Cake "Red Velvet" is considered a classic South American recipe, and the origin of its name causes a lot of controversy. Some say that “red” refers to sugar that was originally used for the dough (the so-called brown reed sweetener), while the main version tends to describe the color of the dough and its velvety texture.
Today it can be found on sale both in English-speaking countries and in the post-Soviet space. There are many good recipes, but the most popular in RuNet is the cake “Red Velvet” from Andy Chef. This culinary is at the top of the list.
Why is this dessert of this color?
Traditionally, such a hue was formed from the reaction between cocoa powder and sour vinegar and buttermilk. Cocoa naturally contains anthocyanins, a compound found in many red products that gives it a strong pigment. However, this product is currently treated with an alkalizing agent that neutralizes acid, making the color less vibrant. Therefore, even if you follow the recipe from historical books, you will almost certainly get a bright biscuit.
Fortunately, the combination of bicarbonate of soda with vinegar and buttermilk still allows you to make the cake the same velvety consistency as before. Despite the fact that the recipe may seem a little uncomfortable, the alternation of wet and dry ingredients is what gives it a great creamy taste.
Red velvet is a great alternative to chocolate cake, and it is perfect for any occasion. And unlike many chocolate biscuit recipes that tend to dry quickly, Andy's Red Velvet stays moist and tastes fresh for several days. Therefore, this is a wonderful dessert that can be made in advance.
What do you need to make Red Velvet (cake)?
Andy's recipe involves the use of the following ingredients:
- 340 grams of plain flour;
- 2 tablespoons of tea soda;
- 40 grams of cocoa powder;
- 300 ml of vegetable oil (any tasteless);
- 300 grams of granulated sugar;
- 3 large eggs;
- 2 teaspoons of red food coloring;
- ½ tablespoon vanilla extract;
- 280 ml of buttermilk.
Cooking process
Preheat the oven to 170 ° C. Lubricate the molds of equal size with butter, you can use two or three pieces.
Sift flour, ½ teaspoon of fine salt, soda and cocoa into a large bowl and set aside.
Pour oil into the mixer bowl (you can also use a large bowl and electric whisk) and add granulated sugar. Beat for several minutes until the mixture turns pale.
Add the eggs, whisking them one at a time, and then put the red food coloring and vanilla extract. Put a spoonful of cooked mass in ⅓ sifted flour mixture and mix. Add half the buttermilk to the bowl, whisk the mixture, and then add the second half of the remaining flour. Pour the second part of the buttermilk. Beat well and knead the dough.
Spread it evenly over the shapes. The dough should remain a little liquid consistency - the recipe for "Red Velvet" (Andy) provides for this. Bake the cakes in the oven for about 20-30 minutes, or until the toothpick begins to come out clean from the center of each.
Leave the products to cool in the molds for 10 minutes, then transfer to the wire rack and let cool completely. If the cakes are slightly domed, cut them to even sizes, and set aside the removed parts of the dough for decoration. Also cut the ends, as their color will be less bright. You should have porous bright red biscuits.
How to make a cream?
You can use classic butter cream, as Andy Chef pointed out in the Red Velvet recipe. The dessert is very tasty due to this option.
For him you will need:
- 115 grams of butter;
- 340 grams of cream cheese curd;
- vanilla extract;
- 100 grams of powdered sugar.
To make cream cheese cream for Red Velvet Cake (Andy), cut the butter into pieces and place in a mixer bowl (or use a simple bowl and electric whisk) and beat for 2 minutes until it is very pale and creamy. Sift powdered sugar into it in 3 stages, whisking well between each addition until a homogeneous mass is obtained.
Drain excess liquid from cream cheese. It is advisable to shift it into a colander or metal sieve and shake well. When all the required amount of powdered sugar according to the recipe is mixed with butter, gradually, one tablespoon each, start adding cheese. As soon as half of it is whipped in the oil mixture, lay out the rest of the amount and continue to whisk for another 30 seconds.
At first, the cream will look like a liquid, then it will thicken and become light and airy. Be careful not to beat the mixture for too long, otherwise it will become liquid again. Put the cream in a bowl and place in the refrigerator for half an hour so that it freezes a little. After that, the cream for the cake "Red Velvet" (Andy Chef so recommends) will be ready.
Cake slip
Pour a teaspoon of cream on top of one of the cakes and soak it. Then put a couple of large spoons in its middle and evenly distribute to the edges, leaving a little space. This is necessary in order to avoid the leakage of the cream when you put the second cake on top. Continue to spread the cake until all the layers are folded, alternating them (dough and cream). Finish the dessert by decorating it with the rest of the cream and slices of dough cut from the cake.
If you need to make a blank
If you want to make this cake in advance, you can carefully wrap the chilled cakes in several layers of cling film (each individually). Then wrap them in foil and put them in the freezer - they can be stored for several weeks. Before smearing, it is necessary to completely defrost them.
In the same way, you can make “Red Velvet” cupcakes from Andy Chef - the dough is kneaded in the same way as for the cake, only baked in small forms.
How to make a cake roll?
Such a cake can be made not only in the form of cupcakes, but also in various other forms. The main distinguishing feature of such a dessert is in the red biscuit. For example, you can make roll "Red Velvet". Andy Chef even offers a unique recipe for this treat.
Cooling makes the dough dry, which is why it will crack when you try to roll it. This recipe uses walnut flour to provide a gentle and moist roll.
Of course, you still have to monitor the oven and take out the product as soon as it is ready. At this point, you should immediately turn it over and curl it with a towel.
After it cools completely, you can expand it to fill with cream. The cake will retain the shape of the roll and will be easy to form. In addition, Andy Chef offers a more original way of making such a dessert. In it, the twisting of the finished test occurs in a somewhat non-standard way.
What is needed for him?
To cook Andy Chef’s blog on Red Velvet, you’ll need the following:
- 65 grams of ordinary baking flour;
- 40 grams of nut flour;
- 10 grams of cocoa;
- 190 grams of eggs;
- 90 grams of yolks (separately);
- 115 grams of protein (separately);
- about 200 grams of granulated sugar;
- food red dye.
How to cook "Red Velvet"?
Andy's recipe suggests the following. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Spray a little oil in the baking dish, cover it with parchment paper and then grease again.
In a medium-sized bowl, sift together both types of flour and cocoa powder.
In a separate container, mix 35 grams of sugar and 115 grams of egg whites, with a mixer, beat to a consistency of meringue. In another bowl, lay the eggs and yolks, sprinkle with the remaining sugar and beat as well. Gradually add food coloring while continuing to whisk. In several stages, add dry ingredients to the mixture, mix with a wooden spatula. It is necessary to completely eliminate the formation of lumps.
After that, add the whipped whites in the previous step in several stages, and mix thoroughly again. The resulting dough will have a slightly liquid consistency. Put it in a thin layer on a baking sheet (no thicker than 5-7 mm). If your baking dish is small, the process will have to be repeated in two steps. Bake the product for about 10-15 minutes.
How to shape?
Cooking the roll will take longer than you need for the “Red Velvet” cupcakes from Andy Chef. If you used a large baking sheet, cut the finished thin cake into 2 even halves. Cover it with cling film and let cool.
At this time, prepare the cream, as for the classic cake "Red Velvet". When the cakes have cooled, turn them over with cling film. Remove the parchment and turn over the dough again without damaging it, remove the film. Lubricate the “Andy Red Velvet” blanks with a cream evenly, this will be approximately 3-4 mm in thickness.
Then take a measurement with a ruler and cut off any irregularities and dry edges. On the narrow side, cut each workpiece into 4 equal parts. After that, take any cylindrical object (for example, a bottle) and measure the circumference of its base.
Cut a piece of the same length from one of the strips of dough and clean off the cream from it. Wrap the bottle with cling film and press the prepared piece of cake to it with the clean side. Then glue the remaining strips of dough to it with a cream. You should get a roll in the form of a ring surrounding the bottle. Once everything is completed, wrap the product with cling film and refrigerate for several hours.
When the cream hardens, you can get a bottle - your Andy Red Velvet roll will keep its shape.