This delicious Mary Berry Red Velvet Cake is a classic treat that’s perfect for any occasion. With its rich, moist layers and creamy mascarpone buttercream, it’s surprisingly simple to make using common pantry ingredients. The vibrant red colour and white chocolate truffle decoration make it a show-stopper dessert everyone will love.
This Red Velvet Cake Is From Makes It Easy Cookbook by Mary Berry
Ingredients Needed
For the Cake:
- 250g plain flour
- 1 tbsp cocoa powder
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 250g light muscovado sugar
- 200ml buttermilk (⅓ pint)
- 150ml sunflower oil (¼ pint)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp red food colouring gel (or ¼ tsp paste)
- 2 large eggs
- Butter (for greasing)
- 8 white chocolate truffle balls (for decoration)
For the Buttercream Icing:
- 250g butter, softened
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 300g icing sugar
- 250g full-fat mascarpone cheese
How To Make Red Velvet Cake Recipe
- Preheat the oven and prepare the tins: Preheat your oven to 180°C/160°C Fan/Gas 4. Grease and line the bases of two 20cm (8in) round cake tins with non-stick baking paper.
- Mix the dry ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the plain flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, and light muscovado sugar.
- Prepare the wet ingredients: In a jug, mix the buttermilk, sunflower oil, vanilla extract, red food colouring, and 100ml water. Add the eggs and whisk until smooth.
- Combine wet and dry ingredients: Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients. Whisk everything together until the batter is smooth and bright red. Add a little extra food colouring if needed.
- Divide and bake: Divide the batter evenly between the prepared tins. Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until the cakes are risen and slightly pulling away from the sides of the tins. Let them cool in the tins for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make the buttercream icing: In a large bowl, beat the softened butter with the vanilla extract and half of the icing sugar until smooth. Add the remaining icing sugar and mix again. Stir in the mascarpone gently with a spatula until smooth (avoid overmixing to prevent splitting). Transfer about 150g of the buttercream into a piping bag fitted with a fluted nozzle.
- Assemble the cake: Place one sponge layer on a cake plate and spread a third of the buttercream over it. Place the second sponge on top and apply a thin crumb coat of icing around the entire cake. Chill for 30 minutes to set.
- Decorate the cake: Use the remaining buttercream to ice the cake, creating wide textured lines up the sides with a palette knife. Pipe a rope design around the top edge and finish by arranging the white chocolate truffle balls on top.
Recipe Tips
- Use high-quality food colouring: For a bright red cake, use gel or paste food colouring instead of liquid. This gives a vibrant colour without changing the texture of the batter.
- Sift dry ingredients: Always sift the flour, cocoa powder, and icing sugar to prevent lumps and make the batter and buttercream smooth.
- Avoid overmixing the mascarpone: Stir mascarpone gently into the icing. Overmixing can cause it to split, making the buttercream runny.
- Measure accurately: Use a kitchen scale for precise measurements, especially for flour and sugar, to ensure perfect texture and consistency.
- Cool the cakes completely: Always let the cakes cool on a wire rack before icing. Warm cakes can melt the buttercream and ruin the decoration.
How To Store Leftovers
- Refrigerate: Put leftovers red velvet cake in an airtight container. Keep it in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freeze: Wrap leftovers red velvet cake in cling film and put it in a freezer-safe bag. Freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and bring to room temperature before serving.
Nutrition Facts
- Calories: 390
- Total Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Cholesterol: 70mg
- Sodium: 210mg
- Potassium: 90mg
- Total Carbohydrate: 44g
- Dietary Fiber: 1g
- Sugars: 33g
- Protein: 4g
More Pioneer Woman Recipes:
Mary Berry Red Velvet Cake Recipe
Description
This delicious Mary Berry Red Velvet Cake is a classic treat that’s perfect for any occasion. With its rich, moist layers and creamy mascarpone buttercream, it’s surprisingly simple to make using common pantry ingredients. The vibrant red colour and white chocolate truffle decoration make it a show-stopper dessert everyone will love.
Ingredients
For the Cake:
For the Buttercream Icing:
Instructions
- Preheat the oven and prepare the tins: Preheat your oven to 180°C/160°C Fan/Gas 4. Grease and line the bases of two 20cm (8in) round cake tins with non-stick baking paper.
- Mix the dry ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the plain flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, and light muscovado sugar.
- Prepare the wet ingredients: In a jug, mix the buttermilk, sunflower oil, vanilla extract, red food colouring, and 100ml water. Add the eggs and whisk until smooth.
- Combine wet and dry ingredients: Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients. Whisk everything together until the batter is smooth and bright red. Add a little extra food colouring if needed.
- Divide and bake: Divide the batter evenly between the prepared tins. Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until the cakes are risen and slightly pulling away from the sides of the tins. Let them cool in the tins for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make the buttercream icing: In a large bowl, beat the softened butter with the vanilla extract and half of the icing sugar until smooth. Add the remaining icing sugar and mix again. Stir in the mascarpone gently with a spatula until smooth (avoid overmixing to prevent splitting). Transfer about 150g of the buttercream into a piping bag fitted with a fluted nozzle.
- Assemble the cake: Place one sponge layer on a cake plate and spread a third of the buttercream over it. Place the second sponge on top and apply a thin crumb coat of icing around the entire cake. Chill for 30 minutes to set.
- Decorate the cake: Use the remaining buttercream to ice the cake, creating wide textured lines up the sides with a palette knife. Pipe a rope design around the top edge and finish by arranging the white chocolate truffle balls on top.
Notes
- Use high-quality food colouring: For a bright red cake, use gel or paste food colouring instead of liquid. This gives a vibrant colour without changing the texture of the batter.
- Sift dry ingredients: Always sift the flour, cocoa powder, and icing sugar to prevent lumps and make the batter and buttercream smooth.
- Avoid overmixing the mascarpone: Stir mascarpone gently into the icing. Overmixing can cause it to split, making the buttercream runny.
- Measure accurately: Use a kitchen scale for precise measurements, especially for flour and sugar, to ensure perfect texture and consistency.
- Cool the cakes completely: Always let the cakes cool on a wire rack before icing. Warm cakes can melt the buttercream and ruin the decoration.
Mary Berry Red Velvet Cake Recipe