.
• Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, set the pan on a baking sheet tray and bake until the top springs back when gently pressed and a toothpick comes out clean, 1 hour and 15 minutes to 1 hour and 20 minutes. Cool in the pan on a rack for 20 minutes, then remove the sides and slide the cake off the bottom to cool completely on the rack.
• Once completely cool, use a large serrated knife or a cake knife or cake leveler to trim off any doming on top of the cake. Slice the cake horizontally into 2 even layers.
• For the filling: Sprinkle the gelatin over 2 tablespoons of cold water in a small bowl. Set aside to bloom for 5 minutes.
• Mix the cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, vanilla and salt in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium-high until creamy and smooth. Transfer 3/4 cup of the mixture to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip and set aside in the refrigerator. Microwave the bloomed gelatin until melted, about 20 seconds. Beat the gelatin into the remaining cream cheese along with the sour cream. Mix until smooth.
• Set aside 5 of the prettiest strawberries for decorating the top of the cake. Remove the green tops from the rest of the strawberries. Trim the berries if necessary so that they are similar in height when standing up on the trimmed end.
• To assemble the cake, set one layer of cake on a cake board or flat serving platter. Unlock the clean ring of the springform pan and place it around the cake layer. Take the second strip of parchment and wrap around the cake inside the ring so that it is standing up, then lock the cake ring so that it hugs the parchment against the cake.
• Spread 1/3 cup of the cream cheese filling over the cake layer. Slice a strawberry in half vertically and press the cut halves up against the parchment so that they touch at the bottom. Repeat until you have a ring of berries around the inside of the parchment. Take the remaining whole berries and fill in the interior of the ring, trimmed side down (you may not use all the berries, depending on their size).
• Spread the rest of the filling over the berries, making sure that it fills in the gaps between them.
• Gently tap the cake on the counter to eliminate any air pockets. Place the second cake layer on top, making sure the parchment is around the sides, and gently press down. Wrap the cake in plastic wrap and refrigerate until the filling is chilled through and set, at least 3 hours and up to 8 hours.
• When ready to serve, unlock the springform ring and lift it off the cake. Peel off the parchment strip, being careful not to pull it straight out but rather peel it gently away from the sides of the cake. With the reserved frosting, pipe 14 stars in a circle around the top edge of the cake, then pipe 10 stars in a smaller circle, and then 2 large rosettes in the center. Cut the reserved 5 strawberries in half vertically, leaving the green tops on, and place 7 strawberry halves in every other gap between the 14 piped stars. Arrange the remaining 3 strawberry halves on the rosettes in the center of the cake. Slice and enjoy!

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F Coat 2 (9-inch) round cake pans with cooking spray and line bottoms of pans with wax paper or parchment paper.
• Measure out 3 cups cake flour by spooning into measuring cup and leveling with a knife.
• Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
• Set aside.
• In another bowl, beat granulated sugar and butter with a mixer at medium speed for 4 minutes or until well blended.
• Add egg whites to sugar mixture, beat at medium speed for 5 minutes or until fluffy.
• Combine buttermilk, food coloring, and 1 teaspoon vanilla in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk.
• Add flour mixture to sugar mixture alternately with buttermilk mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture; mix just until moistened.
• Pour batter into prepared pans.
• Tap pans sharply on counter to remove any large air bubbles.
• Bake at 350°F for 28 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean (do not overbake).
• Cool in pans 10 minutes; remove from pans and cool completely on wire racks.
• For frosting: Combine cream cheese and 1 teaspoon vanilla in a medium bowl.
• Beat with a mixer at high speed for 3 minutes or until fluffy.
• Add powdered sugar and beat at low speed just until blended.
• To assemble cake: Place 1 cake layer on plate; spread with jam; top with second cake layer.
• Spread frosting over top and sides of cake.
• Store cake loosely covered in refrigerator.