BLACK VELVET CAKE
SERVES 12. PREP 1 HR. COOK 1 HR 15 MINS. INGREDIENTS
400g butter, chopped, at room temperature 645g (3 cups) caster sugar
6 eggs
1 tbs vanilla extract
2 tsp black food colouring (see notes)
450g (3 cups) plain flour
150g (1 cup) self-raising flour
2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
145g (1 ½ cups) dark cocoa powder
35g ( ¼ cup) activated charcoal powder
(see notes)
• 500ml (2 cups) buttermilk
• Red sprinkles, to decorate
RED
• 250g butter, at room temperature, chopped • 345g (2 ¼ cups) icing sugar mixture, sifted
• 180g white chocolate, melted and cooled
• Red food colouring, to tint
BLACK
• 250g butter, at room temperature, chopped • 360g (2 ¼ cups) icing sugar mixture, sifted
• 200g dark chocolate, melted, cooled
• 2 tbs dark cocoa powder
• 2 tbs activated charcoal powder
• Black food colouring, to tint
BUTTERCREAM METHOD
Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan-forced. Grease two round 20cm cake pans and line the bases with baking paper.
2. Use electric beaters to beat the butter and sugar in a very large bowl, until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla and black food colouring.
Sift the flours, bicarb, cocoa powder and charcoal powder together in a large bowl. Use a large metal spoon or spatula to fold the flour mixture into the butter mixture in batches, alternating with buttermilk. Divide evenly between cake pans.
4. Bake for 1 ¼ hours or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes before turning out on wire racks to cool completely.
5. Meanwhile, for the red buttercream, use electric beaters to beat the butter in a large bowl until pale. While still beating, gradually add half the icing sugar. Add the chocolate and beat until combined. Gradually add the remaining icing sugar. Tint icing with red food colouring. Transfer ¾ cup buttercream to a separate bowl and set aside for decorating. Set aside the remaining buttercream
6. For the black buttercream, use electric beaters to beat the butter in a large bowl until pale. While still beating, gradually add half the icing sugar. Add the chocolate and beat until combined. Add the cocoa powder and charcoal powder and beat until combined. Gradually add the remaining icing sugar. Tint icing with black food colouring. Transfer ¾ cup buttercream to a separate bowl and set aside for decorating. Set aside the remaining buttercream. The colour will look a steely gray at first, but will darken on standing. 7. To assemble, use a serrated knife to trim the tops from the cakes to make even. Cut each cake in half horizontally and place one piece on a serving plate. Spread one-third of the remaining red buttercream evenly over the cake. Repeat 2 more times with cake and red buttercream. Place the final cake on top. (Use an upturned base piece for the final top cake layer so it is smooth and crumb-free.)
8. Spread a thin layer of the black buttercream over the cake, smoothing carefully between each layer to cover any red buttercream that may have oozed out, to make a crumb layer. Place in the fridge for 15-20 minutes to set. Spread another layer of black buttercream all over the cake. Place the reserved black and red buttercream into a piping bag fitted with a 1.5cm fluted nozzle. Pipe swirls around the outer edge of the cake.
Press red sprinkles along the bottom edge of the cake.
Food-grade activated charcoal powder is available from bulk health food stores and online. While not essential, it does give this cake its depth of colour.
• Purchase good-quality food colouring, such as a paste or gel, from cake-decorating suppliers – you can order these online. The colour of these will be much stronger than supermarket colours.