Preheat the oven to 160°C and grease and line a 16cm cake tin with baking paper. If you don’t have a small cake tin, you can bake this recipe into a single-layer cake using an 18 or 20cm tin.

Whisk the eggs until foamy, then whisk in the cooled melted butter and buttermilk. Add a few drops of food colouring and whisk to form a bright red mixture. Add the cake mix and cocoa powder and gently fold in to form a smooth batter, adding a few more drops of food colouring if necessary to reach your desired colour.

Spread the batter evenly into the prepared tin and bake for 35-40 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Set aside to cool completely.

Meanwhile, prepare the cream cheese icing. Beat the butter with an electric mixer until smooth, creamy and pale in colour. Add the cream cheese and beat until smooth and combined. Mix in the sifted icing sugar in two batches, beating until just combined between additions. Do not overmix the icing, as this can destabilise the cream cheese, causing the icing to soften and separate.

Once the cake is cooled, slice it in half horizontally with a large serrated knife to form two layers, and even off the top part of the cake if it rose unevenly. Keep any cake crumbs and offcuts in a bowl to use for decorating.

Place the bottom cake layer on your serving plate and top with a layer of cream cheese icing. Stack the next layer of cake on top and finish with more icing, rippling it with the back of a spoon or small spatula for a nice finish. Decorate the cake with reserved cake crumbs – sprinkles, fresh berries and white chocolate curls also make great touches. 

Tips: Do not use liquid food colouring for this recipe, as it is not strong enough to create an intense colour. Using a 16cm cake tin creates a thick cake that is easy to slice into two layers.