Chritsmas is just around the corner.....
And what better way to celebrate it than by indulging in some lip-smacking Desserts
I choose to do things differently...so I present to you a cake with a difference
It is called the "Red Velvet Cake"
A red velvet cake is a popular cake with a dark red, bright red or red-brown colour.
Isn't it the most delicious looking thing in the world !!!!
These are also available as cupcakes
You can get it from ....
31 Bajaj Arcade, Union Park, Near Olives,
Bandra (W), Mumbai
India
022 32229654, 022 26052028
For those who like to bake, I have a recipe too:
Red Velvet Rose Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Serves 12
Cake
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups oil, I used canola
1 cup buttermilk
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 oz. red food coloring
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
Frosting
4 8-oz. packages cream cheese, softened
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
2 tsp vanilla
4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
Equipment
Large pastry bag
1M tip (or any other large open star tip)
Preheat oven to 350° F. Butter and flour two 8-inch cake pans.
Lightly stir eggs in a medium bowl with a wire whisk. Add remaining liquid ingredients and whisk until blended. Set aside.
Combine all the dry ingredients in the bowl of an electric stand mixer.
Mix with a wire whisk until combined. Add the wet ingredients to the dry
ingredients and mix on medium-high until completely combined, about one
minute.
Divide batter equally among the two cake pans (I like to pour all my
batter into measuring cups to see how much I have and then divide it
exactly, but obviously not necessary). Drop pans onto the counter from
about 3-inches up to release any air bubbles. Repeat twice.
Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
To remove cakes from pans, first, run a knife around the perimeter of
each cake to separate it from the pan. Place a layer of plastic wrap on
top and a wire rack on top of the plastic wrap. Holding the pan and rack
together, flip so that the cake comes out of the pan onto the rack.
Jiggle the pan to loosen the cake and remove. Wrap cake in plastic to
retain moisture.
Allow cakes to cool completely on wire racks. While you are waiting,
make the frosting. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the
butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add the vanilla and mix. Gradually
mix in the confectioner's sugar. Refrigerate for about 20 minutes prior
to using. Keep any frosting you are not using covered in the fridge.
Place one of the cakes on the plate or platter you intend to use. Using a
large serrated knife, level off the top of the cake so that it is
entirely flat (note: if you already have a flat cake ignore this step).
Apply a layer of icing to the top of the first cake. This will be the
icing between your two layers, so with that in mind apply more or less
icing depending on how much frosting you like.
Place the second cake on top of the first, making sure the two are
properly aligned. Then, apply the crumb layer. A crumb layer is a thin
layer of frosting you apply to a cake to hold in the crumbs, so that the
final product is beautiful and crumb-free. Wait for the crumb layer to
dry before applying the icing roses.
To apply the icing roses, assemble the pastry bag, fill with frosting. Do not put too much frosting in the pastry bag at a time, as your hands
will warm it and it will not hold its shape well, aka sad droopy looking
roses.
Begin with the circumference of the cake. Start in the center of the
rose. Apply constant firm pressure on the pastry bag and begin to loop
around the center point tightly. Try to finish each rose in the same
place, e.g. at the bottom of the cake. You will do a different number of
rotations around the center depending on the size you want your rose to
be.
If you're unhappy with how a rose turns out, just scrape it off, smooth
the icing and start over again. I suggest playing around with the roses
on a sheet of wax/parchment paper before starting to work on the cake.
Refrigerate the cake as soon as finished to ensure the roses hold their shape. If refrigerated, this cake is good for several days after it is made
So, go ahead and celebrate this Christmas in style
A special thanks to Shezeen Kalokhe for introducing me to this wonderful Cake
XOXO...S
