Red Velvet according to Šárka Divácká: Proper whipping is the basis for a fluffy body
Preparing the perfect cake base is not just about accurately weighing the ingredients. In the next episode of Extrakurz, Šárka Divácká will show why it matters to beat eggs correctly, when to add food coloring, and how to mix the dough to maintain its fluffiness.
In the next episode of Extrakurz with Šárka Divácká, we will start preparing the dough for Red Velvet. The pastry chef will show why the right size of container is important when whipping, why loose and liquid ingredients are prepared separately, and when to add red food coloring. In the video, she will also demonstrate how to gently mix the dough, divide it into molds, and bake it correctly.
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Beat the eggs and sugar well.
The basis of a fluffy cake is well-beaten egg foam. Therefore, beat the eggs with granulated sugar with a balloon whisk for a sufficiently long time. The size of the container is also important. A bowl that is too small or too large will not provide the foam with ideal conditions for whipping and stabilization. A properly whipped mixture creates a characteristic ribbon on the surface, which slowly sinks back into the foam.
Prepare dry and liquid ingredients separately.
First, mix the flour, unalkaliized cocoa, salt, baking soda, and baking powder thoroughly. This will help distribute the baking powder and cocoa evenly throughout the dough and prevent lumps. Do the same for the liquid ingredients. Mix the buttermilk with the oil and lemon juice. The pre-mixed ingredients will then be better incorporated into the dough.
Add the food coloring to the beaten eggs.
For the typical red color of Red Velvet, Šárka uses concentrated gel food coloring. The correct timing is important. Do not add it to the eggs and sugar before beating, but only when the foam is sufficiently whipped. If added too early, it may not be possible to achieve the necessary volume.
Mix the dough by hand and gently.
Gradually add the dry and liquid ingredients to the beaten eggs. Šárka recommends using a metal whisk and working quickly but gently. The whisk needs to reach the bottom of the container to properly incorporate all the ingredients. Finally, we run the dough through the bottom with a spatula and also clean the edges of the container. According to Šárka, it is the manual work that helps to preserve the delicate structure of the whipped base.
Do not open the oven for the first few minutes of baking.
Divide the dough into molds and bake in a preheated oven. For a static oven, Šárka recommends 170 °C, for hot air baking, reduce the temperature to 155 °C. Bake for approximately 40 minutes, depending on the type of oven. Do not open the oven for the first 20 minutes so that the structure of the body does not collapse when the temperature changes. You can tell when the body is cooked by the elasticity of the body, or check it with a skewer.
According to Šárka, properly beaten eggs, gentle mixing, and patience during baking are the basis of a successful corpus. In the next episode of Extrakurz, we will look at another part of the Red Velvet preparation and the cream with which the individual corpuses are greased.
