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
8 cups
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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.
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.
Sharon says
I love this recipe and the flavor so much... But I have a question regarding cutting the cake. Just a little background...I fill and frost it with Italian meringue buttercream (after the cakes have chilled in the refrigerator for 24 hours ). I also keep in the fridge for another 24+ hours after I frost it. I then take it out to get softer for about 2 hours before we cut and serve.. But when we cut into the cake it crumbles quite a bit. But the cake is super tender and moist and I'm not sure what could be wrong. I've made this recipe over a dozen times and follow the directions as well as scale my ingredients and keep all my ingredients at room temperature. What do you think this could be? Thank you!!
The Sugar Geek Show says
I think you might be under-mixing a bit or you might be using medium eggs instead of large eggs so the structure is not quite solid enough
Amanda V. says
This cake is so good! Could I make a lemon variation by adding some lemon zest and extract? If so, How much extract could I add? I love your lemon cake recipe also but this base is my ultimate favorite! Tia ❤️
The Sugar Geek Show says
You definitely could replace vanilla with lemon extract and add in the zest of one lemon
Josue Cedric Charles says
Thank you so much for this amazing recipe. It's a keeper! I just had one question for you. I wanted my cake to be less sweet. How would I adjust the sugar so that it doesn't effect the outcome of the cake? If even possible. I'm making an 6", 9" and 12" tiered wedding cake this weekend.
The Sugar Geek Show says
Hi Josue, you could remove maybe 2 ounces of sugar without hurting the recipe but keep in mind that sugar is what makes this cake moist and tender so your cake may become dry and tough if you start removing too much sugar.
Vannie says
Hi SGS, i wanted to know, can i keep this cake coat this cake with Fondants and can i keep the cake in room temperature for 3 days or 4. Thank you.
The Sugar Geek Show says
Yes you can cover this cake in fondant and it will keep at room temperature but I wouldn't for more than 2 days
Jo Ann Jones says
I am making cakes for 2 separate occasions. Can I double the recipe without causing any issues? Also, will this bake okay using 9x13 pans?
The Sugar Geek Show says
Yes and yes 😀
Rhonda says
I have made this cake and it is SO delicious.
I need to use this recipe for a 10” round 4-layer cake. Should I triple the recipe for 4 10” pans?
The Sugar Geek Show says
Yes but you might have a little batter leftover
Juliet says
Hi! I wonder does it matter if I use bleached cake flour or unbleached cake flour for this recipe? thanks!
The Sugar Geek Show says
You want to use bleached cake flour if possible, unbleached gives you more of a cornbread texture
Faatimah Dawood says
Hi there
Quick question
If i use salted butter in the frosting will it be ok?
If yes
Should i leave the salt out?
Thank you
The Sugar Geek Show says
It might taste a little salty which is why we traditionally use unsalted butter. Yes you would leave out the salt
Angie says
Two questions...
1. Is it possible to over mix after the addition of the milk/oil mixture (such as mixing for 4 min instead of 2) or over mixing after addition of the milk/egg white mixture.
2. If you use cake strips, would you have to adjust the baking temp or time?
The Sugar Geek Show says
Yes, absolutely you can over-mix. When you over-mix a cake your cake will be very tough and gummy and have big holes in the cake called tunneling. I don't know about using cake strips and if it affects the time, I have only used them a couple times and find them to be a hassle.
Sarah says
This is easily the best white cake I've ever made or eaten! I flavored it with Meyer lemon (zest and essence) in addition to the vanilla, but otherwise followed the recipe to the letter and it turned out wonderfully. The crumb is as fine and light as a good fatless sponge but it has all the flavor of the butter and buttermilk. Thanks for developing this recipe!
Lilah says
THIS IS THE BEST CUPCAKE RECIPE EVER!!!!!! I have tried SO many, and none of them have had the texture or a moistness like these. I was married to my last vanilla cake recipe (seriously—it took everything in me to try something new), but I wanted to see if I could find something that stays as moist as my chocolate. AND THIS IS IT. I couldn’t wait for them to be frosted, so I had one. And then I had four more. I JUST DOWNED 5 UNFROSTED CUPCAKES. I’m sure the frosting is fabulous, but the cake is insanely amazing just on its own. I followed the recipe exactly as instructed…I did see a comment that suggested omitting the oil and using only half of the buttermilk if making cupcakes, but since I chose this recipe based on the moistness and the tender crumb it promised, I decided to keep both of those in the recipe and it ABSOLUTELY delivered. They had perfect domes, a beautiful white shade on top (and on the bottom!), and OMG are they fluffy and moist! This recipe is the dream. THANK YOU Liz!!!
The Sugar Geek Show says
Yay!! I'm so glad someone finally loves these as much as I do haha and I feel you on eating them warm and unfrosted! The best!
Heather says
What kind of unsalted butter do you use? The recipe has the frosting as ermain but in the comments you said you have never made it, which frosting is on the cake in the video? Do you use whole eggs and separate the whites or do you use a carton of just eggs whites? Thanks.
The Sugar Geek Show says
Hi Heather, perhaps the comment was an older comment. I have updated this recipe from the original which used easy buttercream. The frosting on the cake and in the recipe card is ermine frosting. I use carton egg whites for cakes.
Heather says
Thank you.
Can this be doubled or would I need to make the batches separately?
The Sugar Geek Show says
I double and triple it all the time without problems
Jmilns says
I am making a unicorn cake and wondered what the adjustments would be to make three 8" round layers? Also would your easy swiss buttercream icing work with this cake?
The Sugar Geek Show says
I would do a batch plus a half batch and yes to the swiss buttercream. Yum!
Milena says
My kids loved the cake and the frosting! I make a funfetti and white velvet practice cakes for a birthday cake order and I think I liked the flavor of the funfetti cake a bit more actually. However, the kids have spoken, and white velvet cake with sprinkles it will be! It was delicious, even though I over-baked it just a wee bit to where it had pulled away from the walls of the cake pan. Does that affect the density?
The Sugar Geek Show says
Slight shrinking is normal 🙂
Jackie says
I made this cake a couple of days ago. The cake was very heavy and dense. Is it supposed to be that way? I also made the icing, following your recipe, but it was very runny and I had to throw it away. What did I do wrong?
The Sugar Geek Show says
No, the cake is not supposed to be heavy and dense and the buttercream is not runny. Perhaps some measuring went wrong somewhere. Did you use scales or did you convert to cups? The flour mixture has to be completely cold before you whip it into the butter to avoid it being runny.