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
Cake Batter and Frosting Calculator
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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.
K says
I bake a lot of cakes and this is THE BEST I've ever tasted! The frosting is unique and delicious. Thank you so much for sharing this amazing recipe.
Zara says
Hi, i really want to make this cake but I'm wondering, is this cake "freezer friendly"?
If yes, could u recommend the best way to do that? Hope you reply. Thanks xx
Elizabeth Marek says
To freeze cakes, I just wrap in plastic wrap after they are cool and then put them in big ziplock bags 🙂
Selina Varughese says
Hi, I am planning to make a white chocolate raspberry cake and was wondering if you would suggest using this white velvet recipe as a base or your "moist vanilla cake from scratch" recipe. Thanks in advance!
Elizabeth Marek says
I'm not sure what you're planning to make or how you are making the adjustments so I don't have a suggestion 🙂 Either cake is very tasty.
Dawn says
Hi Liz! Just wanted to say this recipe is the BEST CAKE RECIPE EVER. Haha thank you so much for sharing it with us (and being so generous with your time to answer our questions!!!) 🥰
Jan says
Do you have a coconut version of this cake?
Elizabeth Marek says
You could make this coconut by replacing the extract with coconut extract and using coconut milk instead of buttermilk
Dawn says
Hi Liz! How much buttermilk should I combine with the oil if making 1.5 times the recipe? Would it still be 1/2 cup or would it be 3/4 cups since the recipe amounts are increased?
Elizabeth Marek says
You would multiply the amount of buttermilk as well so 3/4 cup is correct 🙂
Caitlin says
If I sub the vanilla for almond, will it give this an almond flavor? I have someone wanting an almond flavored cake and i want something very light and fluffy like this cake!
Elizabeth Marek says
Yes but use half as much almond because it a strong flavor
Dawn says
Hi Liz! If I double the recipe in my 6 qt mixer, do I still mix the batter for 2 min after adding the first amount of liquids? Or should I beat for 4 min since the recipe is doubled?
Elizabeth Marek says
Yes, the mixing time doesn't change.
Sara says
Hello Liz,
Thank you so much for sharing your recipes with us...they are incredible 🙂
I have made this cake once about 1 year ago, using the original amount of cake flour and the results where out of this world delicious and it DID NOT sink at all! but I lost that recipe and now I see the flour amount has changed.
Would you please share the original recipe for this awesome cake as a response to my comment?
Thank you so much 🙂
Elizabeth Marek says
I only increased the flour by one ounce. Thats the only difference.
Emily says
Just wondering what I can use in New Zealand that would be the same as cake flour. We have something called snowflake flour which I use for bread and shortbread cookies? It's like extra high grade basically. Would that be cake flour?🤔
Elizabeth Marek says
There is cake flour in New Zealand. It might be called low protein flour.
Dana Van Clieaf says
I should know better than to try and bake a cake with my family all talking to me... I forgot to add the sugar. I realized it before it went in the oven, so I put it in and mixed it up, hoping for the best. Do you think the taste/texture will be okay? They seem quite brown on top...
Elizabeth Marek says
No, the cake needs the sugar to be added at the correct time.
Lauren says
Hi! Can you tell me if this is a stable enough cake to use as the bottom of a tiered wedding cake? I need 3 - 8 inch layers for the bottom and will have another cake which has 3 - 6 inch layers on top so it's a small cake.
Elizabeth Marek says
Yes it is, always make sure your cakes are cold while stacking and frosting
Am says
I love this recipe! But how to i adjust the recipe to use a 9 inch cake pan and a 10 inch cake pan?
Elizabeth Marek says
There is a frosting and cake batter calculator right above the recipe card now! Simply select the size of cake pan you need to use and how many pans or layers of cake you plan on making and it will do all the calculating for you. Then simply adjust the servings on the recipe card to the amount you need.
Quo Vadis Hopkins says
I love this recipe!!! I will try to tweak it to make strawberry cake. It holds up great!!! Do you have a yellow/butter cake recipe?
Elizabeth Marek says
Yes I do, just search yellow cake on the website and it will pop up. I also have two strawberry cake recipes already developed if you want to use that.
Marilyn says
Everyone who has tried it loved it. Unfortunately, I haven't tasted it...yet.