Mahogany Cake

Our BSM Test Kitchen Mahogany cake is the "crunchy" version of red velvet cake. Using our organic Standard All-Purpose flour and ancient whole grain Emmer, this recipe does not  include artificial red dye...yet you get the same great flavor and moist texture in a classic red velvet cake! 

 Download a printable version of the recipe here.

Mahogany Cake 

Yield: 2 layered 8-in cakes

An old time American classic, and the precursor to red velvet cake before the invention of red food dye. This easy recipe using natural cocoa powder, combined with other acidic ingredients allows for a chemical reaction to occur-resulting in a slightly “reddish” hue to the chocolate cake sponge. *This recipe also showcases the addition of ancient grains that provide a boost in nutrition and flavor.

“You get the same great taste of moist red velvet cake without artificial food dye. “Red” is not a flavor.” -Pam, BSM Recipe Developer 

Ingredients:

Cake batter:

180g BSM All Purpose flour

60g BSM Emmer whole grain

42g natural cocoa powder

7g fine sea salt

8g baking soda

300g cane sugar

170g grapeseed oil

8g vanilla extract

3 large eggs (room temp)

227g full fat buttermilk (room temp)

10g apple cider vinegar

Cream cheese buttercream:

1 8oz pkg full fat cream cheese (softened)  

225g (2 sticks) unsalted butter (softened)

575g confectioner’s sugar

5g fine sea salt

10g vanilla extract

heavy splash of half & half

Preheat an oven to 325°F.

In the bowl of a stand-up mixer, combine all of the dry ingredients and whisk to combine. Be sure to sift the cocoa powder into the dry mix to prevent any clumps.

In a separate bowl, combine the buttermilk, eggs, grapeseed oil, vanilla extract, and apple cider vinegar. Whisk to combine. It is important that all of the wet ingredients are room temperature for a silky-smooth cake batter.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients all at once. Using the whisk attachment, whisk on low, and gradually scrape the sides of the bowl for about 45sec. Make sure to not over-mix!

Finish folding the batter gently until you no longer see any dry bits.

Spray two 8-inch round cake pans with pan spray, and line the bottoms with pre-cut parchment rounds. Pour the batter equally into each pan, about 555g each. Gently tap each pan on a flat surface to release any large bubbles.

Bake for 25-35 min depending on your oven. Be sure to rotate the cakes at the 25 min mark or so to ensure an even bake. Never open the oven door prior to this when the cakes are still very raw, as this can cause the cake sponge to sink. Use a toothpick or cake tester to check if the cakes are done baking.

Allow the cake layers to cool completely before layering and icing with the above cream cheese buttercream, or whichever topping you prefer! Slice and enjoy!

*These cake layers will store in the fridge for up to 1 week, or freeze for up to 1 month. This cake will last up to 5 days at room temperature…. if it lasts that long!