Blood red velvet "Slayer" cake

This recipe is for Andy. He asked me to do it about 6 months ago. Oops. Well y'know. Better late than never?????
Andy lives in Australia. So I hope he will be making this recipe for his Ozzy mates.

 I'm making Red Velvet cake for this post. The recipe originates from the deep south of USA and is basically a light chocolate sponge with red food colour and cream cheese frosting. It doesn't sound very nice but when you open up the cake it is deep red inside.  Like blood. Kinda! It tastes amazing.

I have been to see Slayer twice in my life time. The first time I was very young, about 15 I think and it was at the Barrowlands in Glasgow.



I had to leave the pit because it was very brutal and I was getting knocked left, right and centre. I was just a wee thing then. I'd never seen so many pumped up angry men in my life. Scary stuff. The band were amazing though. And I think my retinas were slightly damaged by the fire show. I still see faint images of Tom Araya bathed in fire every time I shut my eyes.

OK so here's the recipe. It makes about 18 cup cakes.

Blood Red Velvet Cakes

90g soft butter
225g caster sugar
2 eggs beaten
15g cocoa powder
40ml red food colour, Doctor Oetker works best
1 tsp vanilla extract
180g natural yogurt ( not Greek yogurt)
225g plain flour
1tsp bicarbonate of soda
1tsp salt
2tsp white wine vinegar

Frosting

50g butter melted
150g cream cheese
Half teaspoon vanilla extract
325g icing sugar

Set your oven to 180 or equivalent or 160 for fan oven.
Line your muffin tins with 18 cases.
Sieve the flour, bicarb of soda and salt together.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the red food colour, vanilla and cocoa powder.
In a large mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer on high, cream the butter and sugar together till light and fluffy.
Add the red food colour and cocoa mix and mix on low till incorporated.
Turn the mixer to high and add a quarter of the beaten egg and mix for one minute, continue with a quarter of the egg mix till it is done.
Sieve in half of the flour mix and mix on a low speed till just incorporated.
Add the yogurt and again mix on low till just incorporated.
sieve the rest of the flour mix in and mix on low till incorporated.
Add the vinegar and mix on high for one minute.
Divide the mix between the cupcake cases and bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
You can check that the cakes are cooked properly by inserting a tooth pick or knife in and if it comes out with no mix stuck to it then the cakes are ready.
Take out the oven and leave to cool.

To make the icing put the cream cheese and vanilla into a large bowl.
sieve in the icing sugar.
Mix on high for a few minutes until smooth.
While still mixing, pour in the butter slowly until finished. Mix for a few more seconds.

Spread or pipe the icing onto the cakes, eat 12 of them all to your self, hold your stomach for a hour then eat the other 6.
Nice one.

XXX