Red Velvet Cake With Mascarpone Frosting Food

RED VELVET SHEET CAKE WITH MASCARPONE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 165°C (325F) and line a 9x13 inch sheet pan with parchment paper.
• Sift and mix cake flour, salt, baking soda, and cocoa powder in a medium sized mixing bowl and set aside.
• Place sugar and butter in a large mixing bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed for 1-2 minutes until pale and fluffy. Use a spatula to scrape any ingredients from the side of the bowl. Add oil and mix for another 30 seconds.
• Add eggs, one by one and mix until well combined. Add vanilla extract and white vinegar and mix for another 20 seconds. Add and mix in red food coloring (liquid or gel). You'll need to add enough food coloring to achieve a deep red color (amount depends on type of coloring used).
• Add half of the dry ingredients, alternating with half of the buttermilk and mix on low speed until just combined. Add the remaining ingredients and repeat. Do not overmix.
• Pour batter into baking sheet and bake in a preheated oven for 25-35 minutes until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from oven, allow to cool for 5 minutes, then transfer out of baking sheet to wire rack to finish off cooling. Cake must have cooled completely before frosting.
• Recipe yields enough frosting to thinly cover a 9x13 inch sheet cake. If you want a thicker layer of frosting, double ingredient amounts.
• Place butter in a large mixing bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk for around 30 seconds on medium speed until fluffy. Add cream cheese, vanilla, and mascarpone cheese and whisk for another 20-30 seconds.
• Add sifted icing sugar, ½ cup at a time, and beat on medium speed until desired frosting consistency is reached. You may not need to use all the sugar. Store frosting in refrigerator if not using immediately.
• Frost cooled cake using a palette knife or spatula and top with sprinkles or cake crumbs as desired. Slice cake into squares as desired. If not serving immediately, store frosted cake in refrigerator until serving.

RED VELVET CUPCAKES WITH MASCARPONE CREAM CHEESE ICING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease jumbo muffin cups (3 1/2 inches in diameter and 2 inches deep) with butter or cooking spray, and lightly flour them, knocking out the excess flour, or line them with baking papers.
• In a small bowl, stir the food coloring and cocoa powder together to make a smooth paste. Set aside. Using an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and the sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition, then add the cocoa paste while continuing to beat. Reduce the mixer speed to medium and beat the batter for about 4 minutes. In a medium bowl, sift together the cake flour, all-purpose flour, salt, and baking soda. Stir the vanilla into the buttermilk (this can be done in the measuring cup). Add the flour mixture in 3 increments alternately with the buttermilk in 2 increments, starting and ending with the flour. Beat on medium speed just until the ingredients are combined. Add the sour cream and vinegar and beat on low speed until combined.
• Fill the muffin cups three-fourths full with batter. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, just until the cupcakes feel firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Do not overbake, or the cupcakes will dry out. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then unmold onto a wire rack and let cool completely before frosting.
• To make the icing: In the large bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, cream cheese, and powdered sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Beat in the mascarpone on very low speed until just combined. (Be careful; once you've added the mascarpone, excessive beating can make the frosting curdle.) Stir in the vanilla or mint extract.
• Frost the top of each muffin with the icing. Sprinkle the crushed peppermint candy, if using, evenly on the cupcakes.

RED VELVET CAKE WITH ERMINE FROSTING

Steps:

• For the red velvet cake: Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper, then grease with cooking spray and dust with flour.
• Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder and salt in a medium bowl and set aside. Combine the buttermilk, vanilla and food coloring in a liquid measuring cup and set aside.
• Cream the butter and sugar together in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until the butter lightens in color. Add the eggs and beat until well combined, 90 seconds to 2 minutes. Alternate adding the dry and wet ingredients to the batter while mixing.
• Dissolve the baking soda in the vinegar in a small bowl, then fold into the batter.
• Divide the batter evenly between the cake pans and bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center of the cakes reads 195 to 200 degrees F, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool cakes in the pans for 15 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cover lightly with a linen towel. Cool completely.
• For the ermine frosting: Meanwhile, heat the milk, sugar and flour in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, whisking continuously, until the mixture becomes thick like pudding, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool completely to room temperature.
• Cream the butter, vanilla and salt together in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until smooth, about 1 minute. Add the cooled milk mixture and beat until the frosting lightens in color and becomes fluffy, at least 1 minute.
• Place one cake layer on a cake board. Using a spoon or offset spatula, spread frosting generously over the top of the cake in a smooth layer. Invert the second cake layer onto the first so that the flat side is facing up, then spread the remaining frosting over the top of the cake, creating swirls in the frosting with the spoon or spatula. Transfer the cake to a cake stand and decorate the top of the cake and the stand with edible flowers and flower petals.

RED VELVET CUPCAKES WITH MASCARPONE CREAM CHEESE ICING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°; grease jumbo muffin cups (3 ½ inch in diameter and 2 inches deep) with butter or cooking spray and lightly flour them, knocking out the excess flour, or line them with baking papers.
• In a bowl, stir the food coloring and cocoa powder together to make a smooth paste; set aside.
• Using an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
• Add in the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition, then add the cocoa paste while continuing to beat.
• Decrease mixer speed to medium and beat the batter for about 4 minutes.
• In another bowl, sift the cake flour, all-purpose flour, salt, and baking soda together.
• Stir the vanilla into the buttermilk (can be done in the measuring cup).
• Add the flour in 3 increments alternately with the buttermilk in 2 increments, starting and ending with the flour; beat on medium speed just until ingredients are combined.
• Add the sour cream and vinegar and beat on low speed until combined.
• Fill the muffin cups ¾ full with batter.
• Bake for 25-35 minutes, just until the cupcakes feel firm to touch and a pick comes out clean (do not overbake or the cupcakes will dry out).
• Remove from the oven and let cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then unmold onto a wire rack and let cool completely before frosting.
• Make the icing: in a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat the butter, cream cheese, and powdered sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Beat in the mascarpone on very low speed until just combined (be careful; once you've added the mascarpone, excessive beating can make the frosting curdle).
• Stir in the vanilla or mint extract.
• Frost the top of each muffin with the icing; if desired, sprinkle the crushed peppermint candy evenly over the cupcakes.