This is what a TRUE authentic classic red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting tastes like. Soft, moist, buttery, and far better than any grocery store cake. It's a true Southern classic perfect for weddings, birthdays, holidays, or that red velvet-obsessed person in your life. Pair it with my cream cheese frosting and you've got the most-requested cake on my client list for over a decade.
Quick Glance: Red Velvet Cake Recipe
- Recipe Name: Red Velvet Cake Recipe
- Why You'll Love It: True velvety texture, real red velvet flavor (not just chocolate cake with red dye), and the perfect tangy cream cheese frosting to go with it.
- Time and Difficulty: 10 minutes prep, 30 to 40 minutes bake time. Beginner-friendly. One-bowl mixing.
- Main Ingredients: All-purpose flour, sugar, cocoa powder, eggs, oil, buttermilk, vinegar, butter, red food coloring, cream cheese, powdered sugar.
- Method: One-bowl method. Whisk the wet ingredients in one bowl, the dry in the mixer, then combine on low until smooth. Bake, cool, and frost with cream cheese frosting.
- Texture and Flavor: Velvety soft crumb with a tangy buttermilk-cocoa flavor that tastes a little like chocolate but mostly like its own thing. Pairs perfectly with tangy cream cheese frosting.
- Quick Tip: Use gel food coloring (not liquid) and a high-quality brand like Chefmaster Super Red. Cheap red dyes give you a sad pinkish-brown cake.
Jump to:
- Quick Glance: Red Velvet Cake Recipe
- Why This Is The BEST Red Velvet Cake Recipe
- Red Velvet Cake Ingredients
- How To Make A Red Velvet Cake Step-By-Step
- Cake Batter and Frosting Calculator
- Cups of Batter Needed
- Cups of Frosting Needed
- Common Red Velvet Cake Problems To Avoid
- Final Thoughts
- Red Velvet Cake FAQs
- More Velvet Recipes To Try
- Recipe
Why This Is The BEST Red Velvet Cake Recipe
I spent a lot of time researching the actual history of American red velvet cake before I landed on this recipe. There are a thousand "red velvet" recipes online and most of them are just chocolate cake with red dye, which misses the point entirely. Real red velvet has a tangy buttermilk-and-cocoa flavor that's its own thing, with just a hint of chocolate. The texture is what matters most: velvety soft, almost cloud-like, finer than a chocolate cake's crumb.
The recipe I landed on uses the one-bowl method, which couldn't be easier. You whisk the wet ingredients in one bowl, the dry in your stand mixer, then dump the wet into the dry and mix on medium for about a minute. That's it. You have to actively try to mess this up.
For the topping, I always pair red velvet with my cream cheese frosting without powdered sugar for the smoothest, most flavorful version (no starchy aftertaste, just pure tangy cream cheese). If you want something more traditional and old-school, ermine frosting is actually the original Southern pairing for red velvet cake before cream cheese frosting became standard. Both work beautifully.
A few things make this version different from most red velvet recipes you'll find:
- Holds up for stacking and fondant. This is the cake I use for tiered wedding cakes and fondant-covered designs because the texture stays sturdy enough to handle.
- Real red velvet flavor, not chocolate cake in disguise. The buttermilk-vinegar-cocoa combination is what gives this cake its distinctive tang.
- Velvety texture that's softer than a typical butter cake. The lactic acid in the buttermilk breaks down the gluten so the crumb stays tender.
- Vibrant red color without dumping in half a bottle of dye. A high-quality concentrated gel like Chefmaster Super Red goes a long way.
- One-bowl mixing. No creaming butter, no separating eggs, no folding. Whisk, dump, mix.
Red Velvet Cake Ingredients
The ingredient list is short. The trick is using the right TYPE of each one (real cultured buttermilk, natural cocoa powder, gel food coloring, not the bargain-bin equivalents). Here's why each one matters.
- All-purpose flour. AP flour gives this cake its sturdier-than-a-typical-velvet texture, which is what lets it hold up to stacking and fondant. Cake flour would make it too delicate. Don't substitute.
- Granulated sugar. Standard white sugar. Sweetens the cake and adds structure when whisked into the dry mix.
- Cocoa powder. Use natural unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-processed). The acidity of natural cocoa is what reacts with the baking soda and vinegar to create the tangy red velvet flavor. Dutch-processed cocoa is alkalized and won't give you the same chemistry.
- Salt and baking soda. Standard leavening and seasoning. Baking soda is the only leavener in this recipe; it reacts with the buttermilk and vinegar to create rise.
- Eggs. Two large eggs at room temperature. Cold eggs will shock the melted butter and break the emulsion.
- Vegetable oil. Keeps the cake moist for days. Any neutral oil works (canola, grapeseed, sunflower). Avoid olive oil because the flavor comes through.
- Buttermilk. Real cultured buttermilk gives this cake its distinct tangy flavor and velvety texture. The lactic acid breaks down the gluten and tenderizes the crumb. Don't have any? Make a buttermilk substitute by adding 1 tablespoon of vinegar to regular milk and letting it sit until it curdles.
- White vinegar. Sounds odd in a cake, but it's essential. The vinegar boosts the baking soda's lift and helps brighten the natural red pigment in the cocoa.
- Unsalted butter (melted). Adds rich flavor and a soft, almost custardy crumb. Make sure it's melted and slightly cooled, not hot, before mixing in.
- Vanilla extract. Use real vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste. Imitation vanilla tastes flat in something this delicate.
- Red food coloring (gel). This is what makes the cake red. Use a high-quality gel like Chefmaster Super Red (use code SUGARGEEKTEN for 10% off) or another concentrated brand. Liquid food coloring is too watery and won't give you a vibrant color without throwing off the recipe.
- Cream cheese. Full-fat block-style cream cheese (not the spreadable kind in tubs). Softened to room temperature so it whips smoothly without lumps.
- Powdered sugar. Sweetens the frosting and gives it body. Sift it before adding to avoid lumps.
How To Make A Red Velvet Cake Step-By-Step
For exact weights and timing, see the recipe card plus the video tutorial. Bring everything to room temperature and prep your pans. Eggs, buttermilk, butter, and cream cheese all need to be at room temperature before you start. Cold ingredients are the fastest way to break a cake batter or curdle a frosting. While they warm up, grease three 8-inch cake pans with cake goop and preheat the oven to 335°F.
- Whisk the wet ingredients together. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, oil, buttermilk, vinegar, melted butter, vanilla, and red food coloring until smooth. Set aside.
- Combine the dry ingredients in your stand mixer. Add the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda to the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Mix on low for a few seconds to combine.
- Add the wet to the dry and mix. With the mixer on low, slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry. Once incorporated, increase to medium speed and mix for about a minute until the batter is smooth and uniform. Stop and scrape the bowl thoroughly to make sure nothing is hiding at the bottom.
- Divide and bake. Pour the batter evenly between the three prepared cake pans. Bake at 335°F for 35 to 40 minutes, until the centers feel firm and a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool the cakes. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn them out onto a wire rack to finish cooling. If you're stacking the same day, pop the layers in the freezer for an hour to firm up. Otherwise, wrap them in plastic and freeze for up to a week.
- Make the cream cheese frosting. Whip the softened butter in your stand mixer with the whisk attachment until smooth. Add the softened cream cheese and combine on low until lump-free. Add sifted powdered sugar one cup at a time on low speed, then mix in the vanilla and salt just until smooth. Don't over-mix or the frosting will curdle.
- Assemble and decorate. Stack the chilled cake layers with cream cheese frosting between each layer, then crumb coat and frost the outside. Chill the finished cake before serving for clean slices.
- Step 6: Assemble and serve!
Watch the video in the recipe card below for a full tutorial on how to stack and layer your red velvet cake.
This recipe makes approximately 12 cups of cake batter (enough for three 8-inch layers, two 9-inch layers, or about 36 cupcakes) and 6 cups of cream cheese frosting (enough to fill and frost a 3-layer 8-inch cake or generously frost 24 cupcakes).
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.
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(based on 2" tall cake pan)
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Cupcake Tin Size
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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.
Common Red Velvet Cake Problems To Avoid
- Measuring by cups instead of weight. Cup measurements vary by up to 50 percent depending on how you scoop, which is enough to throw off the entire recipe. Use a kitchen scale for accurate results every time.
- Skipping the room temperature step. Cold eggs, cold buttermilk, or cold butter will cause the batter to break and curdle. Set everything out at least an hour before mixing, or speed it up by warming the buttermilk in the microwave for 20 seconds and the butter for 10 seconds at a time until soft.
- Using cheap or liquid red food coloring. Liquid food coloring is too watery and won't give you a vibrant red, especially after baking. Use a concentrated gel like Chefmaster Super Red or Americolor and add more if the batter looks pinkish-brown.
- Using Dutch-processed cocoa instead of natural. This recipe relies on the natural acidity of regular unsweetened cocoa to react with the baking soda and vinegar. Dutch-processed cocoa is alkalized and breaks the chemistry. Stick with natural cocoa.
- Skipping the vinegar. It seems like an odd ingredient but it's essential. The vinegar activates the baking soda for proper rise and helps the cake develop its signature red velvet flavor.
- Substituting regular milk for buttermilk. Buttermilk is what gives red velvet its tangy flavor and tender crumb. If you don't have any on hand, make a quick substitute with vinegar and regular milk, but don't skip the cultured tang entirely.
- Over-mixing the batter. A minute on medium speed is plenty. Over-mixing develops too much gluten and gives you a tough, rubbery cake instead of a velvety one.
Final Thoughts
Red velvet has been on the menu at every cake business I've ever worked at, and it's one of the recipes I keep going back to for clients who say they "don't really like red velvet." Most of the time, they've only ever had the chocolate-cake-with-dye version, and once they taste a real red velvet with that tangy buttermilk-and-cocoa flavor, they get it. If you've been disappointed by red velvet before, I'd bet on this recipe to convert you.
If you love this and want to branch out into the velvet family, my white velvet buttermilk cake uses the same buttermilk technique with a softer, more delicate flavor profile. Same tender crumb, totally different cake.
Red Velvet Cake FAQs
Yes, you can leave out the red food coloring entirely and the cake will still taste like red velvet. The result will be a brown cake with a slightly reddish tinge from the natural reaction between the cocoa, buttermilk, and vinegar, but it won't be the dramatic red color most people expect. If you want a natural alternative, beet juice or beet powder will give you some red color without artificial dye, though it won't be as vivid.
You can leave out the cocoa powder, but the cake won't taste like red velvet anymore. The cocoa is what reacts with the buttermilk and vinegar to create the signature tangy flavor and velvety texture. Without it, you'll have a buttermilk cake colored red, which is fine but not red velvet.
No, a real red velvet cake is its own thing. It has just enough cocoa to add depth without tasting strongly of chocolate, and the tangy buttermilk-and-vinegar combination creates a flavor that's totally distinct from a chocolate cake. A chocolate cake uses much more cocoa or melted chocolate, develops a stronger chocolate flavor, and skips the buttermilk-vinegar tang entirely.
You can make a quick buttermilk substitute by adding 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to a cup of regular milk and letting it sit for 5 to 10 minutes until it starts to curdle. The result mimics the acidity of real buttermilk well enough for baking. You can also use an equal weight of plain yogurt or sour cream thinned with a splash of milk in a pinch.
Yes, this recipe works beautifully as cupcakes. Fill cupcake liners about two-thirds full and bake at 335°F for 18 to 25 minutes, until the centers spring back when lightly touched. The full recipe makes approximately 36 cupcakes.
Yes, this red velvet cake holds up beautifully for stacking and tiered cakes. The all-purpose flour gives it a slightly sturdier crumb than a typical velvet cake, and chilling the layers before stacking and decorating makes them easy to handle. I've used this exact recipe for wedding cakes for years.
Yes, the cake layers freeze very well. Wrap each cooled layer tightly in plastic wrap and store in the freezer for up to two months. Wrapping the layers while still slightly warm seals in the moisture and makes them especially soft when thawed. Thaw at room temperature for an hour or two before frosting.
More Velvet Recipes To Try
Recipe
Ingredients
Red Velvet Cake Ingredients
- 21 ounces all-purpose flour
- 21 ounces granulated Sugar
- 3 Tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 6 ounces vegetable oil
- 12 ounces buttermilk room temperature
- 1 Tablespoon white vinegar
- 9 ounces unsalted butter melted but not hot
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 Tablespoon red food coloring gel food coloring
Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients
- 18 ounces cream cheese softened
- 12 ounces unsalted butter softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or orange extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 40 ounces powdered sugar sifted
Instructions
Red Velvet Cake
- NOTE: All refrigerated ingredients (eggs, buttermilk, butter, cream cheese) must be at room temperature or slightly warm before starting. Cold ingredients break the batter and curdle the frosting. Grease three 8-inch cake pans with cake goop and preheat the oven to 335°F (168°C) before you begin mixing.
- Whisk the wet ingredients together. In a medium bowl, whisk the 3 eggs, 6 oz oil, 12 oz buttermilk, 1½ tablespoons vinegar, 9 oz melted butter, 1½ teaspoons vanilla, and 1½ tablespoons red food coloring until smooth. Set aside.
- Combine the dry ingredients in your stand mixer. Add the 21 oz flour, 21 oz sugar, 3 tablespoons cocoa, 1½ teaspoons salt, and 1½ teaspoons baking soda to the mixer bowl with the paddle attachment. Mix on low for a few seconds to combine.
- Add the wet to the dry and mix. With the mixer on low, slowly pour in the wet ingredients. Once incorporated, increase to medium speed and mix for about 1 minute until smooth. Stop and scrape the bowl thoroughly.
- Divide and bake. Pour the batter evenly between the three prepared pans. Bake at 335°F (168°C) for 30 to 35 minutes, until the centers feel firm and a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool the cakes. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to finish cooling. For same-day stacking, pop the layers in the freezer for 1 hour to firm up. Otherwise, wrap and freeze for up to a week.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Place the softened butter in the bowl of your stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Mix on low until it is smooth and lump-free.
- 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.
- Add in the sifted powdered sugar one cup at a time, mixing on low to avoid throwing powdered sugar out of the bowl.
- Add the vanilla extract and salt and mix until just combined and smooth. Do not over-mix.
- Assemble and decorate. Stack the chilled cake layers with cream cheese frosting between each layer. Crumb coat, chill, then frost the outside. Refrigerate before serving for clean slices.
Video
Notes
- Bring all your refrigerated ingredients (eggs, buttermilk, butter, cream cheese) to room temperature or even slightly warm before mixing. Cold ingredients break the batter and curdle the frosting.
- Use a kitchen scale to weigh your ingredients including liquids. Cup measurements vary too much for consistent results.
- Practice mise en place. Measure everything out before you start mixing so you don't accidentally leave something out.
- Chill your cakes before frosting and filling. Cold cakes are easier to handle and the cream cheese frosting holds firmer when applied to chilled layers. This recipe also covers beautifully under fondant.
- If you don't have buttermilk, use one of my buttermilk substitutes. One tablespoon of vinegar in a cup of regular milk, sat for 5 minutes, works perfectly.
- For red food coloring, I prefer Chefmaster (use code SUGARGEEKTEN for 10% off). Americolor Super Red also works.
- Three 8-inch cake pans is the recommended size.
- Two 9-inch pans work; bake for 35 to 40 minutes since the layers will be a bit thicker.
- Two 10-inch pans work for a wider, slightly thinner cake; bake for 30 to 35 minutes.
- Cupcakes: line a cupcake pan, fill liners ⅔ full, bake at 335°F for 18 to 25 minutes. Yields about 36.
- Half-sheet pan (12x18): pour the full batch into a greased pan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes.
- Cake layers: wrap tightly in plastic and refrigerate up to 5 days or freeze up to a week before assembling.
- Cream cheese frosting: refrigerate in an airtight container for up to a week, or freeze for up to 3 months.
- Frosted assembled cake: refrigerate covered for up to 4 days. Bring to room temperature 30 to 60 minutes before serving.
- Don't substitute Dutch-processed cocoa for natural cocoa. The chemistry won't work.
- Don't use liquid food coloring or skip the food coloring if you want a vivid red color.
- Don't use cold ingredients. Everything must be at room temperature.
- Don't over-mix the batter or the frosting.
- Don't skip the vinegar even though it sounds weird; it's what activates the baking soda.
Emily Barber says
Hi! This is my first time baking a red velvet cake. I followed the instructions exactly, but after I took the cake out of the oven, and let it sit before transferring to a wire rack, it sunk in the middle. Is there something I can do to prevent that?
Liz Marek says
Sounds like it wasn't baked all the way. All ovens are a little bit different so you can't just go by time you have to test to see if the cake is done baking by touching the center or inserting a toothpick to see if there are just a few sticky crumbs.
Alex says
thank you for the recipe. how do you bake three cakes at once? if I cannot bake three cakes in one batch, what should I do with the remaining batter? refrigerate it? cause making three batters seems too much.
Liz Marek says
I can fit three cake pans in my oven but if you can't just put the third in the fridge until you're ready to bake.
Maria says
hi,
I've made this cake a few times for weddings and birthdays and everyone loves the recipe. I always fill it with cream cheese flavoured American buttercream because I'm worried about the shelf life if I add actual cream cheese.
Do you think I could add real cream for the filling in a child's birthday cake that will be covered in fondant? if so how long would it be safe for?
thanks
Maria
Liz Marek says
Cream cheese frosting is perfectly safe to use inside the cake and is stable at room temperature for at least four hours, more if its not in the sun.
Lynn says
This is the third time I’ve made this and it turns out delicious 😋 every time! Just make sure you follow the directions and you shouldn’t have any problems. I use the oven temperature that’s at the beginning of the recipe. This cake is loved by my family and my neighbors and friends.
Julie G says
Love your white velvet cake and intend on trying this red velvet one in cupcake form.
I’m curious why you use all purpose flour in this one but cake flour in the white velvet? I’m hoping to achieve the same texture as the white velvet, which is so delicious.
Thank you!
Nicole says
I’ve used this recipe for years. I see so many different recipes for red velvet but I’m hesitant to try a different recipe. I’ve been searching for a recipe that uses the metric system for the ingredients. Thank you for sharing your recipe and listing the ingredients for metric system. I’m planning to bake this cake tomorrow.
Alex says
Hello! Can I use kefir instead of buttermilk?
Elizabeth Marek says
I have no idea but I dont see why not
Holly Cooley says
Cake did not turn out red at all. I used a natural red food coloring. Just looks like a very pale chocolate cake. It’s delicious. Just not red. Which, unfortunately , was the most important feature to my 7yo grandson.
Elizabeth Marek says
Yea that can happen if you don't use the super red dye, but if you want to try it again I would just use more red food coloring until the batter is the color you like
Regina Davis says
I love it, thanks for sharing!
Daisy says
This recipe is amazing. The cake & cupcakes turned out fantastic. It's so delicious. My go to Red Velvet recipe 👏🏼🙌🏼💜
Wanted to mention just incase it was an error, On the recipe it says 335 degrees, but the video it says 350 degrees. I did 350 degrees, like thats what you said on the video.
Mindy says
Can this recipe be used for a tiered cake?
Elizabeth Marek says
Absolutely
Maria says
Hi there! I am trying to plan out making this recipe for my hisband's surprise birthday party. I haven't decided if I'm going with sheet pan or cupcake style but I was wondering if bake time was different for either. Any advice is appreciated! 😊
Elizabeth Marek says
Yes, cupcakes will bake within 18-25 minutes. A sheet pan could take longer depending on how deep it is.
Amy says
Followed but I’m used to flour in grams…. Oz was odd to me! Batter was thick, very very thick. Hoping it was right, made many a cake but this is the first red velvet! Unfortunately I read the Dutch process note after it was in the oven; thought it was odd that the recipe didn’t articulate which and just hoped I was right that I was formulated for Dutch process😂 I’ll have to do more reading to understand when a recipe is formulated for one or the other and how to adjust!
Finger crossed, she’s baking now!
Liz Marek says
You can switch to grams by clicking the metric button in the recipe card.
Make It Amazing says
Absolutely delicious!! Thank you for such an amazing recipe. I’d love to show you a photo of the cake I made for a customer, however your Pinterest comments are turned off of this pin.
Word of advice for anyone using this recipe; cooking times may vary based on your oven type but if you utilize a kitchen scale and follow the recipe measurements, it comes out PERFECT every time 🙂