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! This recipe is a true Southern classic perfect for weddings, birthdays, holidays, or for that red velvet-obsessed person in your life.
What's In This Blog Post
Why This Is The Best Red Velvet Cake Recipe
I spent a lot of time researching the history of American red velvet cake and how it was originally made. I also tested many different mixing styles until I perfected the best red velvet cake recipe that was super moist, soft, and had that perfect red velvet cake flavor.
Red velvet cake does NOT taste like chocolate cake. Although it does have some hints of chocolate, it's really a mixture of chocolate, vanilla, and buttermilk. It should taste a little tangy and is most often times paired with cream cheese frosting or ermine frosting.
- Velvet texture that is soft and moist
- True red velvet flavor from a combination of buttermilk and cocoa powder
- Beautiful red color without using too much due to the concentrated nature of super red gel
- An easy homemade cream cheese frosting that is the perfect compliment to this cake or you can make a classic ermine frosting which is also a traditional frosting combo.
- One bowl method! Anyone can make this cake.
Red Velvet Cake Ingredients
Authentic red velvet cake ingredients include vinegar, a small amount of cocoa powder, and food coloring which creates a true Southen red velvet cake flavor.
My favorite aspect of this perfect red velvet cake recipe is its simple mixing method. Scale the dry ingredients, scale the wet ingredients, and then mix them together! You have to work hard to mess up this cake. 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 "red 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 in a red velvet cake. This recipe calls for baking soda to leaven the cake (make the cake rise). The small amount of added vinegar allows the soda to do its best work.
Food Coloring: Originally Red Velvet cake was colored with beet juice for a reddish color. Additionally, the chemical reaction between natural cocoa powder and the vinegar would also make a reddish tinge. However nowadays a small amount of red food coloring is typically used and a lot easier to get. If you don't want to use food coloring you can definitely still use beet juice or look for natural food coloring available in most grocery stores.
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 with just a touch of flavor.
How To Make Red Velvet Cake
- Preheat your oven to 335ºF (168ºC) and prepare two 8" x 2" cake pans with cake goop or your preferred pan release.
- In a medium bowl, combine the eggs, vegetable oil, buttermilk, vinegar, butter, vanilla, and red food coloring and set it aside. I like using food coloring gel instead of liquid food coloring for a more vibrant color. My favorite brand is Americolor Super Red.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda. Mix this on low speed for a few seconds to combine.
- While mixing on low speed, add the liquid ingredients to the dry and mix on medium speed until the batter is fully incorporated and smooth. Don't forget to scrape the bowl to ensure all the ingredients are evenly mixed. This should take about 30 seconds.
- Divide the cake batter evenly between the prepared cake pans.
- Bake the cakes for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out of the center cleanly and the dome bounces back when it is lightly touched.
- Let the cakes cool for about 10 minutes on a cooling rack until you can handle the pan with your bare hands, then flip the cakes out onto the rack to finish cooling.
- 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 place in the freezer for up to a week.
Pro-Tip: Wrapping the cakes while they're still warm seals in all of the moisture.
How To Make 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. Mix until smooth. Do not over-mix.
- Mix until just combined, over-mixing could cause the frosting to curdle and separate.
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
Yes you can but the cake will not be very red on the inside.
I don't recommend it, of course, it will still make a red cake, but it will not have the flavor and texture of a classic red velvet cake.
Classic Red Velvet Cake 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. The small amount of cocoa allows the other flavors to come through and not be masked with the deep richness that is in a traditional chocolate cake.
You can replace buttermilk with regular milk 1:1 plus 1 Tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice per cup.
Do you need more cake inspiration? Check out my other tried-and-true cake recipes
Related Recipes
If you love this red velvet recipe, try my other velvet cakes next!
Recipe
Ingredients
Red Velvet Cake Ingredients
- 14 ounces all-purpose flour
- 14 ounces granulated Sugar
- 2 Tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 4 ounces vegetable oil
- 8 ounces buttermilk room temperature
- 1 Tablespoon white vinegar
- 6 ounces unsalted butter melted but not hot
- 1 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 Tablespoon red food coloring gel food coloring
Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients
- 12 ounces cream cheese softened
- 8 ounces unsalted butter softened
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract or orange extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 26 ounces powdered sugar sifted
Instructions
Red Velvet Cake
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and prepare two 8" x 2" cake pans with cake goop or your preferred pan release.
- Combine the eggs, vegetable oil, buttermilk, vinegar, butter, vanilla, and red food coloring in a medium bowl and set it aside.
- 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.
- 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.
- Divide the cake batter evenly between the prepared cake pans.
- 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.
- Cool the cakes in the pans for about 10 minutes, then flip them out onto a cooling rack to finish cooling.
- 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.
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.
- After your cakes are fully cooled, decorate as desired.
Wanda says
I like to use Red Velvet Bakery Emulsion from Lorann Professional Kitchen instead of red food coloring. It has a great taste.
The Sugar Geek Show says
Thanks for the tip! I will def have to try that!
Firnssmallbites says
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.
Firnssmallbites says
This is my go to red velvet cake recipe .. I’ve gotten great reviews from my customers .. Thank you Liz 1luv?
The Sugar Geek Show says
Thank you so much! So glad you love this red velvet cake recipe as much as I do <3
Olabambic says
Please can i use salted butter for this recipe.. Or its compulsory i use unsalted butter?
The Sugar Geek Show says
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.
Sarah says
I used salted butter, it made taste not so sweet which everyone loved. but then it depends on the type of salted butter.
Shanika says
Hi Liz
What is the best recipe to cover with ganache and fondant? Is it this one or the one for carving.please advise
The Sugar Geek Show says
This cake is very soft so I would recommend the firmer red velvet cake (The one for carving)
Pree says
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
The Sugar Geek Show says
Any cocoa powder is ok for this one 🙂
Juliet says
Sugargreekshow pls how do I measure the ingredients with my scale. I don't understand the Oz you are talking about
The Sugar Geek Show says
Usually, a scale comes with different modes of measurement, oz or grams. Change the mode to oz.
Shelley says
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
The Sugar Geek Show says
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.
Evelyn says
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!
The Sugar Geek Show says
Yes it can, just make sure your cakes are chilled when you handle them.
Meghan says
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?
The Sugar Geek Show says
Yes it is.
Meghan says
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!
Meghan says
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!
brandi tropf says
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!
The Sugar Geek Show says
I think you might be measuring by volume. You must weigh the butter melted or not melted and it should weigh 4oz.
May says
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?
The Sugar Geek Show says
Yes
Heather Smith says
Do you add in teh wet ingredients in like in your vanilla cake, or do you add them in all at once?
KSD says
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!
The Sugar Geek Show says
Yes and yes 🙂
Elisabeth P says
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
The Sugar Geek Show says
Everything is by weight
Elisabeth P says
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!