Since I last wrote, I’ve been with a cool friend to Geogres Chakra’s (25years in the industry) fashion show in Beirut (I appreciated a lot of details about it), worked long hours, met some new interesting designers for Lebelik, saw a girl I like a lot in her house. The coffee was supposed to take an hour, it took more than 3. I ate good food, shared some thoughts, skyped for hours, and enjoyed my mom’s company…. The good thing is I’ve had a very interesting week; the less good is I didn’t have time to sit and appreciate theses nice little things, it’s just now that I have free time to share with you my thoughts of the day!!!
So, Valentine’s Day is in 3 weeks and I am already in the Valentines’ mood so I decided to share with you the recipe of a Red Velvet Cake.
Ingredients for 10 yummy tummies:
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter at room temperature
- 3 ½ cups flour
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa
- 1 ½ TSP salt
- 2 cups vegetable oil
- 2 ¼ cups sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 6 tbsp (3 ounces) red food coloring or 1 teaspoon red gel food coloring dissolved in 6 tbsp of water
- 1 ½ TSP vanilla
- 1 ¼ cup buttermilk
- 2 TSP baking soda
- 2 ½ TSP white vinegar
Ingredients of Frosting:
Note: I don’t use a lot of cream, you add the quantities depending on your taste.
- 200 g cream cheese, room temperature
- ½ cup (1 stick) butter room temperature
- 3 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted (icing sugar)
- 1 TSP pure vanilla extract
Procedures:
- Preheat the oven at 180C
- Place a TSP of butter in each of the 3 round layer cake pans and place pans in oven for 3 minutes or until the butter had melted. Remove pan and add parchment paper. OR just grease + flour.
- Whisk flour + cocoa + salt
- Oil + sugar: mix in an electric mix at medium speed. Add eggs in one time and mix with machine on low. Then add food coloring (very low). Then vanilla
- Add flour mixture slowly while still mixing + buttermilk. Mix (but don’t over mix)
- Mix Baking soda + vinegar and add to batter. Beat for 10minutes (electric beater)
- Divide batter among the pans (you can use 2 or 3 pans) and bake until toothpick comes out clean (40 – 45minutes usually). Let cool in pan for 20minutes. Remove from pan and let cool completely before frosting.
- For icing: Beat cream cheese + butter in an electric mixer 2 minutes. Add sugar + vanilla. Beat on low speed to combine. If soft, let it chill until slightly stiffer (10minutes) before using.
- Put a thing coat between the layers (1 or 2) and cover the cake with the frosting.
- Enjoy with the one you love. I hope he/she deserves it.
Lovingly yours,
Soraya
