Green Velvet Cake
This Green Velvet Cake is a stunner for St. Patrick’s Day or any time you want an extraordinary cake with a pop of color! It’s tender, velvety crumb and the almond cream cheese buttercream make a delicious dessert for all occasions!
This is a one-bowl, no-mixer, required cake so there’s no reason not to make it. Feel free to change the color depending on the holiday (pink is beautiful for Valentine’s Day, yellow for Easter, etc).
What exactly is a “velvet” cake? This cake first came into existence in the 1800’s. Cakes that used cocoa were considered a luxury cake. They would be called velvet cakes and serve them at fancy parties. The term also implied that the texture would be smooth and soft.
This cake doesn’t include any cocoa but it has the same soft, tender crumb as its red-hued cousin. It is delicate and tender and the almond-flavored buttercream is the perfect offset for this lovely cake.
We begin this pretty little thing by yelling some Irish funny sayings followed by some jolly songs. If that’s not your thing, try creaming the butter with sugar and vanilla. This will produce a very grainy texture.
Add the buttermilk and cake flour alternatively in 3 batches. Add the baking soda, baking powder and salt.
Add the egg whites one at a time, whisking vigorously for 30 seconds after each addition. Be sure you give it the full 30 seconds. This will help create that velvety texture.
Add the food coloring until you get the desired shade that you want.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Rap the pan 3 times on the counter to eliminate air bubbles and then bake it for 35 minutes.
At this point, bring up the sides of the aluminum foil around the pan. This will prevent the edges of the cake from getting too dark or, heaven forbid, burning! Bake for another 10-15 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely before frosting it.
To make the buttercream, melt the butter and cream cheese in a microwaveable bowl until the butter has melted and the cream cheese is quite soft.
Whisk the butter and cream cheese until well combined. It won’t be completely smooth but try to get it as smooth as possible.
Add half-and-half and extracts. Whisk again until smooth. Add powdered sugar and whisk until you have a spreadable consistency.
Transfer the cake to a platter and cover the tops and sides with a thin coating. Then add more cream cheese to completely coat the cake. Make swirls on the top if desired.
Press nonpareils onto the sides and sprinkle on the top of the cake.
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Green Velvet Cake
Makes: 16 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Bake Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Ingredients
Cake:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, very soft
- 1 & 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 cups cake flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 3 large egg whites
- green gel or liquid food color (I use Wilton Leaf Green Gel)
Buttercream:
- 4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- 1 tbsp half-and-half or cream (maybe a bit more)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4-1/2 tsp almond extract
- 3 & 1/2 -4 cups powdered sugar
- nonpareils for garnish, if desired
Instructions
Prep:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9-inch cake pan (with sides at least 2 inches tall with baking spray.
Line the pan with a circle of parchment paper. Line a sheet pan with foil. Set both pans aside for now.
Cake:
Stir the butter until light and creamy. Add the sugar and vanilla and stir again until well combined. (It will not be smooth and creamy at this point but instead thick with a sandy texture.)
Add approximately 1/3 (doesn’t have to be exact) of the buttermilk and stir to combine. Then add approximately 1/3 of the flour and stir again. Repeat x 2 until all of the buttermilk and flour have been added. Add the baking soda, baking powder and salt and stir to combine.
Add egg whites, one at a time and whisk vigorously for 30 seconds after each addition. Don’t cheat! I like to set a timer. After the egg whites have been whisked in the batter will be smooth and satiny.
Add green food coloring, stirring after each drop until the desired shade of green is reached. (I used 5-6 drops.)
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top to an even layer with an offset knife or spatula. Pick the pan up, lift it a few inches above the counter and let it drop. Repeat this 3-4 times to bring any air bubbles to the surface. Let the pan sit for a minute or two then proceed with the next step.
Bake for 35 minutes then pull up the foil around the edges of the pan to prevent the crust from getting too brown. Bake for an additional 10-15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool for 20 minutes in the pan, then invert the cake onto a cooling rack. (The flat bottom of the cake now becomes the top.) Cool the cake completely before icing with the buttercream. While the cake is cooling, make the cream cheese buttercream.
Buttercream:
Combine the butter and cream cheese in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover with a damp paper towel or plastic wrap and cook on high power for 90-100 seconds or until the butter is melted and the cream cheese is very soft. Whisk the butter and cream cheese together until well combined and very smooth.
Add one tablespoon of half-and-half (or cream), the vanilla extract and 1/4 teaspoon of the almond extract. Whisk again until smooth. Taste and add more almond extract, if desired. Add 3 cups of powdered sugar. Whisk until smooth. Add more powdered sugar till you have a spreadable consistency. I usually go with a little looser consistency as it will thicken up a bit as you spread it on the cake.
To Ice the Cake:
Transfer the cake to a serving plate or platter. Spoon out 1/2-3/4 of the icing onto the top of the cake. With an offset knife spread a very thin layer of icing all over the top and sides of the cake. Add more icing as needed to cover the entire cake. Sprinkle with nonpareils while the icing is still wet, if desired.
Spoon or scrape most of the remaining icing onto the top of the cake. With an offset knife, spread the icing to cover the top and sides of the cake. Smooth the sides and swirl the top with the back of a spoon, if desired. Sprinkle with nonpareils (optional).
Recipe by The Cafe Sucre Farine
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