Step 1

Preheat oven to 180C/350F (all oven types). Butter 2 x 21cm / 8" round cake pans (sides and base) and dust with cocoa powder.

Step 2

Sift the Dry Ingredients and whisk to combine in a bowl.

Step 3

Place butter and sugar in a bowl and beat with electric beater or in stand mixer until smooth and well combined (use paddle attachment if using stand mixer).

Step 4

Add eggs, one at a time, beating in between to combine. At first it will look curdle - keep beating until it's smooth.

Step 5

Add vegetable oil, vinegar, vanilla, buttermilk and red food colouring. Beat until combined and smooth (Note 5).

Step 6

Add Dry Ingredients. Beat until just combined - some small lumps is ok, that's better than over mixing.

Step 7

Divide batter between cake pans. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes on the same shelf, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. (Note 6)

Step 8

Rest for 10 minutes in the pan then turn out onto a cooling rack and allow to cool.

Step 9

Beat together cream cheese, butter and vanilla for 3 minutes (this makes it really smooth and changes from yellow to almost white). Add icing sugar and beat for 2 minutes or until frosting is light and fluffy to your taste. If your frosting seems too runny (depends on quality of cream cheese/ if the cream cheese was too soft), just add more icing sugar.

Step 10

Cut the top off the cake using a serrated knife (to make the layers neat).

Step 11

Spread one cake with 1 1/2 cups of frosting. Top with the other cake. Spread top and sides with remaining frosting.

Step 12

Optional: Crumble offcuts and use to decorate the top rim and base of the cake.