Rothko Red Velvet Cake
One two-layer cake with cream cheese frosting
The cake:
20 Tbsp unsalted butter (2 ½ sticks), room temperature
1 ¼ cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
3 Tbsp dark cocoa powder
2 tsp vanilla paste
2-3 tsp red food coloring gel
1/3 cup hot water
2 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp fine sea salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp white vinegar
1 tsp baking soda
Cream cheese frosting:
1 lb. cream cheese (2 8oz. blocks), room temperature
8 Tbsp unsalted butter (1 stick), room temperature
1 tsp vanilla paste
1 cup confectionary sugar
1) Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Butter two cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment.
2) In a standing mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and smooth (about five minutes).
3) In a small bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder and the hot water into a smooth paste. Add the food coloring gel and vanilla and whisk until smooth. Set aside.
4) In another small bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.
5) Add the eggs, one at a time, to the creamed butter/sugar. Then add the cocoa mixture. On low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and the buttermilk – 1/3 dry, ½ buttermilk, 1/3 dry, remaining buttermilk, remaining flour.
6) Remove the bowl from the mixer. In a very small bowl, whisk together the vinegar and baking soda. Fold this into the batter and then divide the batter evenly between the two pans. (This is a Paul Hollywood trick and I trust his baking secrets.)
7) Place the cakes in the oven and turn down the temperature to 325. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the cakes are puffed and just solid to the touch. Remove to a wire rack and cool completely in the pans.
8) While the cakes are cooling, beat together the cream cheese, butter and vanilla in a standing mixer. Add the confectionary sugar and beat until smooth.
9) When the cakes are completely cool, remove them from the pans and trim the mounded tops to make the layers flat. Save the trimmings and crumble them with your fingers to use (sparingly) as finishing decoration.
10) Pipe, or spread, half the frosting over the bottom layer, add the top and pipe (or spread) the remaining frosting on the top layer. Decorate sparingly with the cake crumbs.
