10 to 12 servings
YouTube instructional video is at the bottom
What you’ll need
All-purpose flour
Sugar
Salt
Unsweetened cocoa powder
Baking powder
Baking soda
Unsalted butter (Room temp)
Large eggs (Room temp)
Buttermilk (Room temp)
Cream cheese (Cold)
Vegetable or canola oil
Vinegar
Vanilla extract
Butter extract
Red gel paste or liquid food coloring
Confectioner’s sugar
Tools you’ll need
Baker’s joy non-stick baking spray
Offset spatula
Two 9-inch round cake pans
Cake serving pad
Preparation of ingredients
Dry ingredients (All-purpose flour mixture)
Step 1- Sift 2 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons sweetened or unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt into a medium-sized bowl. Stir all ingredients together and set aside.
Wet ingredients (Red buttermilk mixture)
Step 2- Add 1 cup buttermilk (Room temp), 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon butter extract and 1 tablespoon red gel paste or liquid food coloring. Stir all ingredients with a whisk until combined.
Cake batter
Step 3- Add 1 and 1/2 sticks unsalted butter (Softened), 1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil, and 2 and 1/3 cups sugar into stand mixer bowl. You can also use a hand mixer as well. Mix on high speed for 6 minutes. Scrape down the sides of your mixing bowl.
Step 4- Add 4 large eggs (Room temp) into the batter while mixing on a medium speed. Scrape down the sides of your bowl.
Step 5- Add the Dry ingredients (All-purpose flour mixture) and the Wet ingredients (Red buttermilk mixture) into the batter 3 separate times. Mix on a medium-low speed each time for 15 to 20 seconds or until combined. Make sure that you scrape down the sides of your bowl each time as well.
Vinegar baking soda mixture
Note- The vinegar and baking soda mixture helps with the cake’s texture, making it light and fluffy. It also helps bring out the bright red color of the cake.
Step 6- Add 1/2 teaspoon baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon vinegar into a small glass bowl and stir. Add the mixture into the cake batter and stir the batter with a spatula until combined.
Baking the cake layers
Spray your two 9-inch round cake pans with the Baker’s joy non-stick baking spray.
Preheat oven to 325-degrees F.
Step 7- Add your prepared cake batter into your baking pans. Spread the cake batter around your baking pans as evenly as possible. To make the batter more even, shake each baking pan slightly.
Step 8- Place into a preheated 325-degree F. oven on the middle rack. Bake for 40 minutes. Once the baking time has ended, remove the cake layers from the oven. Toothpick inserted into each cake layer should come out clean. Let the cakes cool for 2 to 3 hours before removing them from the pans.
Step 9- Once the cake layers have cooled completely, remove them from the baking pans. If the cake layers have a dome of top take a knife and trim off the domed section off of each cake layer. Crumble the portion of the domed section that you trimmed off into a medium-sized bowl. The cake crumbs can be used to decorate the cake. If you cannot get any cake crumbs, you can continue decorating the cake as normal with any cake crumbs.
Cream cheese frosting
Step 10- Add 2 sticks unsalted butter (Softened) and 8 ounces cream cheese (cold) into stand mixer bowl. Start your mixer on a medium-low speed to get the butter and cream cheese incorporated. Then turn your mixer up to the highest setting and mix on high speed for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of your bowl.
Step 11- Add 2 cups confectioners’ sugar and mix on a medium low speed for 30 to 40 seconds or until combined. Add 2 and 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, and a very light sprinkle of salt just to bring out all of the flavors. Mix on a medium-low speed for 30 seconds or until combined. Once all of the ingredients are incorporated, turn your mixer up to the highest setting. Mix on high speed for 1 minute. Scrape down sides of your mixing bowl.
Assembling and decorating the cake
Step 12- Spread a small amount of the cream cheese frosting onto a cake pad or cake serving dish. This will prevent the cake from moving. Place the bottom cake layer on top and press down slightly with your hands.
Step 13- Add 1 and 1/4 cups cream cheese on top of the cake layer. Spread the frosting around the cake layer as evenly as possible with an offset spatula.
Step 14- Add the second layer of cake on top and press down slightly with your hands. Spread a small amount of the cream cheese frosting on to the top and sides of the cake. This is called the crumb coat. It prevents cake crumbs from appearing on the final coating of frosting on the cake. Once the cake has been lightly coated with the frosting place it into your fridge or freezer for 15 to 20 minutes.
Step 15- Add the remaining cream cheese frosting on top of the cake. Spread the frosting around the top of the cake using an offset spatula. As the frosting reaches the top edge of the cake, it will start to free fall along the sides of the cake or it may remain at the top edge of the cake, take your offset spatula and carefully spread the frosting on to the sides of the cake as well. Once the cake has been coated with the frosting glide the offset spatula around the sides and top of the cake to make sure the frosting is evenly coated onto the cake.
Step 16- Heat your offset spatula over an open fire on your stove until it is warm. Do not allow your spatula to get hot as it will melt the frosting. It should only be warm. Once the spatula is warm carefully glide it along the top and sides of the cake. This will make the frosting appear smooth all around.
Step 17- Take your crumbled leftover cake crumbs and sprinkle it on to the top edge of the cake. Also lightly sprinkle some of the cake crumbs onto the middle of the cake as well.
Step 18- Cake your cake crumbs in small handfuls and gently press them onto the bottom sides of the cake. Make sure you have something underneath the cake to catch the cake crumbs. The remaining cake crumbs left on to the cake serving dish or pad can be brushed off into a small bowl or pan using a pastry brush. Let the cake set for 15 minutes and after that the cake is ready to be served.
Storage- You can store this cake in your fridge at all times. Make sure you bring the cake back up to temperature before serving.
YouTube instructional video
