Inspired by Classic Hollywood actress Lana Turner, my Lanallure Red Velvet Cake is as decadent, elegant, and glamorous as the star herself.
Lanallure Red Velvet Cake
March 10, 2020 Updated March 13, 2022 Jump to Recipe
At age 19, Lana Turner became a star at the most glamorous of all Hollywood studios, MGM.
According to Lana, she knew she’d achieved stardom at MGM when two things happened.
Lana Turner and "Lanallure"
The first sign of Lana’s new star power occurred when Louis B. Mayer, the head of MGM, agreed to Lana’s request for a private dressing room. Of all the young, beautiful actresses working on the 1939 film, These Glamour Girls, it was Lana who asked for her own dressing room, and got it.
The second sign of Lana’s graduation to stardom was when a salad in the studio commissary was named the “Lanallure Salad” after her. As Lana mused about this lucky salad’s role in her career [aff. link],
“Maybe that was it. I got top billing in my next picture.”
Lanallure Red Velvet Cake
I can’t find any record of what the “Lanallure Salad” entailed. I’m sure I’ll develop my own Lanallure Salad recipe at some point. But today, I’m borrowing the “Lanallure” name for an entirely different type of recipe. Nothing against salads, but a star as glamorous as Lana Turner deserves to be the namesake of a more glamorous dish.
And in my book, red velvet cake fits the bill.
So this is my Lanallure Red Velvet Cake.
A Red Velvet Cake Confession & Brief History
I’ve got a controversial confession to make.
I think cream cheese frosting is overrated.
And I don’t particularly enjoy it on red velvet cake.
In fact, cream cheese frosting wasn’t even historically used on red velvet when the cake first appeared last century. That distinction belongs to the difficult to make, but incredibly delicious, whipped roux “ermine” frosting. But I’m getting sidetracked here…
Since I’m not a huge fan of cream cheese frosting, and I’m still developing my own fool-proof ermine frosting recipe, I decided to pair this decadent red velvet cake with my Classic Buttercream Frosting. It’s impossible to go wrong with my easy buttercream recipe, and it’s absolutely delicious with this Lanallure Red Velvet Cake.
Make Lanallure Red Velvet Cake!
Make my Lanallure Red Velvet Cake next time you’re craving a decadent, elegant dessert. When you see this beautiful cake, I’m sure you’ll agree there’s no better namesake than the glamorous Lana Turner.
A Few Things!
This cake recipe uses whipped egg whites. If you’ve never whipped egg whites before, I’ve got a photo tutorial in my Heart Chiffon Cakes with Chocolate Chunks recipe. Be sure to check it out for my tips and tricks.
And take a look at my Lana Turner: A Life of Fashion article for all about Lana and my collection of Lana Turner owned items.
Lanallure Red Velvet Cake
Inspired by Classic Hollywood actress Lana Turner, my Lanallure Red Velvet Cake is as decadent, elegant, and glamorous as Lana herself.
Servings: 8
Print RecipeIngredients
For the wet ingredients:
- ⅓ cup butter
- 2 oz baking chocolate
- ⅔ cup vegetable oil
- 1 ¼ cup sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla
- ½ cup almond milk
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp red food coloring, (or red food coloring powder)
- 2 egg whites, whipped
For the dry ingredients:
- 1 ½ cups cake flour
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
Instructions
Whip the egg whites
- Separate 2 egg whites from their yokes (we won’t need these yolks in the recipe), and put the egg whites in a very clean mixing bowl.
- With a handheld or stand mixer with very clean beaters, beat the egg whites on medium speed until stiff peaks form, about 3-4 minutes. (See the pictures in my Chiffon Cake with Chocolate Chunks Recipe for reference.)
- You know the peaks are stiff enough if when you take your egg beaters out of the egg whites, the peaks hold their shape and kind of lift out of the bowl with the egg beaters.
- Set aside, and proceed quickly with the following steps. The shorter the egg whites sit the better!
Melt the butter and chocolate
- In a small saucepan, melt the butter and chocolate. Whisk them together as they melt, then let the mixture cool for 5 minutes.
Prepare the dry ingredients
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cake flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.
Finish the wet ingredients
- Back to the saucepan with the butter and chocolate! Now add in the vegetable oil, vanilla extract, almond milk, and food coloring. Whisk everything together, then add the 2 eggs. Whisk again until everything is fully incorporated.
Combine the wet and dry ingredients
- Now transfer the wet ingredients to the mixing bowl with the dry ingredients, and whisk everything together until smooth. Be careful not to over mix though!
Add the egg whites
- Now add the whipped egg whites to the cake batter. With a silicone spatula, very gently fold them into the cake batter until you cannot see any white streaks from the egg whites.
Bake the cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Oil two 9 inch round metal cake pans.
- Pour the cake batter evenly into each pan. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the cake is spring-y to the touch. You shouldn’t need to insert a toothpick to check for done-ness, but if you do, the toothpick inserted will come out mostly clean.
- Let the cakes cool completely before frosting.
Frost the cakes and serve!
- Frost your red velvet cake as desired, and serve. I recommend using my Classic Buttercream.
Notes
This recipe makes two, 9 inch round cake pans. Frost the cakes with my Classic Buttercream. This red velvet cake is also delicious without frosting. Add ¾ cup chocolate chips or chocolate chunks to the batter for a delicious variation.
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This Post Has 4 Comments
I get ya when it comes to cream cheese frosting. I must admit that I do like cream cheese frosting with a couple of cakes – namely red velvet and carrot – but in general I always opt for buttercream. The worst is when a coworker has a birthday, and someone gets a cake from the store with cream cheese frosting…or worse, that “bettercream” stuff. Blech. Buttercream all the way for me! Anyways, this cake is beautiful!
Thank you David! Totally agree with you about buttercream. Whipped roux and buttercream are my absolute favorites. 😋
What a fabulous red velvet cake, Shannon! I don’t mind cream cheese frosting but agree it’s not the best. I’d love to try a piece of this, it truly looks luxurious!
Thanks Katerina! 💗