Red Velvet Chocolate Birthday Cake!

Adapted from Martha Stewart's Red Velvet Chocolate Cake. 

Ingredients

• 3 cups cake flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1.5 cup sugar
• 1.5 cup canola oil
• 1/4 cup red food colouring
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup buttermilk (or 1 cup milk, with 1 teaspoon lemon juice standing for 5 minutes)
• 1.5 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon ground coffee grounds + 1 cup water

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Farenheit
2. Combine flour, salt and cocoa powder, set aside. 
3. In a separate bowl, combine sugar and oil. 
4. Add each egg separately, combining before each addition.
5. Add vanilla extract, then food colouring.
6. Next alternate between adding flour mixture and buttermilk bit by bit.
7. In a separate bowl, place coffee grounds in a coffee filter, and filter 1/2 a cup of boiling water through the coffee filter. This adds a unique taste.  If mixture is too watery add a little bit more cake flour until to desired texture. 
8. In a separate small bowl, combine baking soda and white vinegar. Add to mixture. 
9. Line your cake pan with butter, and sprinkle flour on top.
10. Martha Stewart's Instructions advise 30-35 minutes, I found I required 50 minutes because I used one cake pan and it was very thick. Bake until the cake tester comes out clean. 

Detailed Instructions

1. Combine flour, salt and cocoa powder, set aside. 

 

2. In a separate bowl, combine sugar and oil. 

 

3. Add each egg separately, combining mixture well. 

Mix until you get a thick consistency:

4. Add vanilla extract.

5. Then add red food colouring and mix:

 

6. Next alternate between adding flour mixture and buttermilk bit by bit.

 

7. In a separate bowl, place coffee grounds in a coffee filter, and filter 1/2 a cup of boiling water through the coffee filter. This adds a unique taste.  If mixture is too watery add a little bit more cake flour until to desired texture. 

8. In a separate small bowl, combine baking soda and white vinegar. Add to mixture.

9. Line your cake pan with butter, and sprinkle flour on top:

10. Pour in your cake batter mixture:

 
11. Martha Stewart's Instructions advise 30-35 minutes, I found I required 50 minutes because I used one cake pan and it was very thick. Bake until the cake tester comes out clean.


I cut out a piece of the top since it had risen and I wanted to be able to ice it evenly:

12. Ice with cream cheese buttercream frosting, and voila! You are done :) I chose to do a pink ombre style icing.

This cake turned out perfectly for my birthday. Although I did scramble to make it look nice and I was lacking A LOT of cake equipment to pull it off:

All in all it was a fun baking experience and even greater to be able to share it with family and friends!

 

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