Recipe by Jenna Barnard
BEET PUREE
3 fresh beets (don’t use pre-packaged) about 1 1/2 pounds
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
RED VELVET CAKE
1/2 cup whole milk
1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
1/4 cup cornstarch
3 tablespoons unsweetened 100% cocoa powder such as Hershey’s regular (do not use dutch-process or Special Dark cocoa)
1 tablespoon dry nonfat milk powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temp (1 stick)
2 cups granulated sugar, divided
1/2 cup canola or vegatable oil
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
1 cup unsalted butter, room temp (2 sticks)
5 cups powdered sugar, spooned and leveled
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 12 ounces full fat cream cheese, room temp
Beet Puree
First, make the beet puree. Cut off the stems and rinse the beets. Slice the beets in half and place into a pot. Fill the pot to where the water reaches a couple inches over the beets. Stir in the lemon juice. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 30-35 minutes or until the beets are fork tender. Place the warm beets onto a cutting board or plate (reserve the water they were boiled in). Gently scrape away the skins with a fork and transfer the beets to a food processor. Add in 1/4 cup of the reserved water and blend until the beets reach an apple sauce consistency. Run a spoon through the puree to test and make sure there are no large clumps left in the mix. Pour the beet puree into a measuring glass to make sure it’s exactly 1 cup (240g). If you’re a little short, mix in a couple tablespoons of the reserved water.
Red Velvet Cake
Preheat the oven to 350F and grease and line two 8” (or 9”) cake pans. In a measuring glass, combine the milk and vinegar. Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, cocoa powder, milk powder, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In a separate bowl using a hand or stand mixer with the paddle attachment, mix together the butter and 1 cup of sugar until light and fluffy. Now add in the oil and remaining 1 cup of sugar and mix until smooth. Mix in the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla and beet puree. Alternating between wet and dry, mix in half of the dry ingredients, then the milk and vinegar mixture, then the rest of the dry ingredients. Evenly divide the batter between the two cake pans. For 8” pans, bake for 35-40 minutes, for 9” pans, bake for 30-35 minutes. They’re ready when a toothpick comes out clean with a few moist crumbs. Allow the cakes to cool completely before assembling. Allow the cakes to cool at room temperature, then thoroughly wrap each cake with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator. You can also chill the cakes overnight and frost the next day.
Cream Cheese Frosting
While the cakes cool, make the frosting. In a large bowl using a hand or stand mixer with the paddle attachment, mix the butter until smooth. Mix in the powdered sugar one cup at a time, followed by the vanilla. Halfway through the cups, mix in the cream cheese until smooth, then continue with the rest of the powdered sugar. Scrape down the bowl and mix again. Store the frosting in the refrigerator while the cakes continue to cool. To assemble, level off the tops of the cakes if needed.
*Optional – Preheat the oven to 350F and crumble the cake tops onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 15 minutes or until dry and then blitz in a food processor to make decorative crumbles. Crumbled freeze dried raspberries also make a great natural decoration.
Spread an even layer of cream cheese frosting between the two cakes and cover the entire cake in the remaining frosting. Decorate however you like and enjoy!
Yield: 10 to 12 slices