Red Velvet and all things coming up spring!

My children were here for a little weekend break~
I found this recipe in the "Kos" magazine....
It was for a chocolate cake but as I like all things bright,  I decided to add quite a lot of Red food colouring~
I must say~ I've tried a few chocolate cakes but this one definately beats them all~
Its moist, dense and seemed to stay fresh until the last crumb had been licked from the plate!

The photo has not come out so well as a little sweetheart that was visiting just used her blackberry to upload~ non the less~ the proof was in the eating~

 

here is the recipe~

 

560g cake flour

800g sugar

160g cocoa powder

20ml baking powder

4 eggs

7ml salt

500ml buttermilk

500ml sunflower oil

10ml vanilla

500ml boiling water

and quite a few (many!) drops of red food colouring....but you could leave this out.

 

And the method is really my style~ real easy ~ all thrown together in the mixer and the buttermilk keeps it really moist

 

Put the oven rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat oven to 150deg C.

Cut 2 rounds of baking paper and line  the bottom of 2 25 x 7cm loose bottom cake pans with this.

Spray with cooking spray or lightly grease .

Put all the ingredients into your mixer and mix on medium speed until well mixed.

Its a large amount of mixer so be careful of spillage.

Divide into the two pans. Bake for 1 hr 15min. Test if it has baked sufficiently.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pans. Remove from the pans very carefully and allow to cool further on wire rack.

 

I used Ina Garten's cream cheese frosting with a tsp of grated zest of orange and 1 tablespoon of orange juice added.

Decorate as desired.

I cannot bake but this cake is truly foolproof!

 

Now for a few snaps of my garden and braai room readily awaiting the arrival of spring!

 

the last of the winter pansies yet still so pretty !

These are on my patio and really thriving!.....it must be the peet keeping them going....

 

 thriving under the palms and strelitzias.....

In the herb garden on the other side of the house.....it's really my little hiding spot here...
with a quick cup of tea and a magazine....

I keep cutting back, using it in stews and soups and salads, but the rocket and the flat leave parsley is never ending!.....gorgeous! I should try out the freezing method I found on Latabledenana's blog!

and so here is  my Spring collage below!

  

A few of my favourite pieces at the moment......

A ♥  .......with my name delicately written in wire.....from that same sweetheart......
The Namaste bag for my ipad.....and the softest jersey for summer......
and not forgetting that book!

It's good to be back.......with love from Shel on Solomon ♥
Linking to SEASONAL SUNDAYS....