Pink Velvet Cake

Pink velvet cake is fluffy, moist and has a velvety crumb that melts in your mouth

Homemade Pink velvet cake covered in a thick layer of stabilized whipped cream and fresh raspberries. If you loved my white velvet buttermilk cake and my red velvet cake, this is the cake for you. This pretty pink cake is perfect for Valentine's Day. 

What does pink velvet cake taste like?

Pink velvet cake is a vanilla-flavored cake. The pink color comes from just a touch of pink food coloring although you could use natural colorings like strawberry or raspberry emulsion to get that pretty pink color without any artificial colors. 

I like to use a liquid pink food coloring instead of a gel because it mixes into the milk/egg mixture better than a gel which can leave behind a few specks. If all you have is gel food coloring then mix it with a teaspoon of warm water and stir well before adding it into your cake batter. 

How do you make a pink velvet layer cake?

Making a layer cake doesn't have to be hard. Follow these simple steps to making a beautiful pink velvet layer cake. 

1. Bake your pink velvet cake layers and let them cool
2. Trim off the dome and the brown sides of the cake if you want your cake slice to be really pretty
3. Make your stabilized whipped cream
4. Place your first layer of cake onto your cake board or plate
5. Use an offset spatula to spread a layer of whipped cream on top of the cake then place your second layer of cake on top of the whipped cream. Repeat with the final layer of cake. 
6. Spread a thin layer of whipped cream all over your cake and then put the whole cake into the freezer for 10 minutes
7. Spread a final layer of whipped cream on top of the cake
8. Use a bench scraper to make the sides straight and an offset spatula to make the top flat
9. Optional: use a cake comb to make the sides more interesting
10. Finish the cake design with some swirls of whipped cream on top using a 1M piping tip and finish with some fresh raspberries. 

If you want to learn more about the basics of stacking and frosting a cake you can check out this tutorial on making your first cake. 

What makes a cake velvet cake?

A lot of people ask what makes a cake a velvet cake. The answer is in the texture of the cake. Velvet cakes make use of buttermilk and sometimes vinegar that reacts with baking soda to create a delicious velvet-textured cake. 

Buttermilk is one of those magical ingredients that really adds tenderness to baked goods. It also leaves behind a slightly tangy flavor that cuts down on the sweetness of a cake. 

What makes velvet cake so moist?

Velvet cakes are super moist because of the buttermilk and the oil. No need for simple syrup, these cakes stay moist for days. 

Don't have buttermilk? It's ok! You can substitute buttermilk for 10 ounces of milk with 2 Tablespoons of white vinegar or lemon juice added. Stir and let sit for 5 minutes then add it to your recipe. 

Pink velvet cake with stabilized whipped cream should be stored in the refrigerator because of the dairy in the whipped cream but cold cake doesn't taste so great. I take my cake out of the fridge for about an hour or two before it will be served to give the cake a chance to warm up. 

Other velvet cake recipes you might enjoy

Black Velvet Cake
Authentic Red Velvet Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting
White Velvet Cake With Ermine Frosting
Green Velvet Cake

Recipe

Pink velvet buttermilk cake recipe

Homemade pink velvet cake gets its flavor and velvety texture from buttermilk. The stabilized whipped cream and fresh raspberries add a touch of sweetness. A moist, tender cake that is great for any special occasion. This recipe makes three 6"x2" tall cakes.

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Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes minutes

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: 8 cups

Calories: 656kcal

Author: Elizabeth Marek

Equipment

• Stand Mixer
• Whisk Attachment
• Paddle Attachment

Ingredients

Pink Velvet Cake Ingredients

• 13 oz cake flour
• 12 oz granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 5 oz egg whites room temperature
• 4 oz vegetable oil
• 10 oz buttermilk room temperature or slightly warm
• 6 oz butter unsalted and softened
• 2 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 drops electric pink food coloring

Stabilized Whipped Cream

• 24 ounces Heavy whipping cream
• 4 ounces powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons powdered gelatin
• 1 Tablespoon cold water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon heavy whipping cream
• 1 cup fresh raspberries (optional) garnish

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• NOTE: It is SUPER IMPORTANT that all the room temperature ingredients listed above are room temperature and measured by weight so that the ingredients mix and incorporate correctly.

  Heat oven to 335º F/168º C — 350º F/177º C. I tend to use lower setting to prevent my cakes from getting too dark on the outside before the inside is done baking.
• Prepare two three 6"x2" cake pans with cake goop or another preferred pan spray. Fill your pans about ¾ of the way full of batter. 
• Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Mix 10 seconds to combine. 
• Combine ½ cup of the milk and the oil together and set aside. 
• Combine the remaining milk, egg whites, pink food coloring and vanilla together, whisk to break up the eggs and set aside. 
• Add your softened butter to the dry ingredients and mix on low until mixture resembles a coarse sand (about 30 seconds). Add in your milk/oil mixture and let mix until dry ingredients are moistened and then bump up to med (setting 4 on my kitchenaid) and let mix for 2 minutes to develop the cakes structure. If you don't let your cake mix on this step your cake could collapse. 
• Scrape your bowl and then reduce speed to low. Add in your egg white mixture in three batches, letting the batter mix for 15 seconds between additions. 
• Scrape down the sides again to make sure everything has incorporated then pour into prepared pans.

  Bake 35-40 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out cleanly but the cake has not begun to shrink yet from the sides of the pan. 

  IMMEDIATELY TAP PAN FIRMLY on countertop once to release the steam from the cake. This stops the cake from shrinking. 
• Let cakes cool for 10 minutes inside the pan before flipping them out. The cake will shrink a bit and that is normal. Flip onto a cooling rack and let cool fully. I chill my cakes before handling or you can wrap them in plastic wrap and freeze them to trap moisture in the cake. Thaw on the countertop while still wrapped before frosting. 

Stabilized Whipped Cream

• Sprinkle your gelatin over the water and let bloom for 5 minutes. 
• Melt gelatin for 5 seconds in the microwave. If not fully melted do another 3 seconds. You can tell gelatin is melted when there are no granules of unmelted gelatin visible.

  After dissolving your gelatin, add in 1 teaspoon of heavy cream and mix. If your gelatin is too cold, heat again until it's melted (5 seconds).
• In a cold mixing bowl, whip your heavy cream to soft peaks
• Add in your powdered sugar and vanilla and mix until combined
• Turn your mixer down to low and drizzle in your gelatin and mix until whipped cream forms stiff peaks. Do not over-mix or your whipped cream will turn into butter.

Video

Notes

IMPORTANT: Make sure all your ingredients are at room temp and you're using a scale to measure. Substituting ingredients may cause this recipe to fail. (see notes at the bottom of the recipe)

Important Things To Note Before You Start

1. Bring all your ingredients to room temperature or even a little warm (eggs, buttermilk, butter, etc) to ensure your batter does not break or curdle. 

2. Use a scale to weigh your ingredients (including liquids) unless otherwise instructed (Tablespoons, teaspoons, pinch etc). Metric measurements are available in the recipe card. Scaled ingredients are much more accurate than using cups and help ensure the success of your recipe. 

3. Practice Mise en Place (everything in it's place). Measure out your ingredients ahead of time and have them ready before you start mixing to reduce the chances of accidentally leaving something out.

4. Chill your cakes before frosting and filling. You can cover a frosted and chilled cake in fondant if you wish. This cake is also great for stacking. I always keep my cakes chilled in the refrigerator before delivery for easy transporting. 

5. If the recipe calls for specific ingredients like cake flour, replacing it with all purpose flour and cornstarch is not recommended unless specified in the recipe that it’s ok. Substituting ingredients may cause this recipe to fail. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 656kcal | Carbohydrates: 62g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 43g | Saturated Fat: 29g | Cholesterol: 111mg | Sodium: 410mg | Potassium: 226mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 39g | Vitamin A: 1233IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 115mg | Iron: 1mg

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