Red Velvet Layer Cake
1 ½ recipes Red Velvet Cake
Buttermilk Whisky Soak
½ recipe Liquid Cheesecake
Chocolate Crumb
Red Velvet Frosting
Birthday Cake Frosting
200g raspberries plus more to serve.
RED VELVET CAKE
I find the cake itself holds onto its moisture and is nice and fluffy, so it doesn’t go dry even after you refrigerate it. The addition of the Buttermilk and Whisky Soak when layering also helps it retain its moisture.
INGREDIENTS
115g unsalted butter (room temp) 225g sugar
60g brown sugar 3 large eggs
110g buttermilk 100g grapeseed oil
6g vanilla extract 155g plain flour
70g cocoa powder 6g red food colouring (½ tbs)
6g baking powder 2g kosher salt
STEP 1
Preheat oven to 180°C / 350°F
STEP 2
Combine the butter and sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and cream together on medium-high for 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the eggs and mix on medium-high for 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl once more.
STEP 3
On low speed, stream in the buttermilk, oil, vanilla and red food colouring. Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and paddle for 4 to 6 minutes, until the mixture is much lighter in colour, twice the size of your original fluffy butter-and-sugar mixture and completely homogenous. Don't rush the process. You're basically forcing too much liquid into an already fatty mixture that doesn't want to make room for the liquid. There should be no streaks of fat or liquid. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl.
STEP 4
On low speed, add the cake flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Mix for 45 to 60 seconds, just until your batter comes together, and any remnants of dry ingredients have been incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
STEP 5
Pan-spray a sheet pan and line it with parchment, or just line the pan with a silicone mat. Using a spatula, spread the cake batter in an even layer in the pan. Give the bottom of your cake pan a tap on the countertop to even out the layer.
STEP 6
Bake the cake for 30 to 35 minutes. The cake will rise and puff, rising to the top of the sheet pan. At 30 minutes, gently poke the edge of the cake with your finger: The cake should bounce back slightly and the centre should no longer be jiggly. Leave the cake in the oven for an extra 3 to 5 minutes if it doesn't pass these tests.
STEP 7
Take the cake out of the oven and cool on a wire rack or, in a pinch, in the fridge or freezer (don't worry, it's not cheating). The cooled cake can be stored in the fridge, wrapped in plastic wrap, for up to 5 days.
INGREDIENTS
100g buttermilk
30ml whisky
STEP 1
Whisk together the buttermilk and whisky in a small bowl.
LIQUID CHEESECAKE
INGREDIENTS
225g cream cheese 150g sugar
6g cornflour 25g milk
1 egg
STEP 1
Heat the oven to 150°C / 300°F.
STEP 2
Put the cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on low speed for 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Add the sugar and mix for 1 to 2 minutes, until the sugar has been completely incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
STEP 3
Whisk together the cornstarch and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk in the milk in a slow, steady stream, then whisk in the egg until the slurry is homogenous.
STEP 4
With the mixer on medium-low speed, stream in the egg slurry. Paddle for 3 to 4 minutes, until the mixture is smooth and loose. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
STEP 5
Line the bottom and sides of a 15 x 15cm pyrex baking dish. Pour the cheesecake batter into the pan, put the pan in the oven, and bake for 15 minutes. Gently shake the pan. The cheesecake should be firmer and more set toward the outer boundaries of the baking pan but still be jiggly and loose in the dead center. If the cheesecake is jiggly all over, give it 5 minutes more. And 5 minutes more if it needs it, but it’s never taken momofuku more than 25 minutes to underbake one. If the cheesecake rises more than a ½ cm or begins to brown, take it out of the oven immediately.
STEP 6
Cool the cheesecake completely, to finish the baking process and allow the cheesecake to set. The final product will resemble a cheesecake, but it will be pipeable and pliable enough to easily spread or smear, while still having body and volume. Once cool, the cheesecake can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
CHOCOLATE CRUMB
INGREDIENTS
50g flour 2g cornflour
50g sugar 35g cocoa powder
2g kosher salt 45g butter melted
STEP 1
Heat the oven to 150°C / 300°F.
STEP 2
Combine the flour, cornflour, sugar, cocoa powder and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and paddle on low speed until mixed.
STEP 3
Add the butter and paddle on low speed until the mixture starts to come together in small clusters.
STEP 4
Spread the clusters on a parchment lined sheet pan. Bake for 20 minutes, breaking them up occasionally. The crumbs should still be slightly moist to the touch at this point; they will dry and harden as they cool.
STEP 5
Let the crumbs cool completely before using. Stored in an airtight container they will keep fresh for 1 week at room temperature or 1 month in the fridge or freezer.
RED VELVET FROSTING
INGREDIENTS
115g butter at room temperature 50g vegetable shortening
55g cream cheese 45g glucose
6g red food colouring (½ tbs) 150g icing sugar
75g cocoa powder 2g kosher salt
baking powder (pinch)
STEP 1
Combine the butter, shortening, and cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and cream together on medium-high for 2 to 3 minutes, until the mixture is smooth and fluffy. scrape down the sides of the bowl.
STEP 2
With the mixer on its lowest speed, stream in the glucose, corn syrup, and food colouring. Crank the mixer up to medium-high and beat for 2 to 3 minutes, until the mixture is silky smooth and a glossy red. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
STEP 3
Add the icing sugar, cocoa powder, salt and baking powder and mix on low speed just to incorporate them into the batter. Crank the speed back up to medium-high and beat for 2 to 3 minutes, until you have a beautifully smooth frosting. Use the frosting immediately, or store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
BIRTHDAY CAKE FROSTING
INGREDIENTS
115g butter at room temperature 50g vegetable shortening
55g cream cheese 45g glucose
12g vanilla paste 200g icing sugar
2g kosher salt 15ml whisky
baking powder (pinch) citric acid (pinch)
STEP 1
Combine the butter, shortening, and cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and cream together on medium-high for 2 to 3 minutes, until the mixture is smooth and fluffy. scrape down the sides of the bowl.
STEP 2
With the mixer on its lowest speed, stream in the glucose, corn syrup, and vanilla. Crank the mixer up to medium-high and beat for 2 to 3 minutes, until the mixture is silky smooth and a glossy white. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
STEP 3
Add the icing sugar, salt, baking powder, citric acid and whisky and mix on low speed just to incorporate them into the batter. Crank the speed back up to medium-high and beat for 2 to 3 minutes, until you have a brilliant stark white, beautifully smooth frosting. It should look just like it came out of a plastic tub at the grocery store! Use the frosting immediately, or store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
CAKE ASSEMBLY
STEP 1
Put a piece of parchment on the counter. Invert the cake onto it and peel off the parchment from the bottom of the cake. Use a cake ring to stamp out as many full circles as you can from the cake. These will form your top cake layers. You can cut out half circles and ‘mosaic’ the remaining cake “scrap” to make the bottom layer (s) the cake. All up you should be able to get 4 layers from the cake.
STEP 2 (LAYER 1, THE BOTTOM)
Clean the cake ring and place it in the centre of a sheet pan lined with clean parchment. Use 1 strip of acetate to line the inside of the cake ring.
STEP 3
Put the cake scraps together inside the ring and use the back of your hand to tamp the scraps together into a flat even layer.
STEP 4
Dunk a pastry brush in the Buttermilk and Whisky Soak and give the layer of cake a good, healthy bath of the soak.
STEP 5
Use the back of a spoon to spread half the Red Velvet Frosting in an even layer over the cake.
STEP 6
Gently crush 100g of raspberries and spread evenly over the frosting.
STEP 7 (LAYER 2)
With your index finger, gently tuck the second strip of acetate between the cake ring and the top ¼ inch of the first strip of acetate, so that you have a clear ring of acetate 5 to 6 inches tall – high enough to support the height of the finished cake. Set a cake round on top of the frosting (if 1 of your 2 cake rounds is jankier than the other, use it here in the middle and save the prettier one for the top). Using the pastry brush, give the layer of cake a good, healthy bath of the Buttermilk and Whisky Soak.
STEP 8
Use the back of a spoon to spread half the liquid cheesecake in an even layer over the cake. Save the rest for something else.
STEP 9
Sprinkle half of the Chocolate Crumbs evenly over the liquid cheesecake. Use the back of your hand to anchor them in place.
STEP 10 (LAYER 3)
Set a cake round on top of the liquid cheesecake. Repeat steps 4-6.
STEP 11 (LAYER 4, THE TOP)
Nestle the remaining cake round into the frosting. Cover the top of the cake with the white Birthday CAKE Frosting. Give it volume and swirls, or opt for a perfectly flat top.
STEP 12
Transfer the sheet pan to the freezer and freeze for a minimum of 12 hours to set the cake and filling. The cake will keep in the freezer for up to 2 weeks.
STEP 13
At least 3 hours before you are ready to serve the cake, pull the sheet pan out of the freezer and, using your fingers and thumbs, pop the cake out of the cake ring. Gently peel off the acetate, and transfer the cake to a platter or cake stand.
STEP 14
Take the rest of the Birthday Cake Frosting out of the fridge and let warm up until soft, beat on medium for 1-2 minutes in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment to fluff it up again. Use a pallet knife to spread thinly over the sides of the still frozen cake to get an ‘undressed’ look.
STEP 15
Let it defrost in the fridge for a minimum of 3 hours.
STEP 16
Slice the cake into wedges and serve.
I cannot recommend the Momofuku Milk Bar cook book enough. There are heaps of fun recipes you can try and they give you the low down on all the baking secrets the chefs use to get it moorishly delicious every time. Mine is very well worn! This is the link to the book.