Bloody Red Velvet Cake

Moist layers of cocoa-kissed red velvet cake frosted with silky smooth vanilla Swiss meringue buttercream frosting! It's also drizzled in white chocolate ganache "blood" and adorned with "broken glass" sugar shards. A bloody good cake indeed!

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Prep Time 2 30

Cook Time 27

Total Time 2 57

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 10 Slices

Ingredients

Candy "Glass" Shards:

2 cups granulated sugar
⅔ cup light corn syrup
¾ cup water
⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar

Red Velvet Cake:

1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
2 Tablespoons natural cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
2 eggs
¾ cup sour cream
1 ½ teaspoon vanilla
½ teaspoon vinegar
½ cup buttermilk*
1 Tablespoon red food coloring**

Vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream:

7 large egg whites
2 ¼ cup granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
1 ¾ cup (3 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold and sliced into about 20 pieces
1 teaspoon vanilla

White Chocolate "Blood" Ganache:

3 ounces white chocolate, chopped or chips
¼ cup heavy cream
Red and black food coloring

For Assembly:

Grated dark chocolate

Instructions

Make the "Glass" Shards:

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
Combine all of the ingredients in a medium saucepan. Place pan on the stove over medium-high heat, and stir the mixture until it comes to a boil.
Once it begins to boil, stop stirring and allow it to continue boiling. As soon as a candy thermometer reaches 300ºF, turn off the heat and immediately pour the candy liquid onto the baking sheet. Use a heat resistant spatula or a spoon, to spread the candy liquid out toward the edges and into an even sheet. Let sit and harden for 2 hours.
Once the sheet of candy is completely solid, use a hammer to carefully break it up into pieces. Be careful during this step.

Make the Cake:

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line four 6-inch round baking pans with parchment paper, and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until combined; set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugars together on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until combined, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Beat in the sour cream, vanilla, and vinegar on medium speed.
Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix until combined. Whisk the food coloring into the buttermilk, then pour it into the batter. Mix until just combined, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
Divide batter among the four cake pans. Bake for 25-27 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Make the Buttercream:

Combine the egg whites, sugar and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Remove bowl from mixer and place over a simmering pot of water. Whisking constantly, heat mixture until sugar is dissolved and the temperature registers 150-160°F on a candy thermometer, about 3 minutes.
Secure whisk attachment onto stand mixer, and beat the egg white mixture on high speed until cooled to room temperature and fluffy. Add the butter, one piece at a time, and continue beating until smooth and creamy. If the mixture looks curdled, that’s totally normal--just keep beating until it becomes smooth and satiny.***
Add the vanilla and continue beating for about 30 seconds.

Make the Ganache:

Place the white chocolate and heavy cream into a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in the microwave for 30 seconds, remove and stir until smooth. If you still see bits of unmelted chocolate throughout, heat for another 15-20 seconds.
Stir in the red food coloring, followed by just a teensy tiny bit of black food coloring (if using). Allow ganache to cool and thicken slightly for about 30 minutes.

To Assemble:

Place a layer of cake onto a cake plate or pedestal. Top with a layer of buttercream, then use a cheese grater to grate a bar of dark chocolate evenly over the buttercream. Top with another layer of cake, and repeat steps until the top layer of cake is added. Place in the freezer for 30 minutes to stabilize cake for easier frosting.
Once chilled and solid, frost the entire cake with a crumb coat, then return to the freezer until frosting has hardened. Add another layer of frosting, making sure that there is no cake peeking through the frosting.
Starting with the sides, pour the ganache along the top perimeter of the cake.**** Once the sides are done, fill the center in with ganache.
Take your "glass shards" and stick them into the center and sides of the cake. Pour more ganache onto the shards, if desired.

Notes

*If you don't have buttermilk, simply add 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar to a measuring cup, then add enough milk to equal half of a cup.

**I used Wilton's No Taste Red gel food coloring.

***If your buttercream looks runny, refrigerate the bowl for 30 minutes, take it out, and continue beating until smooth. If your frosting looks curdled or broken after several minutes of beating, simply transfer about 2 Tablespoons of the frosting to a small microwave-safe bowl and heat in the microwave until it just becomes liquified. Add this frosting liquid back into the bowl, and whip until the frosting is silky smooth. If it still looks curdled, just repeat the warming step again.

****If the ganache runs down the sides of the cake too quickly, return the cake to the freezer for about 15 minutes. Chilling the cake will slow down the drip. You can also chill the ganache in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes to thicken it up.