Personally, Red velvet cake is by far one of the more technical and interesting cake recipes. Though it is made primarily with cocoa powder, it is also known for its signature sleek red colour, which i achieve by adding red/crimson food colour to the batter.
Another technicality worth noting is that the buttermilk and vinegar bring out the red undertones in the cocoa powder, giving the cake even more of a a red tint. It all feels like a fun science experiment. Now that I’ve said that, i am recalling that it is said that baking is in actual fact considered a science.
The red velvet is exciting because of the colour. I did some research to find out about the name before making my own conclusions and I wasn’t far off the mark. Here’s what I found out; It was during the 1800's that recipes would frequently call for the use of cocoa for luxury cakes.
They would call the cakes "velvet" cakes and serve them at fancy dessert parties. The word velvet lets you know that the cake will have a smooth and soft texture. We have been looking for recipes that incorporate Nutriday yoghurt. Low and behold I remembered seeing a three-minute microwave red velvet cake. I set up a whole challenge on our FB page @ChellzKitchen , for followers to join in the fun. There was a lot of enthusiasm and I shared the ingredient list, however few participated. Was i skeptical about the end results? Yes, but as excited as a scientist with a new hypothesis. Many years ago my friend Chanelle shared a Cake in a Mug recipe which i have used over some time now in ChellzKitchen.
I remember doing a variation with Gaona Dintwa on a virtual session we had during the Mascom series production. These cakes were all amazing, difference being they didn’t need the technical ingredients the red velvet did. Without overthinking it and talking myself out of it, I sent my husband for cream cheese and I laid out all the ingredients. It’s a one bowl cake, a few elements yes, but all incorporated in one bowl. No Dishes! Yay! The cake turned out wonderful, nothing short of a store bought and usually slightly expensive slice. One comment from a ChellzKitchen follower “E soft gore! Very soft and just melts in your mouth. Ke ha ke ipotsa gore lee le kae, was of my favourite comment....hahahha.
Basi took to the kitchen with her daughters and they had an amazing dessert after dinner. We divided ours into 4 and everyone enjoyed a piece of cake.
INGREDIENTS
1/2 Cup Milk
1/2 Tsp Vinegar Mix and let stand for 1 minute
1/2 Cup Sugar
1/4 Oil 2 Tlb Spoons Nutriday Plain Yoghurt
1 Tsp Vanilla Essence 1-2 Drops red or crimson pink food colouring Mix until well incorporated
3/4 Cup Flour
1 Tbls Cocoa
1/2 Tsp Baking Powder Mix Well and put in Microwave for 3 to 4min. **check with tooth pick at 3 min. If it's clean when you poke. If not add 1 more min** Enjoy with Cream Cheese or Ice Cream
