full-fat cream cheese (we used Philadelphia) at room temperature
475g
icing sugar, sifted
Red and white sugar sprinkles, optional
Directions
Step 1
Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan) mark 4. Lightly grease a deep, round 20.5cm (8in) cake tin and line with baking parchment.
Step 2
In a freestanding mixer or using a handheld electric whisk, beat together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, about 5min. Beat in the food colouring paste.
Step 3
In a large jug, quickly beat together the vanilla, eggs, buttermilk and cider vinegar. Add the red butter mixture and beat until combined (don't worry if the mixture looks a little curdled). Sift over the flour, bicarbonate of soda and cocoa powder and fold together using a large metal spoon.
Step 4
Scrape into prepared tin, level surface and bake for 55-60min or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool in tin for 10min, then remove from tin and cool completely on a wire rack.
Step 5
For the icing, beat the butter in a freestanding mixer or with a handheld electric whisk until completely smooth. Next, beat in the room-temperature cream cheese. Sift over the icing sugar and beat (carefully, as there will be clouds of icing sugar otherwise) until fluffy and combined.
Step 6
Cut cooled cake into three horizontal layers. Use some of the icing to sandwich the layers together, then spread remaining icing over top and sides of cake. Scatter over the sugar sprinkles, if using, and serve in slices.
Storage
To store Keep cake in the fridge for up to two days. Bring to room temperature and serve.
An experienced and highly skilled team of food writers, stylists and digital content producers, the Good Housekeeping Cookery Team is a close-knit squad of food obsessives. Cookery Editor Emma Franklin is our resident chilli obsessive and barbecue expert, who spends an inordinate amount of time on holidays poking round the local supermarkets seeking out new and exciting foods. Senior Cookery Writer Alice Shields is a former pastry chef and baking fanatic who loves making bread and would have peanut butter with everything if she could. Her favourite carb is pasta, and our vibrant green spaghetti is her weeknight go-to. Lover of all things savoury, Senior Cookery Writer Grace Evans can be found eating crispy corn and nocellara olives at every opportunity, and will take the cheeseboard over dessert any time (though she cannot resist a slice of tres leches cake). With a wealth of professional kitchen know-how, culinary training and years of experience between them, they are all dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work (and if they don’t – we’ll have the answer for why*) every time (*90% of the time the answer is: “buy an separate oven thermometer”!).
