Cake of the week

by Caroline Cathcart

Ingredients:

•250g plain flour

•1⁄2tsp salt

•2tbsp cocoa powder

•110g unsalted butter (softened)

•300g sugar

•2 eggs

•1tsp vanilla essence

•240ml buttermilk

•38ml bottle red food colouring

•1tsp white wine vinegar

•1tsp bicarbonate of soda

For the butter icing:

•200g sugar

•225g butter

•1tsp vanilla essence

Method:

1 Pre-heat oven to 180°, gas mark 4 and line two 9 inch cake tins with greaseproof paper.

2 Sift together the flour, salt and cocoa powder in a bowl and set aside.

3 Cream the butter and sugar until fluffy, add the eggs and vanilla essence.

4 Whisk the buttermilk with the red food colouring and add to the butter mixture along with the sifted flour.

5 Lastly, in a small cup, combine the vinegar and bicarbonate of soda until they begin to foam, then add to the mixture and fold. Pour the mixture into the tins and bake for 25-30 minutes

To make the butter icing:

Beat the butter with the sugar and the vanilla until it is creamy. Once cooled, sandwich them together with the butter icing and then spread generously all over the cake.