Ingredients
Cake
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup water
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons (1 ounce) red food coloring
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 2 (8-ounce) packages plain cream cheese, at room temperature
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 10 cups powdered sugar
- ¼ cup buttermilk
- Couple pinches of salt
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare pans: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease two 8-inch round cake pans with nonstick spray and line them with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
- Sift dry ingredients: In a large bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, and kosher salt. Set this mixture aside.
- Prepare cocoa mixture: In a medium saucepan over low heat, combine the unsalted butter, water, and unsweetened cocoa powder. Stir constantly and bring the mixture to a boil.
- Cool cocoa mixture: Remove the cocoa mixture from heat and allow it to cool for about 5 minutes to prevent cooking the eggs when combined.
- Add wet ingredients: Stir in eggs, buttermilk, vanilla extract, and red food coloring into the cooled cocoa mixture until well combined and smooth.
- Combine wet and dry: Pour the wet mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Stir gently until just combined, taking care not to overmix to maintain cake tenderness.
- Divide and bake: Evenly divide the batter between the two prepared cake pans. Place in the preheated oven and bake for 23-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool the cakes: Remove cakes from the oven and allow them to cool completely in their pans before frosting, ensuring easier handling and better frosting adherence.
- Make frosting: In a mixing bowl, beat together cream cheese, unsalted butter, and vanilla extract until smooth and well combined.
- Add sugar and finish frosting: Gradually add powdered sugar, buttermilk, and a couple pinches of salt to the cream cheese mixture. Beat until smooth, creamy, and spreadable.
- Assemble the cake: Level the cooled cakes by trimming uneven tops, reserving any scraps for decoration. Spread a generous layer of frosting on one cake layer.
- Complete layering: Place the second cake layer on top of the frosted layer. Frost the entire outside of the cake with the remaining cream cheese frosting and decorate creatively with the reserved cake scraps or other decorations as desired.
Notes
- Use room temperature cream cheese and butter to ensure smooth frosting without lumps.
- Do not overmix the batter to keep the cake tender and moist.
- If you don’t have buttermilk, you can substitute by mixing ½ cup milk with 1 ½ teaspoons vinegar or lemon juice and let it stand for 5 minutes.
- Make sure the cocoa mixture is cooled before adding eggs to prevent curdling.
- For a more vibrant red color, use gel food coloring instead of liquid.
- Store the cake refrigerated if not serving immediately; bring to room temperature before serving for best texture.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
