Velvet Cake Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (163 degrees C). Line the bottoms of three 9-inch cake pans with parchment paper. Spray the sides with cooking spray.
• Sift all-purpose flour, cake flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl.
• Microwave buttermilk just until warm, about 30 seconds. Stir in vanilla extract.
• Beat brown sugar and butter together in a bowl until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly before each addition. Blend in the flour mixture and buttermilk in 3 additions until fully combined. Let mixer run on low for 5 minutes. Distribute the cake batter between the prepared cake pans.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center the cakes comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes.
• Let cool for 15 minutes in the pans. Turn cakes out and let cool completely on a wire rack, at least 30 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour or overnight.
• Meanwhile, whisk sugar, milk, flour, and salt together in a medium saucepan for the frosting. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens and begins to simmer, about 10 minutes. Pour into a medium bowl and chill for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Beat butter until smooth, about 5 minutes. Slowly add the milk and flour mixture, 1/4 cup at a time, beating in between each addition and scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally. Mix in the vanilla extract.
• Level the cake layers before assembling the cake. Scoop about 2/3 cup of frosting onto the first layer and spread into an even layer. Repeat with the second and third cake layers. Frost the outsides of the cake with thin layer of frosting to catch any crumbs and chill for 20 minutes.
• Finish frosting the cake with remaining frosting. Cut and serve.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease two 9-inch round pans.
• Beat shortening and 1 1/2 cups sugar until very light and fluffy. Add eggs and beat well.
• Make a paste of cocoa and red food coloring; add to creamed mixture. Mix salt, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and buttermilk together. Add the flour to the batter, alternating with the buttermilk mixture, mixing just until incorporated. Mix soda and vinegar and gently fold into cake batter. Don't beat or stir the batter after this point.
• Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake in preheated oven until a tester inserted into the cake comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool cakes completely on wire rack.
• To Make Icing: Cook 5 tablespoons flour and milk over low heat till thick, stirring constantly. Let cool completely! While mixture is cooling, beat 1 cup sugar, butter, and 1 teaspoon vanilla until light and fluffy. Add cooled flour mixture and beat until frosting is a good spreading consistency. Frost cake layers when completely cool.

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Oil and line the base and sides of two 20cm cake tins with baking parchment - if your cake tins are quite shallow, line the sides to a depth of at least 5cm.
• Put half each of the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, bicarb, sugar and salt in a bowl and mix well. If there are any lumps in the sugar, squeeze these through your fingers to break them up.
• Mix half each of the buttermilk, oil, vanilla extract, food colouring and 100ml water in a jug. Add 2 eggs and whisk until smooth. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and whisk until well combined. The cake mixture should be bright red, it will get a little darker as it cooks. If it's not as vivid as you'd like, add a touch more colouring. Pour the cake mixture evenly into the two tins, and bake for 25-30 mins, or until risen and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool in the tins for 10 mins, then turn out onto a wire rack, peel off the baking parchment and leave to cool.
• Repeat steps 1 and 2 with the remaining ingredients, so you have four sponge cakes in total. Can be made up to three days ahead and will stay moist if wrapped in cling film, or you can wrap well and freeze for up to two months.
• To make the icing, put the butter in a large bowl and sieve in half the icing sugar. Roughly mash together with a spatula, then whizz with a hand mixer until smooth. Add the soft cheese and vanilla, sieve in the remaining icing sugar, mash together again, then blend once more with the hand mixer.
• To assemble the cake, stick one of the sponges to a cake stand or board with a little of the soft cheese icing. Use roughly half the icing to stack the remaining cakes on top, spreading a generous amount between each layer. Pile the remaining icing on top of the assembled cake, and use a palette knife to ease it over the edges, covering the entire surface of the cake. Tidy the plate with a piece of kitchen paper. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 2 days, but bring back to room temperature for an hour or so before eating.This recipe was refreshed in July 2018 based on user feedback. For the original recipe, see our beetroot cake.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Grease bottom and sides of 13x9-inch pan or two 9-inch round cake pans and lightly flour, or spray with baking spray with flour.
• In large bowl, beat cake ingredients with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, then on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour into pan(s).
• Bake as directed on box. Cool rounds 10 minutes; remove from pans. Cool completely.
• In chilled large bowl, mix cream cheese and milk until smooth. Beat in whipping cream and powered sugar with electric mixer on high speed, scraping bowl occasionally, until soft peaks form. Frost top of 13x9-inch cake or fill and frost cake layers. Store loosely covered in refrigerator.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Grease bottoms and sides of 3 (8- or 9-inch) round pans with shortening; lightly flour.
• In large bowl, beat all cake ingredients with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly. Beat 2 minutes on medium speed, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour into pans.
• Bake 25 to 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
• In medium saucepan, mix 1/2 cup flour and 1 1/2 cups milk with whisk until smooth. Cook over medium heat until mixture is very thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; cool 10 minutes. In large bowl, beat 1 1/2 cups sugar and the butter with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Gradually add flour mixture by tablespoonfuls; beat on high speed until smooth. Beat in vanilla. Fill and frost cake, using 1 cup frosting between layers. Store covered in refrigerator.

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Grease and flour 2 (9-inch) cake pans.
• In a medium bowl or on a piece of waxed paper, sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
• In a large bowl, cream together sugar and butter.
• Beat in eggs one at a time.
• Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk.
• Beat in food coloring and vinegar, then add vanilla.
• Spread the batter evenly in the pans.
• Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
• Turn out onto a rack to cool.
• Frosting: Blend cream cheese and butter together in a mixing bowl.
• Add marshmallows and sugar and blend.
• Fold in nuts.
• Spread between layers and on top and sides of cooled cake.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil and flour three 9 by 1 1/2-inch round cake pans.
• In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. In another large bowl, whisk together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla.
• Using a standing mixer, mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined and a smooth batter is formed.
• Divide the cake batter evenly among the prepared cake pans. Place the pans in the oven evenly spaced apart. Bake, rotating the pans halfway through the cooking, until the cake pulls away from the side of the pans, and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean, about 30 minutes.
• Remove the cakes from the oven and run a knife around the edges to loosen them from the sides of the pans. One at a time, invert the cakes onto a plate and then re-invert them onto a cooling rack, rounded-sides up. Let cool completely.
• Frost the cake. Place 1 layer, rounded-side down, in the middle of a rotating cake stand. Using a palette knife or offset spatula spread some of the Cream Cheese Frosting over the top of the cake. (Spread enough frosting to make a 1/4 to 1/2-inch layer.) Carefully set another layer on top, rounded-side down, and repeat. Top with the remaining layer and cover the entire cake with the remaining frosting. Sprinkle the top with the pecans.
• In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or with a hand-held electric mixer in a large bowl, mix the cream cheese, sugar, and butter on low speed until incorporated. Increase the speed to high, and mix until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. (Occasionally turn the mixer off, and scrape the down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.)
• Reduce the speed of the mixer to low. Add the vanilla, raise the speed to high and mix briefly until fluffy (scrape down the bowl occasionally). Store in the refrigerator until somewhat stiff, before using. May be stored in the refrigerator for 3 days.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray one 10-inch bundt pan or two 9-inch round pans with a nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
• Make a well in the center and pour in the eggs, coffee, milk and oil. Mix until smooth; batter will be thin.
• Pour into prepared pan. Bake in the preheated oven 35 to 40 minutes for bundt pan, 25 minutes for 9-inch round pans, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool completely.
• In a large bowl, mix together melted butter and cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency.
• Add a small amount of additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla.
• Frost cake and garnish as desired.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease 2 8-inch cake pans with nonstick spray and line with parchment paper.
• In a medium bowl, sift together the cake flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda. Whisk to combine.
• In a large liquid measuring cup, whisk together the buttermilk, vegetable oil, vinegar, and red food coloring.
• In a large bowl, cream the butter and granulated sugar together with an electric hand mixer on high speed until light, fluffy, and homogenous, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and beat on medium speed until incorporated. Add the vanilla and beat to incorporate.
• Add ½ of the buttermilk mixture to the creamed butter and sugar. Beat on medium speed until well combined, 1-2 minutes. Add ½ of the dry ingredients and beat until well-combined, 1-2 minutes. Repeat with the remaining buttermilk and dry ingredients. With the mixer running, slowly pour in the coffee and beat until just combined.
• Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans and smooth the tops. Bake for 40-45 minutes, until a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean. Let cool for 5 minutes before flipping the cakes out onto a wire rack, then let cool completely
• While the cakes are cooling, make the cream cheese frosting: In a large bowl, beat together the butter and cream cheese with an electric hand mixer on high speed until well combined and fluffy, 3-5 minutes. Add the heavy cream, salt, and vanilla and mix to combine. Add the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, and beat until the frosting is fluffy and smooth.
• Once cakes have cooled, trim off the domed tops, reserving the scraps. Cut each cake in half so you have 4 even layers.
• Place 1 cake layer, cut-side up, on a cake stand. Spread an even layer of frosting over the cake. Place another cake layer cut-side down on top of the first layer, spreading another even layer of frosting on top. Repeat with the remaining 2 layers. Spread a thin layer of frosting all over the sides and smooth out with an offset spatula or bench scraper. Refrigerate for 20-30 minutes, until the layer of frosting has hardened.
• Frost the outside of the cake with a thick layer of frosting. Crumble the reserved cake scraps, then press into the frosting around the bottom of the cake.
• Slice and serve.
• Enjoy!
• RECIPE BY: Amanda Berrill