Red Phantom Cake - Recipe

Red Phantom Cake
adapted from The Hummingbird Bakery cookbook
  • For the cake
  • 60g unsalted butter
  • 150g caster sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1.5 tbsp red food colouring
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tbsp cocoa powder
  • 150g plain flour
  • ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 120ml buttermilk
  • 1½ tsp vinegar
  • raspberries to decorate

  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C and butter the skeleton cake tin.
  2. Beat the butter and caster sugar together for a few minutes
  3. Add the egg and beat until the mixture is thick
  4. Add the food colouring and vanilla extract and mix well.
  5. Sift together the cocoa powder, flour and bicarbonate of soda in a bowl and set aside for a moment.
  6. Mix together the buttermilk and vinegar in a jug.
  7. In alternate turns add the flour and the buttermilk mixtures to the rest of the batter. You should add the flour in 3 additions and the buttermilk in 2 additions, starting and ending with the flour. Mix until just incorporated.
  8. Pour into the skeleton cake tin and bake for 30-35 mins.
  9. Rest for 10 mins in the tin and then turn out onto a cooling rack.
For the frosting
adapted from ‘Baked in America’ from the Outsider Tart boys
  • 300g cream cheese
  • 250g mascarpone
  • 140g caster sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Beat all the ingredients until thick and fully incorporated and the right consistency for piping.