Baked a Red Waldorf (Velvet) Cake for hubby’s birthday …he has great passion for horses hence the horse-theme and I’ve coated cake with chocolate ganache instead of a white creamy frosting because hubby loves chocolate 🙂
Mix the cocoa powder and red colouring together and set aside
Sieve the all purpose flour
Beat shortening together with sugar & vanilla until well mixed then add eggs, 1 at a time … beating until combined
Beat in cocoa mixture
Alternately, add flour mixture …
… and buttermilk …. beating after each addition until combined
…..beating after each addition until combined … pour mixture into prepared pans
The cake is ready .. cool cake layers in pans for 10 minutes
Seen here, is the chocolate ganache I’m using to coat my single layer cake … you may want to opt for the normal white Creamy Frosting, which makes the cake more attractive ….red & white 😉
If you are coating with Chocolate Ganache, spoon it evenly over cake and let it flows over side of cake … transfer cake to a platter once Ganache sets
Decorate as desired
The red colour of the cake is not as vibrant against the brown Chocolate Ganache but the cake is still melt-in-the-mouth soft and the Ganache makes it tastes even richer!
A slice of Red Waldorf (Velvet) Cake coated with a thick layer of Choclate Ganache + a glass of Dom Pérignon champagne …. can’t get any better than this to kick-start a birthday celebration 😉
Seen here, is a cake I baked last Valentine’s Day with white Creamy Frosting ….and as you can see, the red colour looks more vibrant against the white frosting 🙂
RECIPE
Ingredients :
2 eggs
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
¼ cup red food colouring
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
½ cup shortening
1½ cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup buttermilk or sour milk
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vinegar
½ tsp salt
1 recipe Chocolate Ganache or Creamy Frosting
Method:
- Preheat oven to 180ºC … grease and flour two 9 x 1½ inch round cake pans or one 9 x 4 inch round cake pan
- Stir together cocoa powder and red colouring, set aside
- In another small bowl, stir together flour and ½ tsp salt, set aside
- In a large mixing bowl, beat shortening with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds …add sugar and vanilla to shortening, beat until well combined
- Add eggs, 1 at a time beating on medium speed after each addition until combined
- Alternately, add flour mixture and buttermilk ….beating on low to medium speed after each addition just until combined
- Stir together baking soda and vinegar … add to batter, mixing until combined … pour batter into prepared pan(s)
- Bake in pre-heated oven for 30 to 35 minutes for 2 round pans, about 40 – 45 minutes for one round pan or until a wooden skewer inserted into centre comes out clean
- Cool cake layer (s) in pan(s) for 10 minutes … remove cake layer(s) from pan(s) and cool thoroughly on wire rack(s)
- Frost with Creamy Frosting or coat cake with Chocolate Ganache and refrigerate to let frosting/ganache to set
