Stunning cocoa cake with twist (Print Version)

# Ingredients:

→ Cake layers

01 - 2⅛ cups (266 grams) all purpose flour (2 cups plus 2 tablespoons)
02 - ¼ cup (24 grams) unsweetened cocoa, not Dutch processed if possible, plus more for dusting the cake pans
03 - 1 teaspoon baking powder
04 - 1 teaspoon baking soda
05 - ¼ teaspoon salt
06 - 8 tablespoons (4 ounces) unsalted butter, softened, plus more for greasing the cake pans
07 - 1½ cups (300 grams) granulated sugar
08 - 2 eggs, room temperature
09 - 1 teaspoon vanilla
10 - 1 cup buttermilk
11 - 1 teaspoon white vinegar
12 - Purple food coloring, as needed

→ White chocolate cream cheese frosting

13 - 8 ounces (226 grams) white chocolate
14 - 12 ounces (340 grams) cream cheese, softened
15 - 6 ounces (12 tablespoons or 170 grams) unsalted butter, softened
16 - 1 teaspoon vanilla
17 - Food coloring, if desired

# Instructions:

01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and line two 9 inch round cake pans with parchment paper, and then grease the parchment paper and dust with cocoa powder.
02 - Sift the dry ingredients for the cake layers (flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt) into a medium bowl.
03 - In the bowl of stand mixer (or in a large mixing bowl if using a hand mixer), beat the butter for 3 to 5 minutes until soft and light, scraping the bowl intermittently. Add the sugar, and beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, another 1 to 2 minutes.
04 - Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat for one minute after each one. Scrape the bowl, add the vanilla, and beat for an additional minute.
05 - Measure out the buttermilk into a 2 cup measuring cup, and then add the vinegar and purple food coloring to the measuring cup.
06 - Add the dry ingredients in three parts and alternate with the buttermilk mixture (in two parts), starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix only as long as needed to incorporate the addition, and scrape down the bowl as needed.
07 - Pour the batter into the prepared pans, even the batter out in the pan, and give it one or two gentle thwacks onto the kitchen counter to remove any air bubbles. Bake on a middle rack of the oven for about 25 minutes until a toothpick or knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
08 - Cool the cake layers in the pans for about 10 minutes and then turn out onto cooling racks. Cool completely.
09 - Melt the white chocolate in a double boiler, being careful not to overheat it. Let cool. In a mixing bowl, cream the cream cheese and butter together until soft.
10 - Add the vanilla and cooled white chocolate to the cream cheese mixture and blend. Add food coloring, if using, to achieve desired color.

# Notes:

01 - This purple velvet cake is a variation of the classic red velvet cake that uses purple food coloring instead of red.
02 - The key to a purple cake is using a strong purple food coloring but also adding white, to lighten the overall color.
03 - This recipe was edited on April 24, 2024 with the goal of keeping the cocoa flavor but making it easier to obtain a purple cake.

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