Red Velvet Cake Recipe

This Red Velvet Cake recipe is far more complex than a chocolate cake with red food coloring. The tenderizing buttermilk and vinegar create a texture that's soft, velvety, and full of tangy-rich flavor. Plus this recipe only needs one bowl, so it's an easy delicious recipe with very little cleanup required. Pair it with cream cheese frosting or Ermine buttercream for a new favorite cake recipe!

Red food color can have a bitter flavor, so you don’t need to over-color this cake, the cocoa powder and food coloring work together to deepen the color. (You don’t even have to use red if you don’t want to!)

Red Velvet Cake Ingredients

There are so many versions of red velvet cake, but to get to make the best version I referred back to these authentic ingredients that always make this classic cake a success.

Buttermilk: This is a key ingredient to achieving the tender “velvety” texture of this cake. The lactic acid (which is milder than lemon juice or vinegar) breaks down the long strands of gluten, and it thickens the buttermilk, giving it a creamy quality. I recommend using real cultured buttermilk for this cake to give it that distinct “velvet” flavor. If you don’t have any buttermilk on hand, learn how to make it with my buttermilk substitute recipe.

White Vinegar: It sounds like a strange ingredient in a cake, but it is essential for helping the baking soda leaven the cake. Originally red velvet cake was colored with beet juice, however, when it is baked it can turn blue, so the acid from the vinegar would keep the beet juice a vibrant red color. You can use a different vinegar or acid, like lemon juice and it will achieve the same chemical reaction.

Cocoa Powder: The purpose of cocoa powder in this recipe might not be what you think it is! The natural cocoa powder works alongside the buttermilk and vinegar to tenderize the flour and create a softer, finer, velvety crumb.

Making The Red Velvet Cake

1. Preheat your oven to 335°F and prepare three 6” x 2” pans or two 8" x 2” cake pans with cake goop or your preferred pan release. It also works well in all pans from a bundt pan to a cupcake.
2. Combine the eggs, vegetable oil, buttermilk, vinegar, butter, vanilla, and red food coloring in a medium bowl and set it aside. I like using food coloring gel instead of liquid food coloring for a more vibrant color. My favorite brands are ChefMaster and Americolor super red. 
3. Combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda in the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Mix this on low speed for a few seconds to combine.
4. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry and mix on medium speed until the batter is fully incorporated and smooth (about 1 minute). Don't forget to scrape the bowl to ensure all the ingredients are evenly mixed.
5. Divide the cake batter evenly between the prepared cake pans (I like to use my scale for accuracy).
6. Bake the cakes for 35-40 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the tops bounce back when lightly touched.
7. Cool the cakes in the pans for about 10 minutes, then flip them out onto a cooling rack to finish cooling.
8. If you are going to layer and frost the same day, pop the cake layers into the freezer for about an hour, no need to wrap them. Otherwise, wrap the layers in plastic wrap and freeze them for up to a week. Pro-Tip: Wrapping the cakes while they’re still warm seals in all of the moisture, making them safe to freeze.

Making The Cream Cheese Frosting

1. Place the softened butter in the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Mix on low until it is smooth and lump-free.
2. Add in the softened cream cheese and combine on low until smooth and completely homogeneous. Scrape the bowl to make sure it is all incorporated.
3. Add in the powdered sugar one cup at a time, mixing on low to avoid throwing powdered sugar out of the bowl.
4. Add the vanilla extract and salt. A traditional vanilla flavor from vanilla extract goes well with cream cheese, but I love using orange extract or lemon extract for a unique taste.
5. If you are not going to use the frosting immediately, cover it and place it in the refrigerator.

Assembling the Red Velvet Cake

1. Trim the tops of the cake layers off and save them in a bowl. You will use these to make crumbs to decorate the cake.
2. Place the first chilled cake layer on a cake board, add a large scoop of cream cheese frosting, and spread evenly across the cake layer. A chilled cake will be easier to frost with the cream cheese frosting.
3. Place the second layer of cake on top and repeat the filling and layering process.
4. Frost the exterior of the cake with a crumb coat to lock in those red crumbs. Chill the cake for a few minutes before applying the final coat.
5. Apply enough cream cheese frosting to cover the outside of the cake evenly. Cream cheese frosting can make really pretty spatula patterns, but I choose to do a simple smooth finish using a bench scraper.
6. Crumble the extra cake trimmings into crumbs and gently press them into the sides of the cake, and then sprinkle on top as well.
7. Using your piping tip of choice, pipe dollops of cream cheese frosting on top of the cake.
8. This cake will last for about 4 days in the refrigerator, I recommend covering the cake in plastic wrap after cutting so that it doesn’t dry out.

Tips For Success

Is this your first time decorating a cake? Watch my free video tutorial on how to decorate a cake for the first time.

• Use a kitchen scale to weigh your ingredients for the best results. Baking is a science!
• I used a stand mixer to make my cakes but you can also use a hand-held electric mixer. If you use a hand-mixer then you may need to mix for longer to achieve the same batter consistency.

Room temperature ingredients are important. Make sure your buttermilk and eggs are slightly warm and your butter is soft but not melted so that your ingredients mix together properly.

FAQ

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