Birthday request: Red Velvet Cake with Cream cheese frosting

I had a request to make a friend's birthday cake last month. This request was made quite some time ago (I think since last year) so I was looking forward to making it. I've always wanted to make a red velvet cake, it's one of those classic bakes. I've baked red velvet cupcakes before, but wasn't too happy with the "redness". 

This cake turned out slightly more red but still more brown :\ I think it's the food dye I used. Next time I think I'll find a red food gel instead of liquid. My FAVOURITE thing about this cake is the FROSTING! Cream cheese frosting <3 <3 <3 =D

RED VELVET CAKE 
Recipe adapted by Allrecipes

Ingredients

1/2 cup (113g) butter 
1 1/2 cups caster sugar
2 eggs
2 tbs cocoa powder
4 tsp red food colouring

1 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla essence
1 cup buttermilk
2 1/2 cups plain flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp white vinegar

1. Preheat oven to 180oC. Grease and line 2 round cake tins.
2. Cream butter with sugar until light and fluffy. Add in eggs and beat.
3. Combine cocoa powder and red food colouring to make a paste. Add it to the creamed mixture and mix well.
4. Combine salt, vanilla and buttermilk. Add flour to buttermilk mixture. Mix well and then add to creamed mixture.
5. Mix baking soda and vinegar. Fold into the cake batter. 
6. Pour cake mixture into cake tins and bake for 30 minutes. Allow cake to cool completely before icing.

Cream cheese frosting
Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart

250g cream cheese
1/2 cup (113g) butter
1 cup icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence

1. Beat cream cheese until softened. Gradually add butter and beat until smooth.
2. Sift in icing sugar and continue to beat. 
3. Add vanilla and stir to combine.

The cake is now ready to frost =D Spread 1/3 frosting on first layer then add second cake layer and frost all around :)

2 layers of cake ready for frosting!

Red - ish velvet cake =p

HAPPY BIRTHDAY J :) Hope you liked the cake~~ It was fun baking it :)