A classic red velvet cake recipe made with buttermilk and vinegar for that true red velvet cake flavor
This red velvet cake recipe is what a REAL red velvet cake should taste like! Topped with cream cheese frosting, I finally figured out why people LOVE a real red velvet cake. This cake is buttery, soft and truly lives up to it’s velvet description. This cake also pairs really well with Ermine frosting or my easy buttercream frosting.
This recipe is updated from a previous recipe that I used and is a million times better! That’s the thing with baking, you are always learning and improving. I wanted a red velvet cake recipe that was super classic and wasn’t just vanilla cake with food color added (yuck). I tested this recipe out on a client who’s favorite cake flavor was red velvet and she said it was the best she’s ever had so I think that is a win.
Is red velvet cake just a chocolate cake recipe with red food coloring added?
Red velvet cake isn’t just a chocolate cake with red food coloring added. In fact, the original red velvet cake got its name because the buttermilk and the vinegar naturally bring out the red undertones in the cocoa powder, giving the cake a red tint. Buttermilk and vinegar also break down the gluten in flour resulting in a more tender cake which is probably why it got the nickname red velvet.
Of course over the years a little red food coloring was added to intensify the color to what we see today, which is why people can get confused about what the flavor of a true red velvet cake recipe is supposed to be. Some inexperienced bakers may even just add red food coloring to a vanilla cake. Red food coloring actually tastes really bitter so if you’ve ever had an overly colored red velvet cake recipe, it probably tasted really bad.
What does a real red velvet cake recipe taste like?
A real red velvet cake recipe is made with buttermilk, vinegar and a tiny bit of cocoa powder. These ingredients result in a very tangy cake with a hint of chocolate. This is a pretty unique flavor combination but when you add in some cream cheese frosting or ermine frosting (the classic frosting for red velvet cake), then it adds even more tangy flavor. That tangy flavor is the sign of a true red velvet cake recipe.
Why is red velvet cake such a popular flavor?
I personally think that red velvet cake is popular due to two factors. Some people have had a TRUE red velvet cake recipe and love it! I don’t blame them, it really is delicious. The other factor is that it’s a very controversial cake flavor. If you haven’t had a really good red velvet cake and you associate the cake with just a bland red cake then you won’t see what the big deal is.
Whenever there is a controversy between is something good or not, it always becomes more popular. There is a saying in art, if it’s good then people will either love it or hate it. If everyone just feels “ok” about it, then it’s just meh. Same with cake, people seem to either love or hate red velvet cake.
Easy red velvet cake recipe
Ok this is the really the only cake recipe I make that’s a one bowl method. Typically I prefer a more precise mixing method like the reverse creaming method. This red velvet cake recipe is soooo super easy!
- Just combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, salt and baking soda in a bowl.
- Whisk together the eggs, vegetable oil, buttermilk, melted butter, vinegar, vanilla and coloring in a separate bowl.
- Slowly add in the wet ingredients to the dry and mix for one minute. You can do this by hand or in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment.
- Pour batter into two 8″ round cake pans and bake!
I like to frost and fill my cake with cream cheese frosting and then use some of the cake trimmings (from removing the dome) to make a pretty cake crumb coating on the outside. Garnish with a little white chocolate and boom! That’s one pretty red velvet cake.
How to make a red velvet layer cake with cream cheese frosting
- After my cakes baked and I let them cool, trim off the domes of your cakes to make them flat. Place your first layer on a cake board or large flat plate.
- Add a big scoop of your cream cheese frosting and spread it onto your cake layer using an offset spatula. I make my frosting about 1/4″ thick. Then place another layer of cake on top. Repeat with the final layer.
- Spread more of your frosting in a thin layer all over the cake. This is called the crumb coat and literally seals in all the crumbs so they don’t get into your final coat of frosting. Freeze cake for 20 minutes to harden the crumb coat.
- Add another layer of buttercream to your chilled cake and smooth with a bench scraper or off-set spatula. A turntable helps a lot with this process.
- Next, crumble up your cake domes and add them to the top of your cake and sides as decoration.
- Finish your cake with some small dollops of buttercream around the outside edge! All done!
Frequently asked questions about this red velvet cake recipe
Can this recipe be made into cupcakes? – Yes you can definitely use this recipe for cupcakes. I have made them many times and they turn out really well. Bake for 5 minutes on 400ºF then reduce to 350ºF for 10-15 minutes or until the cupcakes are set in the center. Do not fill cupcake liners more than 2/3 of the way full or they will overflow and collapse.
What can I use if I don’t have buttermilk? – You can use an equal amount (by weight) of sour cream or you can add 1 Tbsp of vinegar into regular milk and let it sit a few minutes until it starts to curdle to make homemade buttermilk.
Can I leave out the red food coloring? Yes you can but the cake will not be very red on the inside.
Cake Batter and Frosting Calculator
Select an option below to calculate how much batter or frosting you need. Adjust the servings slider on the recipe card to change the amounts the recipe makes.
Choose a pan type
Choose a cake pan size
(based on 2" tall cake pan)
Choose a cake pan size
(based on 2" tall cake pan)
Cupcake Tin Size
Choose number of pans
Cups of Batter Needed
8 cups
Cups of Frosting Needed
5 cups
Note: measurements are estimated based off the vanilla cake recipe using standard US cake pans and sizes. Measurements used are for 2" tall cake pans only. Your results may vary. Do not overfill cake pans above manufacturer's recommended guidelines.
Red Velvet Cake Recipe
Ingredients
Red Velvet Cake Ingredients
- 14 ounces (397 g) AP flour
- 14 ounces (397 g) Granulated Sugar
- 2 Tablespoons (2 Tbsp) cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon (1 tsp) salt
- 1 teaspoon (1 tsp) baking soda
- 2 large (2 ) eggs room temp
- 4 ounces (114 g) vegetable oil
- 8 ounces (227 g) buttermilk room temp
- 1 Tablespoons (1 Tbsp) white vinegar
- 6 ounces (170 g) unsalted butter melted but not hot
- 1 teaspoons (1 tsp) vanilla
- 1 Tablespoon (1 Tbsp) super red food coloring I prefer americolor super red because it doesn't have a taste
Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients
- 12 ounces (340 g) cream cheese softened
- 8 ounces (227 g) unsalted butter softened
- 1/2 teaspoon (1/2 tsp) orange extract
- 1/4 teaspoon (1/4 tsp) salt
- 26 ounces (737 g) powdered sugar sifted
Equipment
- Stand Mixer
- Paddle Attachment
- Whisk Attachment
Instructions
Red Velvet Cake Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F and prepare two 8" cake pans or three 6" cake pans with cake goop or preferred pan spray. Make sure your cold ingredients are all room temperature. See notes at the bottom of the recipe for details.
- Lightly whisk together your room temperature eggs, oil, buttermilk, vinegar, melted butter, vanilla and food coloring and set aside.
- Combine flour, sugar, baking soda, cocoa powder and salt into the bowl of your stand mixer
- Add your egg mixture into your flour mixture and mix on medium speed for about a minute until combined
- Divide batter into cake pans and bake for about 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out cleanly. Pairs perfectly with our cream cheese buttercream.
Cream Cheese Frosting Instructions
- Place softened butter in the bowl of your stand mixer with the whisk attachment and cream on low until smooth and has no lumps.
- Place softened cream cheese in the bowl with butter in small chunks and cream on low until smooth and combined
- Add in sifted powdered sugar one cup at a time until combined, mixing on low
- Add your orange extract and salt
- Frost your cooled cake as desired and serve at room temperature. Cream cheese frosting should be refrigerated until a few hours (2-3) before the cake is served.
Notes
Nutrition
Is this recipe sturdy enough for carving?
There are 2 red velvet recipes that are very nice and sturdy enough to carve. Cake recipes that are for carving as Liz Merek mentioned are nice flavors but a touch denser so you can carve it.
Hi,
I have a question regarding cake belts. Can they be used for this recipe?
If you mean cake strips then yes you can
ca we use cake flour instead
Not for this recipe because it will be too tender!
2 oz of red? Really?
Two tablespoons 🙂 It’s not that much considering how much cake this recipe makes
I get two tablespoons. Recipe says 2 oz! ???. Love this cake btw. First red velvet cake that tastes good to me!!
Recipe here calls for 1 Tablespoon. It’s chilling now as i write this. Ive had many red velvet cakes and have never been impressed. They have always been meh. Here’s hoping for a delicious RVC!
I would have never made, but my customer really, really wanted a RVC. Ive made many of your cakes and if there’s one thats gonna change my mind, it would be one of yours!
2oz equals 4 tablespoon? correct?
ummm not sure? I measure by weight not tablespoons because then I can squeeze directly into the bowl 🙂
Love ❤️ it
I made this recipe before and it’s been requested by another customer. Can you give me the ratio for a 10” square cake 2” high? The only option is to change it in cups.
BTW…so far I’ve made your old vanilla and new vanilla recipe, chocolate cake, black velvet, carrot cake, whipped ganache, cream cheese, LMF etc. I’m a big fan!!!!
I don’t know how many cups of batter is in a 10″ square pan. 🙂 Google might have the answer or just bake up a single batch, pour it in and see if you need to make more. It’s a fast batter to make 😀
Ma’am I want to know if I want to bake eggless thn instead of egg what other ingredient I can substitute with and what will be the quantity??
I have not used any egg replacers in this recipe but I assume you can use any egg replacement that you’re used to like ener-g
Liz,is this sturdy enough for stacking and can I increase the batter for a larger pan? Love your recipes!
Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us.
Yes you can stack this but make sure it’s chilled before you handle it
Can you do purple velvet with this recipe?
You totally could! I would use pink and purple food coloring for a nice shade that’s not too blue
So I tried this recipe yesterday and it’s super yummy, made the house smell amazing!! However, I’m afraid it’s going to turn everyone’s mouth red ?. I weighed 2 ounces of the americolor, which was most definetly more than 2 Tablespoons.
Did you have this problem? Turning everyone’s mouth red?
Anything with food color is going to color your mouth temporarily. Just think of things like candy. It’s not permanent.
I will try it out
Hi Liz, can I use regular herseys cocoa powder? Will it still taste bomb?
Hi Liz! Thanks again for yet another recipe I will never go without. This is the most delicious red velvet recipe I’ve ever made or eaten. But I wanted your expert opinion on a variation. I wanted to try this recipe using black cocoa powder, but that is dutched and this recipe calls for natural cocoa powder. I’ve seen your black velvet recipe, and while that looks incredible, I really wanted to have the buttermilk and vinegar in for the flavors they impart. Would I need to change the amounts of baking soda or use some baking powder to use the black cocoa?
Thanks a million! (:
Yes I would just switch out the leavener and you should be good to go 🙂
Hi..Liz..i learn so much about variaty of cake from your blog, thank you. about Red Velvet recipe i waiting your experience for “Complete guide for RV”, include how to make perfect colour RV with beetroot pure with minimal food colouring. 2tsp still too much for me. thanks so muchfor your attention.
Hi Liz,
Even I want to scale down the quantity of red food colour. Can u pl share the technique, tips and quantity of beet purée to be used to make the perfect red velvet cake.
Please can u also share the recipe of healthy banana cake.
You can replace the food color with natural food coloring of your choice 🙂
Is the cake sturdy enough to hold sugarpaste Liz?
Yes, just make sure it’s chilled well or even partially frozen.
I tried this recipe today and it did not worked out for me. The sides are overcooked and the middle is raw. I used a flower nail in the center, bake even strips, and my oven thermometer read 350. The parts that are adequately cooked are delicious and I would love for the whole cake to turn out that way. What could the problem be?
You problem was probably that your ingredients where not all room temperature including your milk. If some of your ingredients are cold and some are warm then the cake batter will break and not bake up evenly.
I have tried so many of your recipes and every single one is a hit!’!! I’m excited to try this one next. Do you know if these will turn out as cupcakes?
Yes they work great as cupcakes 🙂
hi Liz conversion is a problem and most.sited have different conversions.Could you kindly perhaps just help me with measurements in cups
Hi there, we only use weight in this recipes because they are more accurate. Measuring by cups can create big problems and for you to waste expensive ingredients. Cheap kitchen scales can be found at the same place you buy a measuring cup and will be a huge benefit to you in the kitchen 🙂
Hello!
You say oz for your sugar and flour amounts as well as oz for your liquid ingredients. Are you measuring both by fluid ounce? Or are you measuring the dry ingredients by weight?
Thank you so much!
Love your work!
Elisabeth
Everything is by weight
Thank you for your quick reply! I am new to measuring ingredients this way. I bought a kitchen scale, it has a fluid ounce setting as well as a weight setting. When you are weighing your ingredients, which setting do you use? Thank you so much!
Hi this recipe looks good would love to try it.. Can I make this as cupcakes instead? would it still be the same? Also instead of buttermilk, can I substitute with milk and vinegar? Thanks!
Yes and yes 🙂
Do you add in teh wet ingredients in like in your vanilla cake, or do you add them in all at once?
Thank you for sharing this recipe! But I have noticed that there is no baking powder in the ingredients, is the baking Soda is enough by itself?
Yes
Hello. I can’t wait to taste this recipe and I’m in the middle of making it right now! Could you please help me? I’ve measured the room temp butter to 4oz. When melted, it comes to 2.2oz. Does this recipe call for melted butter measured at 4oz or butter measured out to 4oz then melted? A stick of butter (1/2 cup) is 4oz at room temp. Thanks so much for your help!
I think you might be measuring by volume. You must weigh the butter melted or not melted and it should weigh 4oz.
Hi! I’m just starting to learn about food coloring so I apologize if this is a silly question. Is the Americolor food coloring a gel paste?
Yes it is.
Thanks! And just for clarification, does there recipe call for 2 tablespoons or 2 oz. (by weight) or 2 fl. oz of the Americolor gel paste? I read through the comments and was a little confused. Love your recipes! Thanks do much for sharing!
Thanks! And just for clarification, does the recipe call for 2 tablespoons or 2 oz. (by weight) or 2 fl. oz of the Americolor gel paste? I read through the comments and was a little confused. Love your recipes! Thanks so much for sharing!
Hi, I read thru the comments but I want to make sure I understood. I have a 15th bday cake order for 60 ppl and the girl wants red velvet, I will try yours. It will be a fondan covered cake 3 tiers. Will this cake be able to hold offor is to too moist and tender? Thank you!
Yes it can, just make sure your cakes are chilled when you handle them.
i’m a bit confused as well, the written recipe say 1 tablespoon of red color but in the comments it refers to 2 TBLspoons then says 2oz in others?
thanks
I have adjusted the amount of food coloring over time so that I can use as little as possible and still achieve a nice red. Always go by the written recipe.
Sugargreekshow pls how do I measure the ingredients with my scale. I don’t understand the Oz you are talking about
Usually, a scale comes with different modes of measurement, oz or grams. Change the mode to oz.
Hi Liz,
Thanks for the best recipe !
Would you suggest any unsweetened cocoa powder for this recipe ?
As you suggested cocoa brutes for your classic chocolate cake I would like to know for unsweetened cocoa powder please
Any cocoa powder is ok for this one 🙂
Hi Liz
What is the best recipe to cover with ganache and fondant? Is it this one or the one for carving.please advise
This cake is very soft so I would recommend the firmer red velvet cake (The one for carving)
Please can i use salted butter for this recipe.. Or its compulsory i use unsalted butter?
Salted butter has too much salt in it for baking which is why baking recipes tend to use unsalted butter so you can control the amount of salt in them.
I used salted butter, it made taste not so sweet which everyone loved. but then it depends on the type of salted butter.
This is my go to red velvet cake recipe .. I’ve gotten great reviews from my customers .. Thank you Liz 1luv?
Thank you so much! So glad you love this red velvet cake recipe as much as I do <3
This is my go to red velvet cake recipe.. my customers give great reviews .. just this Sunday I received this message:
Omg morning fb fam. Yesterday I went to my fren bday, we got the cake from firn small bites. Ppl let me tell u the red velvet is to die for. The cake was delicious.i would recommend u try her for weddings, bday, baby shower or any event. Firn Breary. Link me if u interested. Will surely pass on the info. Sorry no pic of the cake bcz unnu know unnu greedy fren no have time fi tek pic only eat. Lol.
I like to use Red Velvet Bakery Emulsion from Lorann Professional Kitchen instead of red food coloring. It has a great taste.
Thanks for the tip! I will def have to try that!
Can I have the ingredients for making the cream cheese filling please, thankyou
I just updated it for you!
The Best Red Velvet Cake recipe!!! Thank you Liz, looking forward to making more of your recipes.
Thank you so much! So glad you liked the recipe!
Hey Liz would love to have a banana pudding cake recipe. Thank you!
Hello Liz, my daughter wants a red velvet/vanilla cake for her birthday. I was thinking of this recipe and the updated vanilla recipe. In equal amounts in the pan swirled together would this be alright?
Yes I don’t see why not 🙂
Can you make a video for this recipe.. Since it shows the white velvet recipe i feel like i won’t feel like I know what im doing since the ing are slightly different ? I’m a visual learner lol
I think you’re mistaken, the recipe is for red velvet.
The recipe is for red velvet but, the video that shows up is for the white velvet
Hi Liz,
This recipe is so exciting! I just had one request for you. I had an amazing red velvet cake that also had a slightly crunchy effect in its icing (sugar granules?). It wasn’t a mistake, whenever I went to eat there we got that dessert (I confess partially for that unique and delicious icing). Do you know how I could adapt your red velvet icing to create a similar, not off-putting, ¿texture?, if that is what it could be called. Are there medium sized sugar granules that are made to be added into icings and how would that be accomplished? It was always on a favorite red velvet cake my family would go get (from a restaurant that offered on their menu for their customers but it was purchased by them from a third-party baker). I don’t know who made it and I don’t even know what to say to explain the icing, but it was thick and would melt in your mouth and was a butter cream cheese frosting. It sounds a lot like yours! Yum ❤️
Not a clue what that icing might be unless it just has sparkling sugar pressed onto the surface of the icing.
I know this is probably crazy to ask but did you use your “normal” mixing technique: The backwards technique for this?
Or do I just follow those directions word for word? ??
(Sorry, I just want my cake to cut exactly like your picture?)
I know it sounds crazy lol, I even tried it with other mixing techniques! You can do the creaming butter/sugar then adding in eggs one at a time, then add in flour/liquids in thirds technique but I thought the results were only slightly different. Just put it all in the bowl and mix!
please can you recommend a good kitchen scale?
This is my affiliate link for the scale I use https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00VEKX35Y/?cv_ct_id=amzn1.idea.Z0PFK2BYSGWM&cv_ct_pg=storefront&cv_ct_wn=aip-storefront&ref=exp_cov_sugargeekshow_dp_vv_d
Hi! Liz
Could please if curd/yoghurt could be used in place of eggs along with buttermilk in the same quantity? Cake looks amazing and being strongly allergic to eggs i don’t want to miss baking this one.
You could use an egg replacer that they sell at grocery stores but curd/yogurt would not work the same way
I did not see in the written recipe when the vinegar was added. Thank you
Step two 🙂
Hi,
Have you ever frozen this cake to make in advance of a cake order? Does it still taste nice after it has been frozen or it has become dry?
You can freeze any cake for a few days without harming it. Some even do it to trap in moisture. Cake dries out from freezing if it is frozen too long.
Hi Liz! Big fan and love ur work! Met u on the Gold Coast in Australia a few years ago! I’ve tried at least 20 different RV cake recipes and going for the 21st try with this one. I’ve always found cakes that use oil instead of butter have a better shelf life, do u think I could swap out the butter for oil in this recipe and it not mess with it too much? I’m being lazy, I know I could just try, but would love to hear your thoughts. Many thanks!
Hi Mardie! Good to hear from you! I think that if you took out the butter this cake would be too tender to handle. It’s already super tender <3 Good luck luv!
Hi Liz, planning to make try this recipe on the weekend. Quick question, the cream cheese recipe listed above; differs from your frosting cream cheese recipe. Butter ratio is less. Main issue I have with red velvet cakes is the frosting. Please can you confirm weather the recipe listed above fro the frosting will be sturdy?
Thank you really appreciate your help! 🙂
I have two cream cheese recipes. One is really firm (crusting cream cheese) and one is like a normal cream cheese. I find the best way to make the cream cheese frosting is to make sure both are room temp. Cream the butter first with a whisk, then the cream cheese into the butter, then add the sugar until just combined.
Hello Liz! I’ve been following you on Instagram for a while and I am FINALLY going to try your Best Vanilla Cake from Scratch! I would like to try your Red Velvet Cake recipe, but make it a pink velvet. Could I use pink coloring as opposed to the red or would it not be quite pink due to the cocoa? Thank you for all of your help!
Hi Jen! Use my white velvet cake recipe and add some pink food coloring. Real red velvet cake has cocoa powder in it so it will affect the pink color
Thank you so much!!
Hello ma thanks for the recipe pls ma what I don’t understand in this recipe is the oz like flour and sugar. Because I use cup and measuring scale to measure. Like u stated 12 oz flour I don’t understand and even how to measure it. Pls help me in cups or kilogram. Thanks
Check to see if your scale has an oz setting, which is the measurements that I use.
I don’t like red velvet cake…… or so i thought. It’s my friends 50th and she loves RV so I came here because I know your recipes are amazing. Unfortunately for me I didn’t put parchment in the bottom of the pan and my cakes majorly stuck (even with pan spray) so i am going to rebake. Fortunately for my family there is broken RV cake that will not go to waste. I had to try it and its freaking delicious . Thank you for sharing your talent , skills and amazing recipes, Liz!
You should try the cake goop! In my opinion, nothing works better!
This tastes so yummy!!! It is seriously the best, and I am not a fan of red velvet!! I have made it twice and the center falls. ? I don’t open my oven until it’s baked for 30 minutes. All of my ingredients were at room temp when mixed. Any suggestions?
Bake it for longer. If the center is falling it’s not done. Do not remove the cake until a toothpick comes out clean from the center.
I love the ease of this recipe and the flavor but the are sinking in the middle for my 5 and 7 inch round pans. Any thoughts? All ingredients room temp, scaled and mixed in my KA on 4 for 1 min. I do use bake even strips but not sure why that would cause a problem. I also have been using the automatic scaler here on the recipe to make just enough for two 7″ rounds (12oz AP Flour) but they are not rising in the centers (again) 🙁
Try baking them for longer. A skewer should come out cleanly from the center before you remove them from the oven.
Oh yes, I baked them until done with a clean skewer (325 in fat daddios pans w/ bake strips) and they were delicious albeit a tad crunchy on the sides but was wondering if others also experienced the sink in the center.
Sometimes a cake can sink if the oven door is opened too soon. It lets heat out & the ‘bang’ of the door closing can cause the cake to collapse. Just leave the door shut & turn the light on to see if the cake is baked through/risen in the centre & looks cooked (not ‘wet’). If yes then test with skewer.
My daughter wants a purple velvet cake for her birthday. Can I just replace the red fiid color for the purple?
Is this recipe good to cover in fondant?
Yes, any of my scratch recipes can be chilled and used under fondant.
Is it natural or dutch processed cocoa?
Hi! This recipe looks great! If I were to use a cake tin strip, will I have to make any changes to the baking time or temperature?
And would you recommend using a strip or not?
You can bake in any size tin you want. Just bake for longer or shorter depending on the size of the cake. Make sure bake all the way or the cake can collapse. I don’t use baking strips but there’s no reason why you can’t if you want to
Love this recipe, my second time making it, but I did notice that when you convert the recipe to grams, the oil (4oz) and the butter (6oz) both convert to 170g. I measured my ingredients on grams because thats what im used to so I noticed my cakes coming out very oily, so kept thinking I was not multiplying right since I made bigger batches. The flavor doesnt change much but the oily ness is a bit too much. Other than great recipe, now I know for next time I make this delicious cake
Hmmm looks like the recipe card automatically changed the amounts. I changed it back.
If I need to make 3 9 inch cakes, do you think I should double the batter recipe?
1 1/2 batches will be enough
Hi This recipe sounds awesome and will be trying this tomorrow but what is AP flour please??
AP flour is standard all purpose baking flour
hi Liz ,
how high would this cake be if it is a 6 inch wide cake?
I need to make it for a wedding cake .
can you give me a trick how to keep fondant covered cakes in the fridge please?
can cream cheese frosting stay out of for the fridge ?and for how long?
How tall the cake is depends on how tall your cake pans are and how much frosting you use in between the layers. You can use cream cheese frosting as a filling but not on the outside of your cake if you are covering it in fondant. Cream cheese can be out of the fridge for hours as long as the temperature is not over 80ºF. Fondant cakes can be refrigerated with no problems.
Good morning,
Can I use the Wilton Red No Taste for the coloring?
Yes you sure can
Hello, how long will the leftover cream cheese frosting last in the fridge?
If you’re not going to use it within the week I would freeze it 🙂
Hi Liz
I wanted to know if I don’t have. Buttermilk what should I use instead please let me know thanks
One cup of milk plus two tablespoons of white vinegar
The cake tasted amazing!! I’ve tried a bunch of your other recipes with great success! For some reason though this one didn’t rise very well and totally sunk in the middle. What did I do wrong? I read an earlier comment about needing to be at room temp and I totally did that. So I’m stumped ?
Try mixing for just a little bit longer next time and make sure you don’t open the oven too soon and the cake is baked before pulling it out of the oven
Hi Liz, i talk with you from saudi arabia, i Admire your recipes and i admire more attempts to develop each recipe, I saw many recipes for red velvet cake to mix baking soda with vinegar in recipe end and add last step, What do you think, is that true?
Thank you.
Everybody’s recipes are different 🙂 I don’t see a need to do that since the baking soda reacts with the liquids within the batter
In the recipe for the icing it says cream cheese ame buttercream. Did you use both?
If I’m not covering the cake in fondant I just use cream cheese frosting but you can fill it with any kind of buttercream you want
I have made this over and over again and it always falls. Always. What am I doing wrong?! I am a professional baker and this has me stumped.
Hmmm I’m not sure! It’s hard to say unless I watched you make it. Try the traditional creaming method where you cream the butter/sugar then add in room temp eggs and then room temp liquids alternating with the dry ingredients.
I do not have a mixer.
Can I still try to make or do you believe it will change texture too much?
Thx and great site!
You can make this by hand with a whisk or with a hand mixer
Awesome cake!!! This is the second night in a row I made this!!! Thank you for sharing 🙂 I doubled the recipe to make 3 8” cakes and had one very small 6” cake to crumble up and put on the sides.
Perfect! So glad you like it
why no baking powder? is it because of the soda and vinegar? : ) {thanks}
You only need baking soda
Gracias!
Hi Liz,
Thanks for your help one these? I have some others.
1. I have cake flour (can I substitute using the 2 cups 2 tblsps for every 8 ounces of AP?
2. I used dark cocoa and liquid food coloring, and it came out really dark with little red. Can I substitute using 1 Tablsp and more red Food coloring?
3. also I have standard steel pans, my cakes seem a little dense; can I adjust the oven temp ? What would you recommend EAST Coast
Thanks : )
I tried using cake flour one time and the cake was too delicate for me because of the way it’s mixed. If you switch to the creaming method (creaming butter/sugar then adding in eggs, then alternating dry ingredients and wet ingredients until mixed) you might be able to use cake flour. Dark red is normal, you can add a little more red but not too much or it will make the cake bitter. Yes you can reduce your oven temperature to 325 if you are using dark metal pans.
Can you use this recipe for a Bundt cake? if so are there any modifications?
I have not tried this recipe for a bundt cake but that sounds delicious! I would use the creaming method to convert to a bundt cake.
What is the creaming method?
Where you cream the butter with the sugar until light and fluffy, then add the eggs one at a time, then the dry ingredients alternating with the liquid ingredients. This mixing method is used in the white cake recipe if you want to check it out.
Hi when I researched converting the flour and sugar measurements to cups, I came up with over 2.5 cups flour and 2 cups sugar. Does that sound correct? These measurements sound high, especially the flour.
I would not recommend converting to cups because they are not accurate and can cause the cake to fail. Check out my blog post on why I use a scale, how I use a scale and my personal conversion chart for my own recipes. But even with the chart, there is no guarantee that you will properly measure the correct amount of flour without using a scale. https://sugargeekshow.com/news/digital-kitchen-scale/
Wow is all i can say.I tired this recipe for a 3 tiered wedding cake and everyone loved it.
I used LorAnn Red Velvet Emulsion instead of red coloring it was so nice.
I also added half cup of hot coffee to it, it was very moist and delicious.
Thanks so much.
Hi,
Is this cake very sweet? would I be able to reduce the sugar?
Sorry, most cakes are very sweet. You can’t just reduce the sugar or the ratio of flour/sugar will be off and the recipe will not work right
Hello,
Would Wilton Red gel food coloring work?
Yes it will
Will i get the same result if I substitute oil for butter?
It might not be as moist or tender 🙂
Your picture of your cake is 3 layers. Did you double your ingredients together or separate?
Thanks.
I divided the recipe into three 8″ cake pans
Hi Liz,
I tried these cupcakes and adjusted for high altitude by reducing baking soda by half, filled the cups 2/3 and baked at 400 then 350. The sank soooo much. I tried again by reducing the baking soda by half and added 2T flour and leaving out the oil, filled 2/3 and baked 400 then 350 (total bake time 19 min). The still sank in the middle, though not nearly as much. How do I get these to dome at high altitude? I am at around 7,000 ft.
p.s. I love your site and recipes! I am a scientist turned baker weighing ingredients really makes the nerd in me so happy!
Try mixing the batter for about 15 seconds longer and baking at 350 instead of 400, you probably dont need the high temp at first
I am going to make this on the 15th. I was wondering if this recipe would work for 2 9in round pans or to just stick with the two 8in pans?
You can use any size pan you like, you will just adjust either the amount of batter you make to more or less or you will bake the cakes for more or less time depending on the size of the pan
What am I doing wrong??
Iv tried making this THREE times already, and every single time they sink in the middle, caramelize and are extremely oily.. iv double checked everything and I dont understand it..
Hmmm I’m not sure, Are you at a high altitude by any chance?
My attitude is at 2411, I’ve made almost every single 1 of your cakes with no problem and this is the only 1 that wont work for me.. everything is room temp and I weigh everything, my oven is also at the proper temp.. at 1st I thought I forgot something, but it happened the second time, then I tried doing it with the reverse mixing method (that 1 was a little better, but still the same oily and sinking problem)
My dad does a lot if baking too and he was wondering if its necessary for 6oz butter and 4oz oil?
The butter and oil is what makes the cake so moist, I’ve made it many times with no problems as well as others so I’m not sure why it would be sinking for you. Try reducing the oil by 2 ounces and see if that works better for you 🙂
I measured using a scale that doesn’t have the option for fluid ounces. Only ounces. So I measured both wet and dry the same. I’m just trying to figure out why my cakes failed when I followed everything to a T.
Hi Sarah, nothing is measured in fluid ounces. It’s all in regular ounces, by weight.
Are we using food color gel or liquid?
super red gel food coloring from Americolor
The best ! Thank you so much for yet another amazing recipe!
Your recipe says this is an authentic Red Velvet Cake, but the classic, original, and authentic frosting for a Velvet Cake is an Ermine Buttercream Frosting.
Yes you are right 🙂 I did mention that in the blog post
How do you adjust for high altitude. I live at 10000 ft. I usually have to add 1/4 cup flour, 2T liquid, take out 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 soda
How do I weight that out?
Here are some high altitude hacks for you https://sugargeekshow.com/news/high-altitude-baking-hacks/
Hi Liz, love this cake best recipe ever. However, I noticed every time I bake the cake it always sinks in the middle whenever I take it out. Do you know why that is? Also do you use gel or powder food coloring? hank you
Make sure you are baking the cake fully and mixing enough.
Hi Liz, I’m making this cake for the first time can i use McCormick red food color?
I think so, I’m not familiar with that brand but any kind of red food coloring should be ok!
The cream cheese frosting recipe noted with this cake uses the same amount of cream cheese but less butter and sugar than your cream cheese frosting recipe under your other page. Which one do you prefer to use with this red velvet cake?
Thanks so much Liz!!
I prefer the taste of traditional cream cheese frosting even though it’s not as stable 😀
BEST RED VELVET recipe! RV is my absolute favorite cake – this is the best tasting, color and texture I’ve ever made.
My cake stuck to my pans. I sprayed them heavily with Bakers Joy
Sorry your cakes stuck. I personally only use cake goop. It’s homemade and keeps every cake from sticking. That stuff from a can never work for me, unfortunately. https://sugargeekshow.com/recipe/cake-goop-recipe/
Making this cake for the first time during quarantine. Really excited. Is it possible to use the creaming method? If so, the butter has to be room temperature and not melted, correct?
I think you could use the creaming method and yes, the butter should be room temperature not melted
Can you turn this recipe into cupcakes?
I haven’t tried making it into cupcakes because I don’t make cupcakes very often
New favorite recipe. I don’t even like red velvet, well, I didn’t until this recipe. 🙂
I am making this today what is the red dusting on the finished cake?
The dome that was trimmed off the top of the cake to level it, I crumbled it up and used it for decoration
Can you make this with a cake mix and add extra ingredients like the WASC recipe?
Yes you can but this recipe is so easy to make from scratch and the texture, in my opinion, is better than a doctored box mix. To doctor red velvet follow the same instructions as WASC but use buttermilk instead of regular milk and add 3 Tablespoons of cocoa powder
How long would you bake this in a 9×13 pan?
I can’t say exactly but I would go at least 40 minutes and then check the center for doneness with a toothpick
Just a heads up- cream cheese frosting may be what’s popular now, but originally a TRUE red velvet used Ermine frosting. Do yourself a favor & try it- when done correctly it is LIFE CHANGING! ?
Yes I know, I do mention that in the blog post and I do have an ermine recipe on the site. I really like it!
Amazing… I made cupcakes with this recipe today and I will continue to use this recipe.
Very good!!! My husband and children LOVED it, and they are hard sells!!! Thank you!
I was wondering what other filling could I use as I can’t have cheese.
Going to make this for the first time
Try the ermine frosting 😀
absolutely love this recipe! I’ve been searching for years for the best one and this is by far the best. I was wondering if it would be big difference to make it with cake flour?
I have tried it with cake flour and it’s just too tender. I imagine it’s because of the buttermilk.
Hi, how about using Almond extract in the frosting, v. Orange. Thoughts? Thanks!
You can if you want to 🙂 I would reduce the extract, almond is a strong flavor
For sure..I also thought about just using vanilla again. Might meld better w/the cake flavor. It’s in the oven as I type. 🙂
Thanks!
Hi, I love this recipe..
And I’m baking it for my birthday tomorrow…
So i was wondering if I can leave out the vinegar?
No, the vinegar is very important to the flavor of the cake
Love it!
I used the convection setting, i think it was a mistake because it “collapsed” when I took it out of the oven.
Tasted delicious tho
This cake is delicious!! Red velvet is my husband’s favorite, so I wanted a really good recipe to make sure I got it right. I definitely picked the right one! It’s amazing and he loved it. Thank you!
Hi, I am making this cake for a birthday cake next week, I am going to do 4 layer sponge instead of 3. Do I use plain or self-raising flour for this recipe please? I have never done red velvet cake before x
Plain flour, no self-rising flour in any of my recipes 🙂
Can this cake be baked in a bunt pan?
I haven’t tested it but I think you could 🙂
I’m baking this cake now, I used wilton’s food coloring, I used a lot of it, I still ended up with a dull color. My batter did not turn out as bright as yours
I like to use americolor super red. Wilton colors are not very bright
Hello, I’m struggling to find White Vinegar in the stores but have some Apple Cider Vinegar – would that work as a substitute?
Thanks!
I think that would work ok
This is my first time commenting on a blog because I love this recipe, simple and your cake looks amazing. However I do not have buttermilk, how can I go about it and can I use cake flour instead of all purpose flour?
Here are some ways to make a buttermilk substitute https://sugargeekshow.com/recipe/buttermilk-substitute/ This recipe needs all purpose flour 🙂
Hi! Is the food coloring a gel paste or oil?
Americolor super red gel color
Hi…this cake just looks perfect. And thank you for your discrption on the real red velvet cake. Until now I used to think that it’s just a red coloured vanilla cake and so I couldn’t understand its hype apart from its beauty.
I am planning to give my hubby a surprise with this cake on our anniversary after 2 days. Please tell me if I can use regular cooking oil instead of vegetable oil.
How do you make your “cake goop”?
https://sugargeekshow.com/recipe/cake-goop-recipe/
I doubled the recipe to make (2) 4 layer 7″ cakes. 1 lb. 9 ozs. in ea. cake pan. First time making it and it was great! Only change was adding the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in the mixing bowl. Reversing it.
The customer asked for Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting and it paired well with Liz’s cake.
Hi. I want to make this cake now and put in the fridge till morning before frosting it. Is that okay?
And how long will it take after frosting it?
Yes you can do that, just wrap it in plastic wrap to keep it from drying out.
Hi there,
How far in advance can you make this cake?
Thanks
You can make it a day in advance and wrap it in two layers of plastic wrap and store it in the fridge or you can freeze it for a few days.
1st let my start of by saying this cake is a God sent. Everything and more! Made it over the and it was gone in 12hours. I did use a bunt pan that worked out just fine. Thanls for sharing
Hi, if am making this cake with the homemade buttermilk which has vinegar in it already, do I need to leave out the vinegar in the recipe or add it still. Thanks so much, am a big fan.
No you would still use the vinegar.
What frosting would be better other than cream cheese frosting?
Any frosting goes great with red velvet. I like easy buttercream
Is ap better than cake flour in this recipe ?
The flour that is called for in the recipe is the flour that you should use.
Can I leave out the orange extract for the Cream Cheese frosting?
Yes you can if you prefer
I’m making a 3 tier 8 inch red velvet cake. I would like to check if the Cream Cheese Frosting exact recipe (measurements) as above will be enough for this 3 tier cake?
Do you mean three layers? I would double the recipe to make three 8″ layers with frosting.
This recipe looks easier than other one I’ve come across. Can I use this recipe to make red velvet cupcakes?
Yes you can, make sure you mix for long enough or the cupcakes can get flat
Hi, I’m really excited about making this cake for my son’s birthday however there’s 2 people coming who don’t eat eggs so I’m conflicted on how to make this cake without egg? Is it possible? If so what do you recommend I use in place of the eggs?
Thank you
I think they make an egg replacer at the grocery store called ener-g
I made this last week. It was easy and delicious. How can I modify this for White Velvet cake. Do I just leave out the coco and food coloring
Thanks!
I have a white velvet cake recipe already. https://sugargeekshow.com/recipe/white-velvet-cake/
Is it possible to use a gluten free flour in this?
You can use something like cup 4 cup gluten free mix
Can I make 1 1/2 recipe for 3 8” cake ?
Yes you can
At the end of your recipe, you said that there are 59g of carbs. and 45g of sugar for one serving. Was that for the entire cake or just one slice.
Thats one serving. Two pieces of toast is typically about 30g of carbs so you can expect cake to be pretty high. Its not diet food unfortunately but if you’re watching your calories you can have a smaller slice.
It looks like you must have updated the food coloring amount. 1 tbsp was perfect. It was a nice deep red. I made cupcakes and they were denser than they modified box mix that I normally used but they tasted delicious! Great recipe, I really enjoy a lot of yours. And I think changing your name to Sugar Geek Show (whenever you did that) was super smart. Love it!
I haven’t updated the food coloring amount at all or my name. Maybe you are thinking of a different website.
Hi Liz, Any tips for make it Gluten Free? Thanks so much!
You can use cup 4 cup flour or bobs red mill 1:1 baking mix
Hi Liz,
Thank you so much for your awesome recipes, I have made so many of your recipes and have always followed them to a T, always use oven thermometer, use 8×2″ Fat Daddio’s pans and all my ingredients are room temp/ a bit warm.
I baked this red velvet recipe, skipped the red coloring as I did not have any, used real 1% buttermilk, everything at room temp and a correct 350F oven temp, poured batter in two 8×2″ pans and they took exactly 38min to fully bake…so far everything looked great, but as I went to cut the domes off of the cooled cakes, I noticed the sides are super crunchy but the rest of the texture was fine. I had to cut 1/4inch off from all around the layers.
How can I fix this? Should I use cake nails next time so the middle cooks faster and thus the sides wont harden up?
I’m not for sure why the sides would be so crunchy, some browning is normal of course but 1/4 seems like a lot. I would try using the baking nail or baking strips.
I made this cake turned out good
Hi Liz, thanks for sharing your recipes and knowledge. My ñame la Adriana and I’m from México and I just made your red velvet recipe and its delicious but I do not perceive the chocolate flavor is it possible that I can use more cocoa poder. And I also want to know if I can double the recipe
Red velvet is not a chocolate flavor, the chocolate is only there for an accent in red velvet cake 🙂 Yes you can double this recipe.
Hi Liz, I’m really glad to come across your website, you have so much details in your recipes, I just have one query though, when we have an option to change the servings, if for e.g, if we change from 8 to 4 servings, what would be the weight of the final cake stacked with frosting?
I am not sure, I don’t weigh my cakes
I love the receipe,
Hey liz, can i make this cake in reverse creaming method like yor pink velvet cake recipe ?
No you can’t but you can use the traditional creaming method if you prefer
Hi! I’ve used this recipe before and found an older screenshot I saved that had 12oz flour and 14oz sugar. This now has changed to both being 14oz. Has it changed or is it a typo?
I have changed it to be slightly more stable.
Can I use red wine vinegar instead of white?
Im not sure, It might leave a taste
I increased the amounts to make a 3-layer 9-inch round cake. It looks great, but I have a question. The layers are pretty thick, almost 2-inches. Is that the depth of your layers? Do I need to torte them, or are they fine as is?
I usually have thick layers 🙂
Is this frosting pipable? I want to do some decorating on the top of the cake.
Yes you can pipe with it
I’ve got maybe a strange question. I love ermine, and I know you’re a fan of it, too. Do you think it would be possible to make a cream cheese style ermine frosting? I’m not a fan of powdered sugar and that’s why I’ll typically make Ermine. If so, how much of the butter would you replace for cream cheese? Thanks Liz 🙂
Hmm good question! I dont know for sure if the cream cheese could handle getting whipped for so long.
Wow! I cannot wait to try this 🤤. I’m making it for my friends this weekend *fingers crossed*
Just one question: I have only one 8 inch cake pan. Will half the batter be fine sitting in my mixing bowl while the first layer bakes ?
It should be ok
Hii Liz, I have a doubt. Buttermilk already has the acidity then why would we add additional vinegar to the cake batter? I havent learned professional baking courses. I am a home baker so I would live to learn from you. Because you are doing a very great job here
Because I want the extra acidity and flavor from the vinegar 🙂
Can you make this without the extra red food coloring in it or will it throw off the recipe and baking times? Thanks!
The only thing that will happen is the color of the cake will not be red.
Hi Liz
Thank you very much for this recipe and the technique. I made a red velvet cake and some cup cakes from the same cake batter and they all turned out delicious. I received many exceptional comments from friends and family who got to try them, including from people who never liked red velvet cakes before. I am a total beginner to baking so it really motivated me. Thank you
For my step daughter’s wedding last year I made the sugar geek red velvet cake and cream cheese frosting. We finally took the leftover slab out of the freezer after 13 months. Still moist and the frosting hadn’t gone grainy. (Boxed and wrapped in four layers of plastic wrap)
This was the best red velvet cake recipe. I get so many compliments for this cake . Thank you Liz
Would this recipe work for cake pops?
Yes it can work for cake pops
Hi what’s the red powder used for decoration?
It’s red velvet cake, I just trimmed off the tops of the cakes to level them and crumbled it up to use as decoration 🙂
I made this red velvet cake recipe and it has such an amazing taste, moisture and texture. My first time making a cake recipe by weighing the ingredients, so I was a little nervous. But loved the end result. The only problem I have is with the Cream cheese frosting. I feel like I can never get that one right it’s too soft or soupy. Liz, Thank you so much for your recipe.
Dear Liz
Why does this velvet cake not require 2 minutes of mixing on medium like your other cakes?
My cake was slightly flatter.
Any help?
This cake recipe is just a regular, easier creaming method. My white velvet cake uses the reverse creaming method, so the 2 minutes of mixing isn’t required for this regular creaming method. And it’s formulated to bake up flat, so that’s good!
Just tried making this cake for a birthday celebration and it came out exactly like your picture (minus my sloppy piping of top edges). The cake was dense but moist and not too sweet and pairs so well with the cream cheese frosting. Only thing is that there was a weird after taste from the red food coloring (americolor gel) so i think I’ll 1/2 the coloring next time I try it. Thanks for sharing!
Quick question…can I use a cup for cup gf flour blend in place of ap flour for this recipe? I’m making my mom’s wedding cake with the original recipe, but her new mil can’t have gluten so I was going to make some cupcakes on the side for her. Thanks!
Yes you can
Hey Liz! Great recipe. Urgent Question:
I overbooked myself on orders and wondering if I can make this about 2 weeks ahead of time and freeze it, will it be ok?
Yes you definitely can
Hello Liz, made this cake yesterday for the in-laws and it was outstanding ! Had to come back and say Thank You and God bless xx
Hi Liz, I don’t see my question from yesterday, but the cakes turned out beautifully! If I need a recipe, I always check your site first! Merry Christmas
Hi Liz, Thank you so much for this recipe, best Red velvet cake I’ve ever made! so moist and flavourful!
Only thing is I struggle to pipe cream cheese frosting as its very soft. Do you think your swiss meringue buttercream would go well with the red velvet cake?
Swiss meringue is a great frosting that goes with any flavor
I wanted to love this recipe, yet my first go at it was not successful. I’m an experienced baker, and this recipe was incredibly easy! I had very high hopes! The layers both fell at the 30 minute mark. No open doors, and my oven is the correct temp. I’m not giving up, and am going to try this again.
Try mixing a little bit more. If your cakes fell then they might not have enough structure.
I’ve tried many RV recipes and this is the best!! 😍
Hi , the recipe looks s0 interesting. I have 2 questions
1. I do not have buttermilk what is the alternative
2. Can I half this recipe? use 2 6″ pans
Hi! You can make your own buttermilk (here’s the recipe: https://sugargeekshow.com/recipe/buttermilk-substitute/) and yes you can half this recipe and use two 6″ pans or one 8″ pan. Just keep an eye on the baking time, it might differ with the varying amounts of batter.
My cake came out delicious but the color was not on the bright red side can you tell me what I did wrong?
I used a cheap brand of red food color
The cheap brand is most likely the issue, I use Americolor gel colors in my cakes for the best color.
Made this for Valentine’s Day. It was my first time making a Red Velvet Cake. It was easy to follow and I love that you have the amounts in grams as I only try to bake now using a scale. The cake was delicious and the cream cheese frosting was so good. I had Orange Oil, not extract so used half the amount. What a amazing flavor it gave not only to the frosting but to the overall cake eating experience. This will definitely be made again. I did have on hand the deep red no taste food coloring your suggested and it worked well.
Hi, I love cake and this is the best tasting red velvet ever!! I made this for Valentine’s Day and used red. My daughters 3rd birthday is coming up and she wanted a mermaid cake. I wanted to use electric purple and turquoise from americolor. If I switched out the colors would it be bright, should I use less coloring to have it kind of like your rainbow cake or would it be really dull and off putting? I don’t want it to be too deep of a color. I made your rainbow cake for my sons birthday and it came out soo beautiful!! Thank you for sharing your recipes with us!! I also use your fondant recipe and the kids thinks it’s delicious marshmallow candy, I have to wait for them to sleep otherwise they keep asking for one “last piece” and I won’t have enough to finish covering the cake. Thank you, Angela.
It will not be bright with this recipe because of the cocoa powder. For bright colors check out my rainbow cake and I would use that recipe