It was my grandparents’ 42nd anniversary and I thought baking a cake would be my gift to them for their anniversary. I made a cream cheese frosting for it too. This is how to make it:

For the cake:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C centigrade. Grease the cake pan with butter and line it with baking paper.
2. Sift 2 ⅔ cups of flour, 2 Tbsp of cocoa powder, 1 tsp baking soda and a pinch of salt and whisk to combine.
3. In another bowl, mix ½ cup unsalted butter (at room temperature) with 1 ½ cups of sugar until combined.
4. Combine 2 eggs, one at a time and beat until smooth.
5. Mix in 1 cup vegetable oil, 1 tsp white vinegar, 2 tsp vanilla extract and 1 cup buttermilk.
6. Add the sifted flour mixture little by little and beat it until mixed properly.
7. Gradually add 30g of red food colour.
8. Pour the batter into the greased baking pan and remove any air bubbles by tapping the baking pan.
9. Bake for 30 minutes and insert a toothpick in the middle. If the toothpick is clean, then the cake is cooked. If not, bake for another 10-15 minutes or until cooked. Ask an adult for help.
10. Remove from the oven and let it cool completely. Ask an adult for help to do this.

For the frosting:

1. In a bowl, sift ¾ cup of powdered sugar.
2. Beat 250g cream cheese or soft cheese (at room temperature) with the powdered sugar and 1 tsp vanilla extract.
3. In another bowl, whip the whipping cream until stiff peaks. Gradually fold it into the cream cheese or soft cheese mixture until it is fully mixed.
4. Spread this mixture onto the cooled cake and set aside.