Red velvet monster cake with cream cheese frosting

With Valentine’s Day around the corner there a lot of amazing recipes springing up. I have had this red velvet cake waiting in the wings for a while now. Unsure when it would be appropriate to share it and all its quirkiness.

Now I see it’s a perfect contrast to the other more typical Valentine Day recipes around.

And of course, what you bake for your loved one will say a lot about you, and your relationship. Actually, in this bloggers opinion, that’s a load of bollocks. If pizza, a bottle of bubbles and a DVD is your thing – then you rock that. If you love fancy restaurants, degustation menus and shiny jewellery – then own that (and book ahead!).

In this case if you like clowning around. May I suggest red velvet MONSTER cake!

If your partner is not the type to potentially embrace eating something heart shaped. May I suggest red velvet MONSTER cake!

If you’re single, and want to make an awesome cake to eat (after you finish the aforementioned pizza, bubbles and DVD, which is also awesome), then may I suggest red velvet MONSTER cake!

Or, if you’re looking for a cake for a three year old… I’d probably also suggest MONSTER cake.

If you’re interested (oh I know you are) I’m going to eat leftovers and download a rom-com on Valentine’s this year. My dear Pete will be at Spanish lessons that night. Don’t think I’m upset about that! – deep down all us girls know that’s a great way to spend a night.

And maybe we’ll have pancakes for breakfast instead. Or, maybe we’ll go to the movies the night before.

But I have googled and memorised the Spanish phrase “gracias por las flores,” and I’m betting I’ll get to use it :). Especially because he proofs my blog posts.

(Subtle as a sledge hammer I am.)

Ingredients

I originally blogged this recipe in cupcake form here, but have re-written with directions for cake below.

Cake

60 grams (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (best quality you can afford)
2 tablespoons red food colouring
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar

Red monster cream cheese frosting

280 grams (10 ounces) cream cheese brought to room temperature
113 grams (1 stick) butter, softened
A few drop of red food colouring (I used half a bottle, that did effect the stiffness of the frosting)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups sifted icing (confectioners) sugar (you can add more if needed)

Method

Cake

1. Preheat your oven to 180C (325F) degrees. Spray your bundt cake tin with oil. Beat together the butter and sugar until creamy and fluffy…about 1-2 minutes. Add the egg and beat on high another minute.
2. In a small bowl, make a paste with the cocoa powder, red food dye and vanilla. Add it to the butter mixture and cream together on medium speed until well incorporated.
3. In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk together the salt and flour. Alternate adding in 1/2 the batter and 1/2 the buttermilk, mixing in between and scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl until well combined and the colour is the same red throughout the batter. With your beaters on low speed, add the baking soda (sprinkle over entire batter to disperse) and vinegar and mix just until combined.
4. Fill bundt tin. Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until lightly firm to the touch and a toothpick comes out clean. For mini sized cupcakes, bake for about 12-14 minutes. Cool on rack. Wait until entirely cool to frost cupcakes.

Red monster cream cheese frosting

1. Beat together cream cheese and butter until creamy and smooth.
2. Add a few drops of food colouring and beat until all one colour. Add more if your desire and beat again.
3. Add vanilla and SIFTED icing sugar. Beat on medium and then high until smooth. You want your frosting a bit stiff if you are going to pipe it. So keep adding 1/4 cup of powdered sugar until it is creamy but a little firm.
4. Refrigerate your frosting for a good 1/2 hour or so before piping.
5. Snip about 1/2 inch off of a pastry bag (I use the plastic disposable ones) to begin and place a medium round tip in the bag until it’s good and tight.
6. Take your pastry bag and place it in a tall glass/tumbler point side down. Open up the bag and pull about an inch or so of the bag up and over the top outside of the glass to open up the pastry bag.
7. Carefully scoop your frosting into the bag and fill it within two inches of the top. Fold the top corners of the bag in and roll/fold up the bag to contain the frosting. Pinch/grip tightly at the top of the bag as you hold down the folded edge and pipe.
8. With the cake on a rack, go crazy. Stand on a chair. Throw the icing at it. Let the kids loose on that thing. I just went back and forth a lot. Garnish with anything you can find that takes your fancy.
9. Put it back in the fridge to set, then place on serving plate leaving behind all the mess on the rack.

Source: Original recipe in a very different form from Geni at Sweet and Crumby.

Storage: You can freeze the cake and icing, together or separately. Best eaten with a couple of days.

A Trio of Cupcakes