Saturday 23 March 2013

Brown Velvet...Red Velvet Au Natural

The last few months have been pretty hectic over here in urban housewife world...we've officially moved out of our gorgeous (but totally freezing) rented flat and into our very own home.  We've been busy painting and buying furniture and trying to get things settled.  I say we...but really David has been doing most of the work because I've been busy baking...a bun! Between the new house and expecting a baby and all the organisation and work that comes with that and...oh our regular lives...I've just not had much inspiration lately.  

I can't decide if I want to stop posting altogether, or just take a break...or what. For the time being, though, I thought I'd give you a little look at the first cake baked in our new home...


I called this ridiculously heavy to carry (although light and fluffy) 3 layer monster my Brown Velvet cake.  It is, in reality, a red velvet without the food colouring.  In all honestly I had intended to make a red velvet cake...in fact I had my heart (and the baby's) set on a gorgeous 3 layer vivid red cake completely smothered in cream cheese icing...until I got to the grocery store and there was no red food dye to be seen.  Perhaps better for the baby in the long run...all those E numbers in combination with the sugar. 

Regardless, the cake turned out great.  It is terrifying baking in a new oven.  I am not happy that this oven in fan assisted with no option to turn the fan off (it is fan or grill or nothing)...but I remembered that I had read somewhere about turning the oven down 20 degrees for fan ovens (unless the temperature is given in the recipe). With fingers crossed and lots of hovering by the oven door I watched this cake rise nicely and retain it's domed top (triumph!).  A great first attempt, but I am sure disaster is lurking somewhere in the near future.  

Because all my cook books are still packed away somewhere in the many boxes crowding what will eventually becoming the nursery I used this recipe from Red Magazine online.  I liked that it used buttermilk (essential in any red velvet) and was pretty close to the Hummingbird Bakery recipe I usually use.  The recipe makes 2 20cm cakes in proper springform cake tines...not sandwich tins, so the finished cake is gigantic.  I ended up dividing the batter between 1 20cm tin and a 6 hole cupcake tin and then cutting the cake into 3 layers and saving the 6 cupcakes for the hard working David.  

Essentially *just* a chocolate cake...but totally not. 

Until Next Time...

7 comments:

  1. Many many congratulations! I hope you have a smooth and relaxed pregnancy, the perfect opportunity to do some SERIOUS nesting in that new home.

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  2. Thanks for the tip about turning the oven down a bit with fan assisted ovens - no wonder I burn everything !!!! x nice to hear your update xx

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  3. Congratulations on the baby news Victoria, I missed that. Are you still in Edinburgh? I do hope you keep posting even if it isn't as regular. I do like visiting and hearing form you.

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  4. congrats!!!

    http://therealfoodrunner.blogspot.com

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  5. Ooh a baby!! Congrats. Don't give up on us though! Cake looks divine. Baking in a new oven is always tricky. Mine is fan assisted and I turn down by 10 degrees and it seems to work out fine. Just keep practicing. Think of the baby cake! In 9 months you'll have perfected it. Xx

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  6. Yay on the baby!!! That's wonderful news!!! Your cake looks like heaven!!! It's the third one I've visited today! Dom's, Ivan and yours, and each one looks amazing!

    You can't stop blogging, we need to hear all the baby news! Have a great day, rest & put your feet up!

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  7. Congratulations! Lovely, lovely news.

    Sx

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