Double Chocolate Red Velvet Cake
By Hans B.
-- Dry Ingredients --
400g cake flour
10g cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
0.5 tsp baking powder
0.5 tsp salt
2 cups chocolate chips
-- Wet Ingredients --
115g butter, room temp
330g white sugar
3 eggs (do not pre-combine)
250g vegetable oil
1 tsp white vinegar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
Red food coloring to preference
-- Frosting --
400g cream cheese, room temp
115g butter, room temp
1.5 tsp vanilla extract
450g powdered sugar
0.25 tsp salt
65g cocoa powder
-- Cake Procedure --
1. Preheat oven to 350F with convection on.
2. Spray two 8-inch cake pans with non-stick spray and dust lightly with a little cocoa powder.
3. Combine dry ingredients into a bowl and whisk until well-combined.
4. Whip softened butter and granulated sugar in a mixer with the whisk attachment until the color lightens and it is soft and fluffy.
5. Add eggs, one at a time, and continue mixing. At first it may look "curdled", but it will come back together. Repeat until all the eggs have been added.
6. Add vegetable oil, vinegar, vanilla, buttermilk, and red food coloring. Mix until well-combined and uniform in color. The oil may separate, which is fine; it will re-incorporate once the dry ingredients are added.
7. Remove whisk attachment, tap off excess batter, and set aside. We will re-use it to make the frosting in a moment.
8. Incorporate dry ingredients into the batter by hand using a spoon or spatula until no visible dry patches remain. Do not overmix, which will develop gluten -- some small lumps are okay.
9. Divide the batter equally by weight between the prepared cake pans; use two scales if possible. More evenly divided batter will bake more evenly and simplify assembly later.
10. Bake on the same rack for 25 minutes.
11. Rest cakes for 10 minutes in the pans, then remove onto a cooling rack and allow to cool *completely* -- any heat will cause disaster for the frosting.
-- Frosting Procedure --
1. Using the whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla for several minutes until it is fluffy and lightened in color.
2. Combine powdered sugar and cocoa powder and whisk until well-incorporated.
3. Add the dry mix to the wet, and continue whisking slowly until well-combined.
-- Assembly --
1. Carefully cut the dome off of one of the cakes using a serrated knife; this flattened cake will form the bottom layer. The off-cut dome may be eaten as a tax to the baker.
2. Spread 1.5 cups of frosting on top of the bottom cake, which will form the middle layer.
3. Top with the other cake, domed side up. Spread remaining frosting over the top and down the sides.
4. Decorate cake as desired.