Red Velvet Cake

Bailey's 30th birthday was the week before last and we celebrated by going away for the weekend with his friends. I am ashamed to admit that I had completely forgotten about cakes of any kind until we were in the supermarket buying the food for the weekend and Bailey sheepishly asked "So am I making my own birthday cake?"

Remembering how much Bailey had enjoyed the red velvet cupcakes we had eaten at The Little Cupcake Café in Belfast (he ate one, then immediately purchased a second one), I decided to try and recreate them in large cake form.

Trawling the Internet, I found a red velvet cake recipe that looked good. Many people actually asked me what red velvet cake actually is... in truth I still really don't know what exactly gives it its unique flavour and I don't think I could describe its flavour if I tried. The best description Bailey has come up with is "American style"... I guess you just have to taste it to know. The icing is very similar to what I topped my Winter Berry Cupcakes with, and I of course used Milky Bar in it once again - only the best will do!

Anyway, I spent my afternoon off making the cake by candlelight in a very leisurely fashion. It wasn't difficult to make at all even though I only had one suitable cake tin and therefore had to bake the two layers of the cake in two goes.

I think the cake was a success, it was polished off at the party in one sitting anyway, and Bailey was very happy with it. The only thing I would say is that this recipe did not produce a lovely bright red colour in the actual cake like the ones we had in Belfast which was a little disappointing. Still I don't think that made much of a difference to the taste.

Recipe:
250g butter
600g golden caster sugar
6 eggs
2 tbsp red food colouring
375g plain flour
250ml buttermilk
3 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
Half a teaspoon salt
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tbsp vinegar

Preheat the oven to 170 degrees C and grease your baking tin(s). Cream the butter and sugar. Add the eggs one at a time. Mix in the food colouring and cocoa. Add flour alternatively with the buttermilk before adding the vanilla and salt.

Mix the bicarbonate of soda with the vinegar and stir into the mixture. Divide between your cake tins and bake in the oven for 25 minutes until lovely and fluffy.

For the cream cheese icing:
2 200g tubs of Philadelphia cheese
350g Milky Bar
250g butter

Melt the white chocolate and add to the butter and cream cheese. Whisk together before icing your cake with a palate knife. To top the cake, I used caramel curls from Morrison's.

Here is a picture that I like because Sid seems to be enjoying eating the cake, as do Blob and Steve in the background.