Valentine's Day's Red Velvet

For some time now I've been wondering what the cake bases used in American cake tv shows taste like, and tested the "Pound Cake" earlier this year. At that time I promised to try the other, the "Red Velvet", on Valentine's day due to its colour. Finally the time has come!

There were yet again several different kinds of recipes, and after some browsing through a few, I decided to try this rather traditional sounding version.



Red Velvet:

113 g       baking margarine
3,5 dl       sugar
2              eggs
2 tbsp      cocoa powder
4 tbsp      red food colouring
1 tsp        salt
1 tsp        vanilla extract
2,4 dl       butter milk
5,9 dl       plain flour
1,5 tsp     baking soda
1 tbsp      vinegar


Cream shortening and sugar well. Add eggs and beat well.
Make a paste of cocoa and red food coloring. Add to creamed mixture. 
Mix salt, 1 teaspoon vanilla and buttermilk together. Add alternately the flour with the milk mixture to the creamed mixture. Mix soda and vinegar and FOLD INTO CAKE BATTER. DON'T BEAT OR STIR NOW.

Pour into a ø24cm loose base cake tin and bake for approximately 50 minutes. (If you're using two cake tins like in the original recipe, then the 30 minutes is enough)




Butter roux icing:

5 tbsp      plain flour
2,4 dl       milk
2,4 dl       sugar
227 g       butter
1 tsp        vanilla extract


Cook flour and milk over low heat till thick, stirring constantly. Leave to cool. While cooling, cream the sugar, butter and vanilla extract. Beat this well until light and fluffy. Add to flour mixture and beat until of a good spreading consistency.
Don't ice the cake until it's cooled down!





Note! The butter roux icing tastes of a mix of butter and sugar so I ended up using only half of it on the cake. I think the next time I'll most definitely try this with an alternative cream cheese frosting!