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    Red Velvet Cake

    This gorgeous cake uses beetroot to give it a rich red colour!

    Difficulty

    Medium

    Serves

    Around 12 people

    Prep Time

    15 minutes

    Cooking Time

    30 minutes

    "Valentine's Day wouldn't be the same without red hearts, chocolates and a glass of bubbly. It's the day when we celebrate love and the person we share this love with. Is there then a better way to show how much that person means to us than by putting a little bit of culinary effort into the day? I know it's tempting to go and buy some chocolates, but baking a cake will not only make your loved one feel even more special, but you could actually decide to share it with even more people - which is probably a good thing as the size of this cake would probably be a little heavy shared between two."

    Now, despite it being a "red velvet cake", it might not come out quite as super bright as a shop bought version as I decided to keep it as free of artificial ingredients as possible. So, instead of a whole load of food colouring, I've used beetroot to add the red colour. Don't worry; you can't actually taste it as beetroot itself is a fairly sweet vegetable. It still came out fairly red and the freeze dried raspberries I used for decoration just add a lovely natural touch.

    Here's what you'll need...

    • 250g plain flour
    • 2tbsp dark cocoa powder
    • 100g butter at room temperature
    • 200g caster sugar
    • 175ml buttermilk
    • 2 large eggs
    • 2 medium beetroots
    • 2 tsp baking powder
    • 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
    • 2 tsp vanilla extract
    • 1 tsp cider vinegar
    • 2 cake tins, one square, one round

    For the frosting: 

    • 500g icing sugar
    • 125g full fat Philadelphia
    • 125g butter at room temperature
    • 1 tsp vanilla extract
    • Freeze dried raspberry pieces

    Here's how it's done... Step 1

    Preheat your oven to 170C.  In a bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa, bicarbonate of soda and baking powder.

     

    Step 2

    In a mixer, beat the butter and sugar until combined and smooth. 

     

    Step 3

    Finely grate the beetroots and add to the butter and sugar mixture and then add the vanilla.

     

    Step 4

    Keep beating the mixture and add a couple of spoons of the flour mixture, then one egg. Repeat and then add the remaining flour mixture.

     

    Step 5

    Now add the buttermilk and vinegar and mix all through.

     

    Step 6

    Grease both tins, adding baking sheet to the square one as the bottom cannot be removed from it (well, at least not on mine). Divide the batter into the two tins. Put into the oven and bake for about 30 mins or until your cake tester comes out clean.

     

    Step 7

    Whilst the cakes are baking, make the icing. Cream the butter and Philadelphia until smooth.

     

    Step 8

    Spoon by spoon, add the icing sugar and again, beat until smooth.

     

    Step 9

    Lastly, add the vanilla essence and give it another quick whizz, and take your cakes out of the oven and leave to cool.

     

    Step 10

    Now cut the round cake into half (a trick I've learned thanks to Pinterest), add a little of the icing to the cut sides and align with two sides of the square cake.

     

    Roughly ice the top of the whole cake and add the raspberry pieces.

     

    That's it! The only thing left now is to invite some lovely friends to share this cake with.

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