White velvet cake is a soft, delicate cake with a hint of buttermilk and vanilla
White velvet cake is red velvet cake's pretty little sister. Red velvet cake has been around for ages and probably one of the most popular cake flavors of all time. But not everyone want's to eat red food coloring or maybe they have special dietary requirements that don't allow them to eat red food dye. Whatever the reason, options are always good.
A lot of people wonder if you can just leave out the red food color and get white velvet and the answer is yes, kinda. You also need to leave out the cocoa powder. All the things that make red velvet cake delicious can be left in.
sidenote... the more I spell the word "velvet" the weirder it looks... velvet. velvet VELVET. Starts to look wrong.
But anyway...
What is white velvet cake?
White velvet cake is basically red velvet without the red. It's a buttermilk cake base that results in a VERY soft, fluffy and moist cake. If you leave out all the color and the cocoa powder you have yourself a nice white velvet cake. Neat huh. The buttermilk gives this southern inspired cake it's rich and velvety texture.
Traditional red velvet cake has a little bit of cocoa powder in it. Some will tell you that red velvet is actually chocolate cake (wrong) or that it's just white cake with red food color added (so wrong). The cocoa powder does add a little bit of flavor to the cake but not enough to call it chocolate so when you leave it out, it doesn't affect the flavor that much.
This same light, fluffy batter technique is what inspired my baked donut recipe - if you love this cake you will love those too.
What's so great about white velvet?
So one of the BEST things about this recipe, in my opinion, is the texture. The crumb is soooo soft and well... velvety! I love how it looks when you cut it. Soft and pillowy. It's like magic!
What Is Buttermilk?
Buttermilk is basically fermented milk that has gone sour. I know it sounds weird but it actually tastes amazing in baked goods. The tanginess in buttermilk adds a great flavor and the acidity in buttermilk actually breaks down gluten so baked goods are more tender than if you used regular milk.
I mean, there's a reason recipes like "buttermilk pancakes" and "buttermilk" biscuits always seem better than just... pancakes. Ya know?
Don't have any buttermilk? You can make it! Add 1 Tablespoon of white vinegar to 1 cup of regular milk, stir and let it sit for about 10 minutes. You'll see the milk begin to thicken and curdle. Voila. Homemade buttermilk.
How does white velvet cake taste like?
White velvet cake tastes so amazing BECAUSE of the buttermilk! It just adds a little tang and zip that for some reason your tastebuds just love.
The crumb is super fine like my white cake recipe or my vanilla cake recipe and is definitely a great cake for flavor to just bake up for a special occasion.
What frosting goes with white velvet cake?
The traditional frosting that goes with velvet cake is ermine frosting. Ermine frosting is made by cooking sugar with a bit of flour and then whipping it into softened butter.
Ermine frosting is super creamy, not too sweet and tastes amazing with white velvet cake. In my opinion it tastes very similar to a swiss-meringue buttercream but without the eggs so it's a nice alternative if you have an egg allergy.
How do you make blue velvet cake?
To make blue velvet cake, simply add in 1 oz of electric blue food color (for a light blue cake) or royal blue food color (for darker blue) to the base white velvet recipe.
For a more natural blue, add 1-2 teaspoon of natural cocoa powder ( not dutched. I like Hershey's special dark) The cocoa powder will tone down the bright blue just a little so it's not so VIVID and make a nice natural blue. Or if you want a really bright blue you can leave the cocoa powder out.
Blue velvet is a great cake for gender reveals, birthday cakes or just because blue velvet is awesome.
Can you can make velvet cake with different colors?
Yes! If you want a different color of velvet cake then simply replace the food color with any other color you like. You can do a white velvet rainbow, ombre or go with neon. The color possibilities are endless!
I made this lovely green velvet cake for st patricks day! I added in the cocoa powder for a more natural shade of green and used 1 oz of leaf green americolor food color gel.
What about black velvet cake?
Ok so TECHNICALLY I have another recipe called black velvet cake that does not use this velvet cake base. Why? Because it's really a chocolate cake. It doesn't have any buttermilk in it, vinegar or food coloring! So why even bother calling it black velvet?
Well it's got a nice velvet-y texture. In the future I may experiment further with a true black velvet recipe working from the base velvet recipe but upping the cocoa powder. Too many cake ideas, so little time.
Try my vanilla cupcakes that have the same velvet texture as this white velvet cake, thanks to the reverse creaming method.
Related Recipes
Rainbow Cake
Green Velvet Cake
Pink Velvet Cake
Black Velvet Cake
Red Velvet Cake
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Cups of Batter Needed
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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.
Recipe
Equipment
- Stand Mixer
- Whisk Attachment
- Paddle Attachment
Ingredients
White Velvet Cake Ingredients
- 14 oz cake flour
- 13 oz granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 5 oz egg whites room temperature
- 4 oz vegetable oil
- 10 oz buttermilk room temperature or slightly warm
- 6 oz butter unsalted and softened
- 2 teaspoon vanilla
Ermine Frosting Ingredients
- 14 oz granulated sugar
- 3 oz flour
- 16 oz whole milk
- 16 oz unsalted butter room temperature
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- NOTE: It is SUPER IMPORTANT that all the room temperature ingredients listed above are room temperature and measured by weight so that the ingredients mix and incorporate correctly. Heat oven to 335º F/168º C — 350º F/177º C. I tend to use lower setting to prevent my cakes from getting too dark on the outside before the inside is done baking.
- Prepare two 8"x2" (or three 6") cake pans (with a little leftover batter) with cake goop or preferred pan spray. Fill your pans about ¾ of the way full of batter.
- Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in the bowl of .a stand mixer with paddle attachment. Mix 10 seconds to combine.
- Combine ½ cup of the milk and the oil together and set aside.
- Combine the remaining milk, egg whites and vanilla together, whisk to break up the eggs and set aside.
- Add your softened butter to the dry ingredients and mix on low until mixture resembles a coarse sand (about 30 seconds). Add in your milk/oil mixture and let mix until dry ingredients are moistened and then bump up to med (setting 4 on my kitchenaid) and let mix for 2 minutes to develop the cakes structure. If you don't let your cake mix on this step your cake could collapse.
- Scrape your bowl and then reduce speed to low. Add in your egg white mixture in three batches, letting the batter mix for 15 seconds between additions.
- Scrape down the sides again to make sure everything has incorporated then pour into prepared pans. Bake 35-40 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out cleanly but the cake has not begun to shrink yet from the sides of the pan. IMMEDIATELY TAP PAN FIRMLY on countertop once to release the steam from the cake. This stops the cake from shrinking.
- Let cakes cool for 10 minutes inside the pan before flipping them out. The cake will shrink a bit and that is normal. Flip onto a cooling rack and let cool fully. I chill my cakes before handling or you can wrap them in plastic wrap and freeze them to trap moisture in the cake. Thaw on the countertop while still wrapped before frosting.
Ermine Frosting Instructions
- Whisk together your flour and sugar in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Cook for about 2 minutes to toast the flour.
- Slowly add in your milk, whisk to combine and bring your heat to medium-high. Whisk continuously until mixture is thickened and pudding like. Cover with plastic wrap and let cool.
- Add your butter to the bowl of your stand mixer and whisk on high until light and fluffy. Slowly add in your cooled flour mixture one spoon at a time as you whip. Incorporating slowly insures a smooth buttercream.
- Add in your vanilla and salt until everything is creamy and then you can frost your cooled cake.
Leslie says
Fantastic cake. Super light and fluffy. I love the ermine frosting too. Lovely taste, and not too sweet. It pipes beautifully. I'd never heard of it, but it is definitely going to replace Swiss meringue buttercream for me. Thank you for providing these recipes.
Sonia Flory says
Hello.can I add in the egg yellows too instead of just the whites. What difference will it make?
The Sugar Geek Show says
the yolks will make the cake less white
Lyz says
So, I tried this recipe for a layered 10” cake. It taste amazing however I think I did something wrong. Is there such thing as your ingredients being too warm for room temperature? I followed the recipe to the t but my cakes rose evenly 1/4” above the pan in the oven then dropped in the middle.... any suggestions? I can’t think of anything
The Sugar Geek Show says
Maybe your pans were just a little too full and then under-baked?
Jerrel says
Hi liz Im making this cake tomorrow! What brand butter do you recommend using for great results? Please let me know.
Taylor Baucum says
Hi there! This cake looks amazing! I'm looking to make a 6 layer rainbow cake just as you have pictured. Did you 3x this recipe to achieve that many layers? Did you add the food coloring at the end? Any guidance is appreciated. Thanks!!
The Sugar Geek Show says
The layers are only 1" tall. I divided the batter into 6 bowls, colored them all separately and then baked them in 6" cake pans.
Evengiline Pestana says
Hi. I made a blue velvet cake from this recipe for Father's Day this year. The cake turned out beautiful and tasted so wonderful. We, my husband and I and our 9 year old girl finished this cake within a few days! Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe. I'd like to know though, if I want to make this cake like a chocolate velvet cake, how much cocoa powder do you think should be added without compromising the texture of the cake? Thank you.
The Sugar Geek Show says
I haven't tested this out with a chocolate version yet and I'm sure it would be more in-depth than just adding cocoa powder. Glad you liked the recipe though!
Courtney Salazar says
Hi! I love your cake and I've already made it a couple of times. However, my icing does not turn out as pretty as yours... tastes good but looks ugly like it has little clumps in it. I suspect it might be that my kitchen is too warm. Any insight about what could be causing the problem?
The Sugar Geek Show says
Sounds like you're adding your flour mixture too fast or not whipping long enough
anne white says
hi i loved this recipe but the only thing is that my cake wasnt as white as yours what have i done wrong?
The Sugar Geek Show says
Could have been a little under-mixed. Mine is more ivory if I don't mix it enough
Amrita Chugh says
Hi!
can this recipe be made into a bundt cake?
The Sugar Geek Show says
I have not tested it but I don't see why not 🙂
Julie says
I’ve been trying different white cake recipes for years, and this one takes the cake!! It is the most tender and fluffy cake I’ve ever had, with perfect moistness! The aesthetics are magnificent and it melts in your mouth!! The recipe made 3 nice height 6” layers. I was out of almond extract, so I decided to flavor it with key lime and vanilla bean paste and filled it with cream cheese SMBC. I also drizzled each layer with key lime and vanilla bean paste simple syrup. Then I frosted it with vanilla SMBC. This recipe is definitely a keeper - thank you for sharing!!
Terri Smith says
i was taught to bake by my grandmother who owned a bakery in Boston for many years. This is the best tasting cake I’ve ever made. Follow the recipe exactly. Including the trick with warming the egg whites. I made a unicorn cake for my granddaughter. This cake colors beautifully and tastes amazing.
The Sugar Geek Show says
Thank you so much Terri!
Alyssa Jensen says
Ok I’m gonna sound complicated bc I know you already have a vanilla cake recipe but I want to use this one because I personally like buttermilk in vanilla cake. Can I replace the egg whites with whole eggs (assuming I fix the ratios) and add more vanilla to make this a vanilla cake?
The Sugar Geek Show says
Technically this is already a vanilla cake because the flavor is vanilla 🙂 You can increase the vanilla if you like but if you use whole eggs it could throw off the texture
Mae says
FYI, Hershey's Special Dark IS a Dutched cocoa - it's a blend of half natural, half dutch process.
JoseeM says
Your recipe is the best and the only one I use. I noticed the low price of Sour Cream at Costco and decided to not use buttermilk in the recipe, but used 5oz of whole milk and 5oz of Sour Cream. I lined the bottom and the sides of my cake pans with parchment paper and the cakes came out perfectly (just had to trim the top as I forgot to re-level my oven after cleaning it last week...so the cake tops had to be levelled), and didn't have to trim sides or bottom. This one's a keeper! Thank you for your amazing recipes!
The Sugar Geek Show says
That's great! I will list sour cream as a substitute 😀
Elizabeth says
I’ll be making a 3 tier wedding cake this week for my brothers wedding on Saturday.
I used to be a wedding cake baker years ago and have stuck to my one white cake recipe from the Cake Bible. It’s really good but I’m looking for something more like this recipe which I think will be really moist.
I’m not going to have time to try it out so I’m just going to go for it.
Please help me with a few questions I have.
I’m making a 4 layer 6inch, 8 inch and 10 inch rounds.
Will 6 recipes be enough? Maybe to much?
Since I haven’t made it I was going to bake on Wednesday but the wedding is Saturday. I’d rather wait until Thursday. If I bake it early and leave it in the pans and wrap it will it be fine left out or better in the fridge?
The cake will have raspberry syrup, lemon curd buttercream and fresh strawberries.
Thank you for your help.
I can’t wait to try it!
The Sugar Geek Show says
6 recipes would be way too much. Usually when I do a four-layer, I torte a 2" or 3" tall layer in half. I would do a double batch to make two 10" cakes and a double batch to do two 8" and two 6" cakes. You might have a little leftover. Check out my blog post on how to make your first cake for more info on trimming, torting, chilling etc. This cake is very delicate at room temperature and I recommend chilling before crumb coating. I would bake early on thursday, put the layers in the freezer for an hour then trim, fill, crumbcoat and store in the fridge until the next day to do the final layer of frosting and decorating.
Elizabeth says
Thank you so much! I really appreciate your time. I’ll let you know how it goes.
Kendrick says
Hey there. I noticed you use the reverse creaming method however would it work the same if I did the regular creaming method and will it also work for cupcakes? I love how the texture looks for the cane so I’m just wondering. Thanks so much!
The Sugar Geek Show says
I have not tested this cake using the regular creaming method. Is there a reason you don't want to try the reverse creaming method if you like the look of the cake? I recommend you check out the vanilla cupcake recipe for cupcakes