This cake needs no introduction! It’s the well known Red Velvet Cake – this bright red sponge filled with a tangy, airy cream cheese frosting and decorated with cake crumbs or pecans.

The cake has an interesting history behind it: some say it was created at the famous Waldorf Astoria hotel, others claim that the red velvet has been known long before that and it relied on the chemical reaction between cocoa powder and an acidic ingredient, such as vinegar or buttermilk. But no matter who created it or where it comes from, the cake slowly gain territory all over the globe and you can see it now even in the most famous cake shops around the world. You can read more about its history here – it’s a very well written article and it covers every aspect of Red Velvet – a good read if you have the time!

The cake consists of two or three layers of bright red sponge filled with an airy, tangy cream cheese frosting. It is the contrast between the red sponge and white frosting that makes it so appealing to the eye, but beyond the looks, the two components complement each other in terms of taste as well.

I have to admit I loved the cake, even though I don’t necessarily approve with using food coloring. I’ve read that a concentrated red beet juice, puree or powder might do the trick and color the cake enough, but I haven’t tried it. Let me know if you did, I’m curious if it still turns out as red as this one.

{Red Velvet Cake} – Tort Catifea Rosie

 

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Ingredients:

Cake:

• 125g sour cream
• 10g cocoa powder
• ½ teapsoon red food coloring (powder)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 400g all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 125g butter, softened
• 125ml vegetable oil
• 300g sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon baking soda

Cream cheese mousse: (optional)

• 300g cream cheese, softened
• 50g powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 4g gelatin
• 20ml cold water
• 200g heavy cream, whipped

Cream cheese frosting (optional):

• 250g cream cheese
• 65g butter, softened
• 300g powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest

Directions:

Cake:

1. To make the cake, mix the sour cream, cocoa powder, red food coloring and vanilla in a bowl.
2. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt in a different bowl.
3. Combine the buttermilk with the lemon juice and baking soda in a cup and place aside. (if you don't have buttermilk, use plain milk. Combined with lemon juice, milk turns into buttermilk)
4. Combine the butter, oil and sugar in a large bowl and mix with an electric mixer until creamy and double in volume.
5. Stir in the eggs one by one then add the food coloring mixture.
6. Begin folding in the flour, alternating it with the buttermilk. Begin and end with flour.
7. Pour the batter into 3 round baking pans lined with baking paper or greased with butter (20 up to 22cm diameter pans).
8. Bake each layer in the preheated oven at 330F for 30-40 minutes. I have a gas oven which doesn't keep a steady temperature so I always have to bake cakes longer than requested by the recipe. What I recommend you to do is to check the cake with a toothpick or a skewer and remove the pans from the oven when the cake is still moist. Overbaking it yields a dry, crumbly cake.
9. Let the cakes cool completely then level them if needed, using a sharp knife. Reserve the trims to decorate later.

Cream cheese mousse

1. For the cream cheese mousse, mix the gelatin with water and let it bloom for 10 minutes. Melt the gelatin a few seconds in the microwave.
2. Combine the cream cheese with sugar then stir in the gelatin.
3. Add the vanilla extract and lemon zest then fold in the whipped cream.
4. Place the mousse in the fridge 30-60 minutes until set then use this mousse to fill and frost the cake.
5. Decorate with cake crumbs.

Cream cheese frosting

1. To make the frosting, mix the cream cheese and butter until creamy.
2. Gradually stir in the sugar, ½ cup at a time then add the vanilla and lemon zest.
3. Turn your mixer on high speed and mix 2 minutes until fluffy.
4. Fill and frost the cake then decorate it with cake crumbs.

Notes

Traditionally, the cake is made with buttercream, but since I don't like buttercream I came up with that cream cheese mousse which is harder to work with and doesn't hold its shape as well as buttercream, but tastes lighter and less sweet. Feel free to use the frosting you like!

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ROMANIAN!

 Trebuie sa recunosc ca e un tort impresionant din toate punctele de vedere – culoare, gust, prestanta! Nu ai cum sa dai gres cu asa ceva, insa nici nu e un tort pe care sa-l faci des. Cel putin pe mine nu ma incanta ideea de a manca atat de mult colorant alimentar, insa fiecare om cu ideile si parerile lui, nu-i asa? In pofida acestui lucru insa, mi-a placut tortul – blatul e incredibil de pufos si delicat iar crema de branza e acrisoara si aromata numai bine sa il balanseze. Am citit pe undeva ca ar merge colorat cu suc, piure sau pudra de sfecla rosie insa nu am incercat. Daca ati facut-o, va rog sa-mi dati un semn.

Traditional, tortul e umplut si glazurat cu o crema de unt si branza, insa eu nu sunt un mare fan al acestui tip de creme asa ca am facut un mousse de crema de branza si mi-a placut combinatia. Mai jos aveti ambele variante, depinde de voi sa va alegeti preferata.

Ingrediente:

Blat:

• 125g smantana acra
• 10g cacao
• 1/2 lingurita colorant alimentar pudra rosu
• 1 lingurita extract de vanilie
• 400g faina alba
• 2 lingurite praf de copt
• 1/2 lingurita sare
• 125g unt la temperatura camerei
• 125ml ulei vegetal
• 300g zahar
• 2 oua
• 1 cana lapte batut (sau lapte simplu daca nu aveti. Laptele simplu in combinatie cu zeama de lamaie se transforma in lapte batut oricum)
• 2 linguri zeama de lamaie
• 1 lingurita bicarbonat

Mousse de crema de branza:

• 300g crema de branza
• 50g zahar pudra
• 1 lingurita extract de vanilie
• 1 lingurita coaja de lamaie
• 4g gelatina
• 20ml apa rece
• 200ml frisca batuta bat

Crema de branza cu unt:

• 250g crema de branza
• 65g unt la temperatura camerei
• 300g zahar pudra
• 1 lingurita extract de vanilie
• 1 lingurits coaja de lamaie

Mod de preparare:

Blat:

1. Amestecati smantana, cacaoa, colorantul si vanilia intr-un bol si dati deoparte.
2. Cerneti faina, praful de copt si s in alt bol.
3. Amestecati laptele batut, zeama de lamaie si bicarbonatul si dati deoparte.
4. Mixati untul, uleiul si zaharul pana devin cremoase si isi dubleaza volumul.
5. Incorporati ouale, unul cate unul, apoi adaugati amestecul de colorant si smantana.
6. Incorproati faina si laptele batut, alternandu-le. Incepeti si terminate cu faina.
7. Turnati aluatul in mod egal in 3 tavi tapetate cu hartie de copt sau unse cu unt. Tavile mele au avut 20cm diametru.
8. Coaceti blaturile la 160C pentru 30-40 minute, depinde de cuptor. Al meu e pe gaz si e tare greu sa mentin o temperature stabile, de multe ori fiind nevoita sa jonglez cu temperaturile. Cel mai bine e sa incercati tortul cu o scobitoare si sa il scoateti din cuptor imediat ce e copt. Daca il lasati prea mult in cuptor riscati sa se usuce.
9. Cand blaturile sunt gata lasati-le sa se raceasca apoi nivelati-le cu un cutit bine ascutit. Pastrati resturile pentru a decora tortul.

Mousse crema de branza:

1. Hidratati gelatin cu apa rece intr-un vas mic.
2. Mixati crema de branza cu zaharul. Adugati gelatin topita in prealabil, apoi vanilia.
3. Incorporati frisca batuta si dati crema la rece 30-60 minute pana se intareste.
4. Umpleti si acoperiti tortul cu aceasta crema.
5. Decorati laturile tortului cu resturi de blat.

Crema de branza cu unt:

1. Pentru crema de branza cu unt, mixati untul si crema de branza cateva minute apoi adaugati zaharul pudra treptat. Mixati la viteza mare pentru 2 minute.
2. Adaugati vanilia si coaja de lamaie.
3. Umpleti si acoperiti tortul cu aceasta glazura. Decorati cu resturi de blat.