Thanks Titli's Busy Kitchen recipe, for perfect Valentine surprise! You can support her by subscribe her channel :)

Ingredients 300 g (10 oz) sugar 250 g (8 oz) plain flour 250 ml (8 fl oz) buttermilk (or milk) 125 g (4 oz) butter, at room temperature 2 tbsp cocoa powder 2 eggs 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp vinegar ½ tsp salt ½ tsp vanilla essence Red food colouring (see Titli’s Tips below) For the frosting 600 g (20 oz) icing (confectioner’s) sugar 500 g (16 oz) cream cheese 125 g (4 oz) butter ½ tsp vanilla essence

Instructions

1. Sift together the flour, salt and cocoa powder then put to one side.
2. Mix together the buttermilk and food colouring and put to one side..
3. Whip the butter for 1-2 minutes until soft. Add in the sugar and beat for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time and, finally, beat in the vanilla essence.
4. Now beat in the following in order: One third of the flour mixture; one half of the buttermilk; one half of the remaining flour; the remaining buttermilk; the remaining flour.
5. Heat the oven to 175°C. Grease two cake tins and line the bottoms with baking paper.
6. Beat the baking soda into the cake mix, followed by the vinegar. Quickly pour the cake mix into the two cake tins and spread the mixture evenly. Bake at 175°C for about 25 minutes.
7. Once the cakes are cooked leave them to cool for 5 minutes before turning them out of their tins. Remove the baking paper then allow to cool completely.
8. Prepare the frosting: Beat together the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Beat in the icing sugar in portions, then beat in the vanilla essence.
9. Let’s assemble the cake! Stick the two halves of the cake together with a layer of frosting, then smother the cake in the rest of the frosting. Delicious!

Titli’s Tips

The brand of red food colouring you use makes all the difference in the final colour. Some food colourings turn from red to a dirty orange when you bake them! I’ve had more success using pastes and gels and you only need a small amount – about ½ tsp. If you do use liquid food colourings you’ll need about 2 tbsp – almost an entire small bottle. Some websites will show you pictures of brilliant-red sponges in their Red Velvet cakes. I personally believe this is only possible if you leave out the cocoa powder and use far more food colouring than is probably healthy!

The frosting for this cake is quite sweet so small slices are recommended.