Blue Velvet Cake

Ingredients:

For the Cake:

3 cups plain flour

1 tbsp cocoa powder

1 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp salt

3/4 cup butter

2 - 2 1/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 tsp vanilla essence

3 large eggs

2 tsp blue food colouring

1/8 tsp violet food colouring

1 1/2 tsp vinegar

1 1/2 cup buttermilk

For Vanilla buttercream frosting:

1 cup butter, at room temperature

4 cups powdered sugar/ icing sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

2-3 tbsp milk

For the Ganache:

1 cup white chocolate

1/3 cup heavy cream

blue food colouring (for drip)

Preparation:

For the Cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease and line two 9-inch round cake pans with baking paper.
2. In a medium bowl, add plain flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt and mix well and keep it aside.
3. In a large bowl, add butter and beat with a mixer on medium for 30 seconds.
4. Gradually add sugar, 1/4 cup at a time, beating on medium until combined.
5. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.
6. Then beat in vanilla essence, blue and violet food colouring.
7. In a bowl, add vinegar into buttermilk and stir well.
8. Add flour mixture and buttermilk mixture alternately, beating on low after each addition just until combined.
9. Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans and place them in the preheated oven.
10. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre of the cakes comes out clean. 
11. Cool the cakes in their pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes and then remove the baking paper.
12. Allow cakes to cool completely before frosting.

For Buttercream frosting:

1. In a bowl or in the bowl of an electric mixer, add butter and beat on medium speed until completely smooth.
2. One cup at time, add 2 cups of icing sugar , beating after each addition.
3. Add vanilla extract and beat to combine. Add about 1 tbsp of milk and continue beating.
4. Add the remaining 2 cups of icing sugar, one at a time and beat. Add 1-2 tbsp milk and beat until the desired consistency is reached.

For the Ganache:

1. Heat the heavy cream over medium heat in a small pot.
2. Chop white chocolate into very small pieces and add it into the heated cream.
3. Mix until chocolate is fully melted.
4. Set aside a small amount for the blue drip on top and mix it with blue food colouring.

For Cake Assembly:

1. Cut each cake into half to create four layers.
2. Apply a smooth layer of the buttercream frosting between each layer and stack them on top of each other.
3. Lightly crumb coat the cake with buttercream frosting and let it chill in the fridge for 5 minutes.
4. Pour the prepared ganache over the cake, allowing it to cover all sides. Let it chill in the fridge.
5. Pipe the blue ganache along the edges to create the drip and spread the ganache on the top.
6. Decorate with coloured sprinkles on the edges, piped buttercream rosettes and mini chocolates on the top.