Ingredients
Cake Ingredients
- 100g butter, softened
- 1 ¾ cups white sugar
- 1 Tbsp vanilla essence
- 1 cup oil
- 3 eggs
- 2 Tbsp white vinegar
- 1 cup milk (room temp)
- ½ cup black coffee
- 1 - 2 tsp red food colouring
- 2 ½ cups plain flour
- 2 Tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
Frosting Ingredients
- 120g butter, softened
- 250g cream cheese (room temp)
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 3 cups icing sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pans: Preheat your oven to 170°C using the fan bake setting. Line two 22 cm diameter cake tins with baking paper to prevent sticking.
- Mix Butter, Sugar, Vanilla, and Oil: In a mixer, beat the softened butter, white sugar, and vanilla essence together until creamy. Add the oil and mix well to combine everything into a smooth mixture.
- Add Eggs, Vinegar, Coffee Mixture, and Color: Incorporate the eggs and white vinegar into the mixture and mix well. Prepare the coffee by mixing boiling water with instant coffee, then add this along with the room temperature milk and red food colouring to the wet ingredients, mixing until smooth and velvety.
- Sift and Combine Dry Ingredients: Sift together the plain flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until the batter is smooth with no lumps.
- Fill Pans and Bake: Pour half of the batter into each prepared cake tin. Place both tins on racks in the center of the oven to bake for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, swap the location of the cake tins to ensure even baking. Continue baking for another 15-20 minutes or until a knife inserted comes out clean.
- Cool Cakes: Remove the cakes from the oven and allow them to cool on a wire rack. Once cooled, place the cakes into the fridge to firm up for at least 20 minutes, which makes icing easier.
- Prepare Frosting: Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the softened butter until smooth. Add the cream cheese and vanilla essence and continue beating until smooth and well combined.
- Add Icing Sugar and Salt: Sift half of the icing sugar into the butter and cream cheese mixture, mixing for about a minute while scraping down the sides of the bowl. Then sift in the remaining icing sugar along with the salt and beat for another 3-5 minutes until the frosting is pale, fluffy, and smooth.
- Assemble the Cake: Place one cake layer onto a serving plate. Spread about a 1 cm thick layer of frosting on top. Place the second cake layer on top.
- Apply Crumb Coat: Use a pallet knife to thinly ice the entire cake with a light layer of frosting, which traps any crumbs and smooths the surface.
- Chill and Final Frosting: Refrigerate the crumb-coated cake for 10 minutes to let the frosting set firmly. Then apply the remaining frosting to the top and sides of the cake, smoothing it out beautifully.
- Store and Serve: Refrigerate the finished cake to allow the frosting to firm before slicing. Use a sharp knife to cut and serve.
Notes
- Swapping the cake tins during baking promotes even cooking and prevents hotspots.
- Letting the cake chill before icing helps achieve a cleaner frosting finish.
- Red food coloring can be adjusted according to desired cake color intensity.
- Using black coffee adds a subtle richness to enhance the cocoa flavor without overpowering the cake.
- Ensure all ingredients, especially butter and cream cheese, are at room temperature to avoid lumps in the frosting.
- Store the cake in the refrigerator and consume within 3-4 days for best freshness.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
