Ingredients
- Ermine Icing:
- 1/2 cup /113 grams butter, at room temperature, plus 2 tablespoons to prepare pans
- 3 tablespoons/22 grams cocoa powder, divided
- 1 1/2 cups/300 grams sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons/10 milliliters vanilla
- 2 tablespoons/30 milliliters red food coloring
- 1 teaspoon/6 grams salt
- 1 teaspoon/5 grams baking soda
- 2 1/2 cups/320 grams flour, sifted
- 1 cup/236 milliliters whole buttermilk
- 1 tablespoon/15 milliliters vinegar
- Ermine icing, or other fluffy white icing
- 5 tablespoons/40 grams flour
- 1 cup/235 milliliters whole milk
- 1 teaspoon/5 milliliters vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- 1 cup/ 230 grams unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup/200 grams granulated sugar
Preparation
Step 1
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Prepare three 9-inch cake pans by buttering lightly and sprinkling with 1 tablespoon sifted cocoa powder, tapping pans to coat and discarding extra cocoa.
Cream butter and sugar together. Add eggs one at a time and beat vigorously until each is incorporated. Mix in vanilla.
In a separate bowl, make a paste of the remaining 2 tablespoons cocoa and the food coloring.
Blend into butter mixture.
Sift together remaining dry ingredients.
Alternating in 2 batches each, add dry ingredients and buttermilk to the butter mixture.
In the last batch of buttermilk, mix in the vinegar before adding to the batter.
Mix until blended.
Divide batter among 3 pans and bake for about 20 to 25 minutes.
Cool on a rack completely. (Can also be made in 2 cake pans.)
To assemble, remove 1 cake from its pan and place flat side down on a serving platter.
Drop about 1 cup of icing onto cake and, using a flat spatula, spread evenly over top.
Remove the second cake from its pan. Place flat side down on top of first layer.
Use remaining frosting to cover top and sides of cake.
Tip:
Measurements for dry ingredients are given by weight for greater accuracy. The equivalent measurements by volume are approximate.
Ermine Icing:
Over medium heat, whisk flour and milk in a small saucepan and heat to a simmer, stirring frequently until it becomes very thick and almost puddinglike.
Remove from heat, whisk in vanilla and salt.
Pour into a bowl to allow it to cool completely.
Put plastic wrap on the surface to keep a skin from forming.
Use a mixer to cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally, about 5 minutes.
With the mixer on medium, add the cooled flour mixture a little bit at a time.
Continue to beat until the mixture becomes light and fluffy and resembles whipped cream.