There hasn’t been much cake around these parts lately and that is because I gave up cake for Lent. I thought that instead of the usual Easter eggs on Easter Sunday I would make myself a cake but where to begin? I thought maybe a carrot cake? chocolate cake? no, this occasion called for Red velvet.

This Red Velvet needed something different to lift it from the usual but tasty cream cheese frosting, in this case I was inspired by who introduced me to white chocolate mascarpone cream. To make it extra special I decided to decorate it with the always temperamental French macaron – too much? of course not.

Ingredients

120g salted butter at room temperature
300g caster sugar
2 egg
30g cocoa powder
40ml red food colouring
1 tsp vanilla extract
240ml buttermilk
300g plain flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
3 tsp white vinegar
1 x 8″ springform cake tin

For the frosting:
200g good quality white cooking chocolate chopped
100g double cream
1tsp vanilla paste/extract
30g usalted butter, at room temperature cubed
250g mascarpone cheese, cold

For the Macaron

3 large egg whites, room temperature
1tbs meringue powder
3tbs sugar
100g extra fine ground almonds
200g icing sugar, sifted
Red food colouring paste

Method

Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/gas mark 3.

Put the butter and the sugar in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment (or use a handheld electric whisk) and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy and well mixed. Turn the mixer up to high speed, slowly add the egg and beat until everything is well incorporated.

In a separate bowl, mix together the cocoa powder, red food colouring and vanilla extract to make a very thick, dark paste. Add to the butter mixture and mix thoroughly until evenly combined and coloured (scrape any unmixed ingredients from the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula). Turn the mixer down to slow speed and slowly pour in half the buttermilk.

Beat until well mixed, then add half the flour and beat until everything is well incorporated. Repeat this process until all the buttermilk and flour have been added. Scrape down the side of the bowl again. Turn the mixer up to high speed and beat until you have a smooth, even mixture. Turn the mixer down to low speed and add the bicarbonate of soda and vinegar. Beat until well mixed, then turn up the speed again and beat for a couple more minutes.

Meanwhile, make the frosting by bringing the double cream and vanilla the boil and pouring over the chopped chocolate let sit for one minute. Using a rubber spatula stir until all of the chocolate has melted allow to cool slightly.
Transfer to your mixer’s mixing bowl and using the whisk attachment begin whisking the chocolate ganache, turn the mixer to low and add in the butter continue to whisk on medium.
When the mixture begins to resemble whipped cream add in the mascarpone all at once and continue to whisk until smooth.
6. Spoon the cake mixture into the lined cake tin until two-thirds full and bake in the preheated oven for 60 minutes, or until the sponge bounces back when touched. A skewer inserted in the centre should come out clean. Leave the cakes to cool slightly in the tray before turning out onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely. When the cakes is cold, frost the cake with the white chocolate cream.

For the macaron:

Preheat the oven to 150 or gas mark 3 and line 2 baking trays with parchment paper.

Whip the whites and meringue powder until they are foamy, then slowly add the sugar and whip just until the whites barely hold a soft peak when the beaters are lifted. It is very important not to overwhip your egg whites). Stir the ground almonds and icing sugar together and then fold this into the whipped whites in 2 additions (the batter will be quite runny).

3. If you want to colour the macarons, stir in a touch of colour into the batter. Fill a piping bags fitted with a plain tip with the batter and pipe macarons that are 2 inches wide and an inch apart on the baking tray. Let the macarons sit for 10-30 minutes, until they develop a “skin” (until the surface of the macarons appear dull – no longer shiny). Bake for about 10 minutes, until they lift off the parchment paper using a spatula without sticking. Let them cool on the trays before removing.

4. To assemble, pipe or spread a little white chocolate cream on the bottom of one macaron and press the bottom of a second onto it, pressing gently. Continue until all of the macarons are filled.

5. The macarons will keep for up to 3 days in airtight
container.