Ruby Red Velvet Cake & French Cream Icing

Zap I have been using Netixs famous red velvet cake under fondant for a few months now works a treat :D

Well i got my baking on tonight and made this, but i think i stuffed the french cream icing... it just didnt peak. I (accidentally) added butter and sugar at same time but i didnt think that would be too much of a bother, i think maybe my impatience and adding the flour mix early killed it. oh well. lucky i have a cream cheese icing as well ;)

Aww Dragon Cookies, next time you'll get it. At least you've got the cream cheese icing for this time.

Thanks Party of Five, now I've learnt something about my cake!

I just made a small six inch for a top tier of a birthday cake. I am letting it cool in the tin as its very moist and don't want it cracking in half!! I plan to rolled fondant ice it on Thursday. Should I let it come back to room temp before I put the rolled fondant in or do you think straight from the fridge will be fine??

Come back to room temp, if you do it from the fridge you will get condensation between the fondant and the cake. This can cause the fondant to crack bubble and sometimes explode off the cake as the water will cause a chain reaction. When you roll the fondant on the cake be sure to use a pin to pop and smooth any air bubbles and ensure the cake is completely sealed. Usually by using something like Ganache first to seal the cake.

This will stop this happening :)

Thanks lolpigs! So once I've iced it can it go back in the fridge or do I keep it out?? I'm icing and decorating on Thursday for birthday on Friday

No problems, if you ganache the cake then ice it, dont refridgerate it. A fridge is fondants mortal enemy :) Just try to keep it in a cool place, if you have air con have that on in the room till you need it just dont have the cake sitting under the air con IYKWIM. Most cakes that are Ganached then Iced will last for at least a week providing there are no holes in the ganache or icing :) Over night out of the fridge after doing this will be totally fine.

I have a question about the icing. Could I use cornflour instead of plain flour for a gluten free option? Or would that not work?

Ta

I have never tried it. In theory, it would work, because it is still flour and all you are doing is cooking it in the milk. If the end result of the milk and flour cooking process is a very thick mix (comparable to a really thick cake batter) then I would give it a go. Oh, and the mix has to be lump free, or the end icing result will be lumpy.

Might need more milk but see how you go, cornflour behaves a bit differently to normal flour and will probably get more liquid to get the same consitancy but no reason why it shouldnt work.

Can I substitute spelt flour for plain flour? (DH is wheat intolerant). Also, this might be a dumb question, but if I want to use beetroot juice, do I just used the canned stuff?

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Hi TC, I am really not sure on using spelt flour. I would google and read lots on differences between the two (i would do it and tell you all about it, but I'm on my phone, and its too hard :redface:), then make any adjustments (to liquids, etc). Trial and error really there.

Re the tinned beetroot juice, I wouldn't. Tinned stuff like that has a totally different taste to fresh, and the liquid, to me, from the tinned beetroot, is quite vinegary, and would affect the end taste of the cake.

I made cupcakes on the weekend, iced, and delicious! I actually ground the castor sugar with a mortar and pestle so that the icing wouldn't be grainy...... :redface:

Thanks Netix. I didn't think the tinned stuff would be suitable but wanted to check as I've never seen fresh. I'll stick with food colouring to keep it simple while I experiment with spelt flour.

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Your greengrocer will have fresh beetroot, your supermarket may not. I find using food colour easier as we really don't eat beetroot, and I'm probably lazy. And I'm not 100% sure on quantity of liquid from the beetroot, and how much more flour to add, etc. This way, I know I need 60mLs of colour, and that much flour.

As for the flour, do let us know what result you get with the spelt flour.

Good luck. :)

Damn. I bought SR flour today because I need to make this cake tomorrow....Just saw it uses plain flour....

Opinions on whether SR Flour would be okay if I omit the baking soda??

Omit the baking soda and use regular milk instead of buttermilk. As the buttermilk would react with the bicarb to create a better rise.

And just to clarify the buttermilk will react with the raising agents in the SR Flour which will make it rise more than needed. Great for pancakes, not so great for cakes ;) The buttermilk is there to react with the bicarb to create a better reacting and rise more with the bonus of flavour.

Fanks :)

I have three words for you ladies....

Red. Velvet. Fudge.

<drool>