Birthday Cake Club: Raspberry Red Velvet

Tangy and sweet with a hint of cocoa wrapped in vintage-style buttercream piping.

Hi Bakers!

Red Velvet Cake might be a bit on the nose with Valentine’s Day coming up, but once I started thinking about raspberry and cream cheese together, I couldn’t stop. A mild chocolate cake that is soft and tender with tangy cream cheese frosting? What’s not to love?! Enjoy, my February babies!

What’s the deal with Red Velvet Cake? 

Red velvet cake is a moist, slightly tangy cake. It it buttery with hints of chocolate. Red velvet cake partially gets its name for its velvety texture. The acidity from the buttermilk and vinegar is tenderizing and brings out a reddish hue in the cocoa powder. 

Traditionally, red velvet cake got most of its crimson hue from beets. The addition of vinegar was originally included to stave off a chemical reaction that turned the cake blue. Now, most red velvet cakes (like this one today) rely on food coloring, but the vinegar remains to boost the leavening power of the baking soda and add a bit of tang to the overall cake. 

Red velvet cake is most often filled and iced in ether cream cheese or ermine frosting. For this cake, I opted for a delightful raspberry coulis filling. It’s tart, it’s sweet, and it seeps into the cake layers (all 6 of them!) to help keep them moist and flavorful.

Coulis, meaning “strained liquid,” is puree made from fruits or vegetables. Frozen raspberries work perfectly in this recipe - especially when they are out of season. The coulis is easily made with simple ingredients, like raspberries, lemon juice, and sugar, that will make you question why you aren’t making it and stirring into yogurt or spreading over buttered toast every day.

Cream cheese frosting - need I say more? Just thinking about my last bites of the tender cake, sweet yet tart raspberry filling, and luscious frosting have me yearning for another slice!