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.
White velvet is the cake-flour cousin of my classic white cake recipe, with an even softer, finer crumb from the reverse creaming method.
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. 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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Cups of Batter Needed
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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.
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.
Lisa says
Can you use boxed egg whites in place of fresh?
Liz Marek says
Yes, boxed egg whites work great. That's what I use. If you have more questions, come ask me in the Sugar Geeks community: https://community.raptive.com/sugargeeks
Kalika says
I love love love this recipe. I have made it a few times for birthdays. I am lame for decorating cakes but the taste always make up for it. I am always asked for second serving or take away. Thank you for sharing this recipe 🙏
Liz Marek says
Second servings are the best compliment! Thank you for sharing.
CB says
Excellent recipe and I’m adding it to my repertoire. I had to use bleached flour to get the right texture, even though I prefer unbleached for all my other recipes. Recipe worked well when doubled! I also used store-bought buttermilk rather than making my own. I really wanted to perfect this recipe and it was well worth it! Thank you!
Robi says
This white velvet cake is spectacular! Thank you for sharing. great cake for special occasions.
Pat says
The video and the printed recipe differ. Video says combine vanilla with buttermilk/oil mixture. Printed recipe says combine vanilla with buttermilk/egg white mixture. Does it matter?
Liz Marek says
Follow the written recipe. I changed the method after filming, so the vanilla goes in with the buttermilk and egg whites. If you have more questions, come ask me in the Sugar Geeks community: https://community.raptive.com/sugargeeks
PAULA says
I am unable to get cake flour where I live but would really love to try this recipie. What can I do?
Liz Marek says
Pastry flour is the best substitute. The texture may be a little different, but it works. I don't recommend all-purpose with cornstarch for this one. If you have more questions, come ask me in the Sugar Geeks community: https://community.raptive.com/sugargeeks
karen says
would this work for cupcakes
Liz Marek says
It does! Leave out the oil and fill the liners about ⅔ full. If you have more questions, come ask me in the Sugar Geeks community: https://community.raptive.com/sugargeeks
Cathy C says
Hi Liz,
I’m wondering how many minutes I should bake if using 6 inch pans instead of 8 inch pans. This looks delicious. I’m trying to find an alternative to your WASC which I love but want a fully homemade vanilla cake…and a good one is hard to find. Thanks a million!
Liz Marek says
Start checking at about 30 minutes and add time as needed until the center is set. If you have more questions, come ask me in the Sugar Geeks community: https://community.raptive.com/sugargeeks
KELLY R ALEXANDER says
love this cake. it is my most requested cake I make.
Lawana V Croskey says
I have my first request for a half sheet. They want a white cake and this has to be the one. I am thinking may be three and half batches will do it. Any thoughts?
Elizabeth Marek says
Three batches will be perfect
Hannah says
Does this recipe work well for cupcakes?
Liz Marek says
Yes, just leave out the oil for cupcakes and fill the liners ⅔ full. If you have more questions, come ask me in the Sugar Geeks community: https://community.raptive.com/sugargeeks
Marly says
My pans are 9”. Should I double the recipe or just lessen the baking time? Also, my husband loves cream cheese frosting, would that be good on this? Thank you!
Liz Marek says
For 9-inch pans, use the batter calculator above the recipe card and adjust the servings to get a little more batter. Cream cheese frosting is delicious with this cake. If you have more questions, come ask me in the Sugar Geeks community: https://community.raptive.com/sugargeeks
Racquel says
Hi, I love this cake recipe. I’m wanting to make more layers for my cake, can I double the cake batter recipe with the same results?
Elizabeth Marek says
Yes you definitely can
BV says
Hi, I really love this for cake base. It is moist, delicious and versatile.
Do you think this recipe will work for muffins as well? Thank you 😊
Elizabeth Marek says
Yes but I would leave out the oil
Veronica says
Can you use unbleached flour instead of cake flour?
Liz Marek says
I don't recommend it. This recipe needs cake flour, and substitutions can make it fail. Pastry flour is the closest swap if you can't find cake flour. If you have more questions, come ask me in the Sugar Geeks community: https://community.raptive.com/sugargeeks
Maria DeMeola says
Liz,
Can I double this recipe? I need to make 2 10 inch cakes
Elizabeth Marek says
Yes you sure can
Laura says
Amazing cake. Absolutely delicious
Betsy says
I think velvet looks weird because in my head it should always be capitalized Velvet feels better, maybe because it's such a rich texture. Also thank you for ermine instead of cream cheese frosting no one remembers ermine frosting.
JZD says
The cake and frosting got rave reviews at dinner tonight. Cake had great crumb and flavor.
I was not pleased because each layer fell a little on cooling. What did I do wrong? Used cake strips around the pans, Certainly not faulting the recipe as it happens most often when I make layer cakes.
The frosting was excellent and will be replacing buttercream on future cakes.
Elizabeth Marek says
Could be your cake is slightly undermixed, don't be afraid to mix it for 30 seconds longer. Glad you liked the recipe
Espy says
Can I use this recipe for cupcakes?
Liz Marek says
You can! Leave out the oil for cupcakes. If you have more questions, come ask me in the Sugar Geeks community: https://community.raptive.com/sugargeeks