Natural Red Velvet Cake for Two

This natural red velvet cake for two pairs pint-sized, naturally-dyed cake layers with a light and airy cream cheese frosting.

I’m going to let you in on a little secret: this natural red velvet cake almost didn’t happen.

For those of you who don’t know me well – I’m a very organised person. My coworkers might say to the point of insanity at times. I obsess over planning things, make endless colour-coded lists, schedule my tasks to the hour, and get frustrated when things don’t go to plan. I’ve never been the type of person that works well with disorganised people, which is why I probably enjoy blogging so much. For the most part, it’s a solo activity, and anything that doesn’t work to plan is usually my fault. Which is why developing this natural red velvet cake was an emotional roller-coaster.

I had a bit of a mini meltdown last weekend when I desperately needed this cake to be photographed so I could share it with you today. My idea for a Valentine’s Day naturally-dyed red velvet cake for two, while a brilliant one in theory (who wants to eat a cake with an entire bottle of red food dye in it?), presented a few problems that I hadn’t anticipated.

First, the beetroot powder I was using to dye the cake layers oxidised to a not-so-pretty brown when baked. When I tried to remedy this by leaving out baking powder and using egg to give the cake some rise, the texture became gummy. For a week I was stuck with either lovely and fluffy brown cake layers or deformed, dense omelette-cakes. Neither of which I could reasonably hand over to you, call it a natural red velvet cake, and be proud.

You guys, I made SEVEN cakes before I finally cracked (literally and mentally) the combination needed to produce the vibrant beauty you see before you.

And trust me, it was worth all of the eggs, flour, and tears that went into getting here.

This natural red velvet cake is perfect. The layers taste exactly like you’d expect a regular red velvet cake to taste – slightly tangy from the buttermilk, moist, and buttery with a hint of both chocolate and vanilla. It’s the classic can’t-describe-it taste that you crave when eating red velvet cake. Only this natural version doesn’t contain any refined sugars or artificial colourants. Paired with the (powdered sugar free!) cream cheese frosting, I really can’t imagine a better combination.

How to make natural red velvet cake

Although I would argue that for a cake to be ‘natural’ it needs to contain all-natural ingredients, for most people, making a natural red velvet cake really comes down to the colouring.

There are a few ways to naturally dye a red velvet cake, but my preferred method is using beetroot powder. Beetroot powder is created from dehydrated or dried fresh beets that have been ground into a powder. Nothing added, nothing taken away. It’s super versatile and subtly sweet, so it’s perfect for colouring frostings and baked goods. I get beetroot powder from Just Ingredients.

Two important things to note about using beetroot powder in this natural red velvet cake:

1. The beetroot powder will oxidise and turn brown if there’s not enough acid in the cake. To combat this, we’ll be using more acidic ingredients such as buttermilk, apple cider vinegar, and only a touch of baking powder for lift.
2. Because we aren’t using a normal amount of baking powder, we’re also going to use an extra egg white and whip them into stiff peaks. The air in the whipped egg whites will help the cake rise and keep the sponge light.

Also, I know that it may seem like a bit of a faff to whip egg whites with half the sugar and gently fold them into the cake batter, but trust me (and test cake number 4) when I say that these steps are crucial to achieving a fluffy crumb. Do not skip these steps or you’ll be serving up a hot dense mess on V-Day.

And if you’re making this for your sweetheart, aren’t they worth a little labour of love?

If you make this natural red velvet cake for two, don’t forget to take a photo and tag me on Instagram and use the hashtag #naturallysweetkitchen, so I can share your pictures! It makes my day to see these bakes come to life in your kitchen.

Looking for more natural cake recipes?

• Apple Chai Cake
• White Chocolate Raspberry Ripple Cake
• Vegan Gingerbread Cake
• No-Bake Espresso Cheesecake

Print

Natural Red Velvet Cake for Two

Vibrant pint-sized layers of naturally-dyed red velvet cake smothered in a light and airy cream cheese frosting.

Category Cake

Keyword Natural Red Velvet Cake

Prep Time 25 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 55 minutes

Author Amanda | Naturally Sweet Kitchen

INGREDIENTS

Red Velvet Cake

• 100 g unbleached cake flour
• ½ tbsp raw cacao powder
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ⅛ tsp fine sea salt
• 1 tbsp beetroot powder
• 28 g unsalted butter room temperature
• 100 g raw caster cane sugar divided
• 1 egg yolk room temperature
• 50 ml cold-pressed rapeseed oil
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• ½ tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 60 ml buttermilk room temperature
• 2 egg whites room temperature
• 1 tsp beetroot powder

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 140 ml double cream
• 60 ml unpasteurised honey or agave nectar
• ⅛ tsp fine sea salt
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 225 g cold cream cheese cubed

METHOD

Red Velvet Cake

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and grease, line, and lightly flour one 6 inch cake tin.
2. Sift the flour, cacao powder, baking powder, sea salt, and tablespoon of beetroot powder into a medium bowl. Whisk thoroughly to combine and set aside.

3. In another medium bowl, cream together the butter and 50 grams of the sugar using an electric hand mixer for about 5 minutes. They should be light and fluffy.

4. Beat in the egg yolk, oil, vanilla extract, and vinegar until combined.

5. Fold the dry ingredients and buttermilk into the wet ingredients in five alternating steps, beginning with one-third of the dry ingredients.

6. Wash and dry the beaters thoroughly, making sure absolutely no trace of grease or water remains.

7. Using the hand mixer, whip the egg whites until they form soft peaks. Gradually add the remaining 50 grams of sugar while beating on high speed.

8. Stop the mixer just before it reaches stiff peaks and dust over the teaspoon of beetroot powder. Beat the powder into the meringue until it reaches stiff peaks.

9. Gently fold the meringue into the batter, being very careful not to knock out any of the air. You may have a few streaks of pink meringue throughout the cake – don’t worry, these will darken as the cake bakes.

10. Pour the cake batter into the prepared tin and bake for 30-32 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with only a few crumbs. Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan for 5-7 minutes and then turn out onto a wire rack to finish cooling. Allow the cake to cool completely before cutting or decorating.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the double cream, honey, salt, and vanilla. Beat on medium-high speed until the cream forms medium peaks. The mixture should resemble Greek yogurt.

2. Turn the mixer onto a medium-low speed and add in the cubes of cream cheese one at a time.
3. Once all of the cream cheese has been added, whip the frosting on high speed until smooth. It may curdle a little, but just keep whipping and it will smooth out.

Assembly

1. Once your cake layer has cooled, shave off any domed peaks and reserve the shavings for the decoration.
2. Slice your cake into two even layers. Place one layer onto a cake board or stand and top with approximately 1/4 of the frosting. Repeat with the remaining layer and crumb coat the cake. Chill for 15-20 minutes.
3. Frost the cake with the remainder of the frosting (you may not need all of the frosting) and crumble the reserved shavings on top in a circular pattern.
4. Serve immediately.

NOTES

This cake is best eaten the day it is served. It will keep in the refrigerator, but note that the beetroot may dye the frosting pink if left over 8 hours.