Red Velvet – Little Love-Struck Desserts
·Cream the butter and sugar
First, beat together the sugar and butter. Whip for about three minutes, then add the egg. Keep beating until the mixture is lovely and creamy.
Preheat the oven
Preheat the oven to 170°C and line a baking tray with baking paper. Position the oven rack in the middle.
Fold in the flour
Add the flour, mixed with a pinch of salt and baking powder, into the creamed sugar, butter and egg mixture.
Mix in the colour
Whisk food colouring into the buttermilk (about 1 teaspoon, depending on the type of colouring) and add this coloured mixture to the batter as well. Mix thoroughly. If you're using a stand mixer, keep it on a lower speed.
Bake and make the cream
Pour the batter onto the prepared tray and bake in the preheated oven for about 20–30 minutes. While the base bakes, prepare the cream: place the mascarpone, whipping cream, sugar and vanilla powder or extract in a mixer and whip until smooth and creamy.
Cut out the rounds
Once the baked base has completely cooled, cut out rounds using a round stainless-steel food-styling cutter. Line the cutter with clear dessert acetate strips and place one round of cake into each.
Layer and decorate
Pipe a little cream on top of the cake round, then add another round of cake and more cream on top. Finish with decoration however your imagination takes you.
Tip: dessert from the trimmings
You can turn the cut-off trimmings into extra desserts in jars. Crumble a layer into the bottom of a jar, add a layer of cream, then another crumbled layer, then more cream. Feel free to add a bit of fruit (ideally red).
