Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese frosting

This American classic is traditionally made for Valentine's Day and Christmas. Red velvet cake is typically covered in a French-style butter roux icing, though recently cream cheese frosting and buttercream have both been used as a simpler and tastier alternative.

Cake:
2½ cups all purpose flour, unbleached
2 Tbsp. cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. sea salt
½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
½ cup vegetable oil
1½ cups granulated sugar
2½ tsp. red food colouring
4 eggs, room temperature
1 Tbsp. pure vanilla extract
1 tsp. vinegar
1⅓ cup buttermilk

Cream Cheese Frosting:
8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
8 oz butter, room temperature
1 Tbsp. pure vanilla extract
½ tsp. sea salt
7 cups confectioners’ sugar

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C/160°C fan, Gas Mark 4) and line two 8x9” round pans with parchment paper on the bottom. Butter and grease the sides. Set aside.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In a stand mixer fit with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter, oil and sugar until combined, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs in one at a time, beating until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and food colouring and mix well.

Stir together the buttermilk and vinegar and set aside.

Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the buttermilk and vinegar mixture in 4 different additions, making sure you end with the flour. Do not over mix.

Divide the batter between the prepared pans and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out mostly clean. Allow the cakes to cool completely.

In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add in the vanilla extract, salt and confectioners’ sugar and whip to combine, about 2 minutes more.

Place the first cake on a plate, then top with a large dollop of frosting. Layer the second and third layers, frosting in between each. Finish with frosting the outside of the cake with the remaining frosting.