Red velvet cake

Although it is quite simple, this cake is a best seller at Honeytrap on Auckland's Karangahape Road - maybe, they say, because of its colour and the fact that they sprinkle it with hundreds and thousands.

Ingredients

2 cups	Plain flour
1 tsp	Baking soda
1 tsp	Baking powder
2 tsp	Cocoa powder, unsweetened
½ tsp	Salt
2 cups	Sugar
1 cup	Vegetable oil
2	Eggs
1 cup	Buttermilk
2 tsp	Vanilla extract
6 tsp	Red food colouring, up to 12 tsp
½ cup	Coffee, black, hot
1 tsp	White vinegar

Icing

60 g	Cream cheese, softened
30 g	Butter, softened
½ tsp	Vanilla essence
¾ cup	Icing sugar
1 packet	Hundreds and Thousands

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 180C.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cocoa powder and salt. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, combine the sugar and vegetable oil.
4. Mix in the eggs, buttermilk, vanilla and red food colouring until combined. Stir in the coffee and white vinegar.
5. Combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients a little at time, mixing after each addition, just until combined.
6. Generously grease and line a 9-inch cake pan. Pour the batter evenly into the pan.
7. Bake in the middle rack for one hour or until a toothpick comes out clean.
8. Do not over-bake as cake will continue to cook as it cools. Remove the cake from the pan and let it cool.
9. For the icing, place cream cheese, butter and vanilla in an electric mixer and beat until pale.
10. Gradually add icing sugar, beating until combined.
11. Ice cake with cream cheese frosting and sprinkle with hundreds and thousands.