I must admit I’m not the biggest fan of Valentine’s Day. Not that there is anything wrong with celebrating love, but it feels forced to me. If you have someone special in your life, you should try to show your affection every day, not just on a specific holiday. I also think it is a very predictable day, with all its romantic clichés – the flowers and chocolates, the romantic comedies, the dinner date…
But of course, if you do want to prepare a Valentine’s “surprise”, then nothing beats a good cake (in my opinion)! Red Velvet is probably the most popular choice for couples, due to its bright red color, and it is a cake that tends to be a crowd-pleaser.
I’ve been meaning to share my version of this cake for a while, and I had the idea of using these cake pans I purchased a few months ago to make it even more special. When slicing the cake, you discover that its cream cheese filling is heart-shaped.
You can find these cake pans on sale in various pastry product shops or even on Amazon. The final result is adorable, and my Red Velvet recipe ensures that the cake will not just be pretty, but also irresistible.
Valentine’s Red Velvet
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 300 ml milk
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp red gel food coloring
- 160 g unsalted butter (at room temp.)
- 360 g white sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 6 eggs
- 400 g all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 3 tbsp natural cocoa powder
For the frosting:
- 810 g cream cheese
- 400 g white chocolate
- 100 g powdered sugar
For the decoration:
- 300 g raspberries
- a few Raffaello chocolates (or other white chocolate candies)
- powdered sugar
Instructions
For the cake:
- Preheat the oven to 180 º C.
- Prepare buttermilk by mixing milk and lemon juice. Set aside.
- In a bowl, sift flour, cocoa, baking powder, and baking soda. Mix.
- Cream the butter in the mixer with the sugar and vanilla for about 5 minutes.
- Add the eggs, one by one, until fully incorporated.
- Mix the food coloring with the buttermilk.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the batter, alternating with the buttermilk, until you have a smooth mixture.
- Divide the batter between two round cake pans of about 24 cm in diameter. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the cake comes out clean. Let them cook down.
For the frosting:
- Melt the white chocolate in the microwave in 30-second intervals. Let it cool down to room temperature.
- In the meantime, beat the cream cheese with sugar until creamy.
- Increase the speed setting of the mixer and slowly pour in the cooled white chocolate. The frosting should be smooth and lumpless.
Assembling and decorating:
- Unmold the lower half of the cake to a serving plate, with the cavity for the filling facing upwards.
- Fill with the frosting and smoothen it over.
- Repeat this process for the upper half of the cake.
- Very carefully invert the upper half of the cake onto the lower half. If needed, refrigerate the cakes for a while beforehand so they are a bit easier to handle.
- Cover the cake with the remaining frosting.
- Decorate the top of the cake using a pastry bag. Top with raspberries and Raffaello chocolates for the final touch. Dust with a bit of powdered sugar.
