So I have a weird relationship with red velvet cake. In that I do not like it, but I actually order it from bakeries as my way of gauging how good of a bakery they are – if they can make me enjoy a cake I inherently dislike, then they are definitely doing something right. Now I don’t hate red velvet for the flavor so much as I do the concept – it’s just a cake with a tiny amount of cocoa powder and red food coloring(I was legit raised to despite artificial food coloring by my Buddhist health nut mother), topped with cream cheese frosting. I don’t get why that’s a thing, and you would definitely not see them in the Asian/Taiwanese bakeries I frequented as a child, but that was kind of the allure of it too. It is such a foreign concept to me that I cannot help but want to learn more about it. Also, it does not hurt that the color red symbolizes good luck in Chinese and Taiwanese culture, so I appreciate that part, anyways. So I figured, why not tackle this cake for Valentine’s Day, but make it more in the image of something I would be okay or happy with. Since the main culprit of me disliking red velvet is the food coloring, that was a somewhat-easy fix: red beet powder. Beet powder can naturally dye the cake batter red, although I had to play around with the batter, as traditional leavening agents such as baking powder and baking soda will instantly ruin that red color. So I opted to use fluffed up egg whites for the cake, and some homemade buttermilk to lock in the red color by way of introducing acidity to the batter(this keeps it red!). I also used goat milk(totally optional) and rose water, just to give the cake a little more of a classy feel(and because both of those ingredients will mask the earthy flavor of the beets so you get the red color, but not the feeling of shoving sweetened dirt in your mouth).

For the components, we have a goat buttermilk-infused red velvet sponge cake, a rose milk soak, a whipped goat cheese mousse, a red mirror glaze, and white modeling chocolate roses, finished with edible pearls. For those of you who despise goat milk and goat cheese, you can sub those out with equal parts milk and either cream cheese or mascarpone cheese for a less tangy/gamey flavor. I just prefer it since it helps mask the beets. You can also use red food coloring, though my mother will judge you. All of the red coloration you are seeing in my photos were done entirely with just the freeze-dried beet powder. I also made my own modeling chocolate from scratch by mixing melted white chocolate with corn syrup, though you can totally just use the premade modeling chocolate or even fondant if you would like(I just went this route because it was relatively easy to make from scratch). I finished my cake with edible pearl sprinkles as well, just for that dainty touch. I wanted this cake to almost have a Queen of the Roses-kind of vibe, without obviously having the hearts, since the visual would then tie in with my usage of rose throughout the dessert! Honestly this cake would be perfect for an afternoon tea party, for Valentine’s Day, or just to eat alone in the dark while watching Netflix(which is my preferred method of practicing self-love!).

For the red velvet cake:
1/2 cup goat milk + 2 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup canola oil
2 dots red gel food coloring or 2 tbsp red beet powder
2 egg whites
1/3 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp cocoa powder
a pinch of salt

Mix goat milk with lemon juice and allow that to sit for 5 minutes to turn into buttermilk. Then add to your buttermilk the vanilla, canola oil, and the coloring. In a bowl, whip egg white with sugar to stiff peaks. In another bowl, sift in the dry ingredients. Fold the wet ingredients and egg whites into your dry ingredients to form your batter. Pour into a lined quarter sheet tray and spread into a thin, even layer. Bake at 325 degrees F for 15 minutes. Cool down completely before using in assembly.

For the rose milk soak:
1/2 cup goat milk
1/4 tsp rose water
a pinch of salt

Mix and keep refrigerated until initial assembly.

For the goat cheese mousse:
1/4 cup goat milk
1 tsp gelatin powder + 2 tbsp goat milk
a pinch of salt
3 egg yolks
1/4 cup granulated sugar
8oz goat cheese
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup heavy cream, whipped stiff

Heat up goat milk with gelatin and salt. In a mix, whisk together the egg yolks with sugar. Pour half of the heated goat milk into the egg yolks while whisking. Then combine both mixtures in a pot and whisk on medium heat for 2 minutes. Pass through a sieve to remove any lumps. In a bowl, cream the goat cheese and slowly whisk in your egg mixture. Once everything is combined, fold in the heavy cream to finish.

For initial assembly:
6-inch ring mold
Acetate
Cling wrap
Cooking spray

Cut 2 6-inch rings from the baked red velvet cake. Then line the 6-inch ring mold with cling wrap, acetate, and cooking spray. Start with 1/2 of the goat milk mousse first. Then place in one round of cake. Then add in the rest of the mousse. Finally, the rest of the mousse and the last round of cake to finish. Freeze for at least 4 hours before attempting to unmold, making sure that the entremet is frozen solid before attempting to glaze.

For the red mirror glaze:
1/4 cup goat milk + 2 packets gelatin powder
1/2 cup goat milk
1 cup white chocolate chips
a pinch of salt
2 dots red gel food coloring or 3 tbsp beet powder

Heat up gelatin with goat milk. Once it begins to simmer, take off heat and add in the chocolate and salt. Let it sit for 1 minute before mixing together with the colorings. Pass through a sieve to remove any lumps and allow the glaze to cool down to 90 degrees F before using.

For the white modeling chocolate roses:
1/2 cup white chocolate
3 tbsp corn syrup
a pinch of salt

Heat up 3/4 of the white chocolate in a double boiler with salt. Once fully melted, add in the rest of the white chocolate, off heat, and stir until everything is combined. Then add in the corn syrup and salt, mixing until combined. Let the chocolate cool for 2 minutes in the refrigerator before attempting to use. To shape, roll out the modeling chocolate to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut out 4 and 2-inch disks. Cut those disks into semi-circles. Pinch the round edges of the semicircles, and then roll them up to form your roses. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until time to garnish.

For final assembly:
Edible pearl sprinkles

Place the frozen entremet onto an elevated surface(I usually use a sheet tray and an upside-down deli cup). Pour the glaze over the entremet first. Let the glaze sit for at least 5 minutes before transferring to a serving plate. Garnish the top with the roses and the edible pearls to finish.