Red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting

Let the butter and cream cheese soften and the buttermilk come to room temperature. Separate the eggs into different bowls. Grease 2 round 23 cm tins with 5 g butter and line the bases with baking paper. Heat the conventional oven to 175 °C. Mix the flour, baking soda, cocoa and 0.5 tsp salt.

Beat 113 g butter with the sugar for about 1 minute. Add the oil, prepared yolks, 3 tsp vanilla extract and vinegar, then beat for 2 minutes. At low speed, alternate additions of the dry mixture and buttermilk. Mix in the colouring. Whip the prepared whites to soft peaks for about 3 minutes and gently fold into the batter.

Divide the batter between the tins and bake for 30 to 32 minutes. The tops should spring back gently and a skewer inserted in the centre should come out free of raw batter. Cool completely in the tins on a wire rack, then turn out.

Beat the cream cheese with 170 g butter until smooth. Gradually beat in the icing sugar, then 1.5 tsp vanilla extract and 0.125 tsp salt. Beat until creamy and spreadable but not runny. Level the cold cakes if domed. Spread frosting between the layers and over the top and sides. Decorate with the crumbled thin trimmings. Chill for at least 60 minutes before slicing.