Red Velvet NDP Cake
“This is my country, this is my flag”… and this is our tribute to Singapore this National Day.
Red velvet cake, a red tinted buttermilk chocolate cake covered in cream cheese frosting, is a classic Southern favourite. We took its signature red-and-white colour combination and dressed it up so it’s NDP ready. This simple and delicious recipe works well as a whole cake or as individual cupcakes.
Do note the difference in the type of red colouring used in the cake and frosting for optimum results: liquid food colouring for the cake and concentrated gel food colouring for the frosting. Also, be warned that cutting into the cake may result in spontaneous singing of your favourite NDP song!
Ingredients
(Makes 1 x 8” round cake)
Red Velvet Cake:
- 240g cake flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 240ml unsalted butter, melted
- 240g caster sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 240ml buttermilk, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons red food colouring
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
Cream Cheese frosting:
- 1250g cream cheese, room temperature
- 250g icing sugar, sifted
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder, sifted
- 1-2 teaspoon red gel food colouring
- 50g fondant/gum paste
Method
- Sift cake flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cocoa powder together and set aside
- Stir melted butter and sugar together in a large bowl.
- Whisk in eggs one at a time
- Stir in buttermilk, food colouring and vanilla extract until well blended
- Sift cake flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cocoa powder together then stir into liquid mixture until a smooth batter is formed
- Stir in vinegar until evenly mixed
- Divide batter into two greased and lined 8” round tins
- Bake in a preheated oven at 160oC/325oF for 30 minutes, until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean
- Remove from oven and allow cakes to cool
- Meanwhile, make the cream cheese frosting by beating cream cheese and icing sugar together in a mixer until smooth and fluffy
- Remove 2/3 portion of cream cheese and set aside
- Add red gel colouring and cocoa powder to remaining 1/3 portion of cream cheese and beat until icing is red. Set red icing aside for at least 1 hour for the colour to deepen.
- Meanwhile, roll out fondant/gum paste and cut out 1 crescent moon and 5 stars. Set aside in a cool dry place to harden.
- Assemble the cake by putting a layer of white cream cheese frosting between the 2 cake layers and a thin layer of frosting all around the cake
- Fill a piping bag with closed star tip (Wilton 1M), then pipe white frosting on half of the cake.
- Fill another piping bag with red frosting and pipe red frosting on remaining half of the cake.
- Top with crescent moon and stars cut outs
