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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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.
Cyn says
Can I use this recipe as a base for any other color velvet cake?
The Sugar Geek Show says
Yes, did you read the blog post above?
Vanessa says
Thanks for sharing! Does it keep long?
The Sugar Geek Show says
All cakes keep a few days but the sooner you eat them the better they taste 🙂
Gina says
This first time I made it, it kept for a week just fine covered in the fridge.
Suzanne says
This looks so good! Do you use this frosting for any other recipes?
The Sugar Geek Show says
It's really good with chocolate cake too!
Jennifer says
Could this cake be made as a sheet cake?
The Sugar Geek Show says
Definitely! One recipe is perfect for a 9"x13" pan
The Muffin Man says
True red velvet cake doesn't have red food coloring. Its a chemical reaction of vinegar and chocolate so labeling a cake velvet because of its texture is a misnomer.
The Sugar Geek Show says
Actually, the original red velvet cake was named as such because of the red tinge to the cocoa powder and the use of beets for food coloring. The velvet name comes from the beautiful texture and since this recipe is a variation of all the things I love about red velvet, I felt the name was appropriate.
Mary says
Is it possible to make it into a lemon cake by adding 1/4 cup of lemon juice?
The Sugar Geek Show says
No, that would alter the cake chemistry but you could replace the vanilla with lemon extract and add in lemon zest.
Cindy says
I am about to make this cake, but I was reading over the ingredient list. I have never seen an icing recipe with 16 oz of butter; that seems incredibly high. Is that for a very large quantity of icing or is that simply to cover this one cake?
The Sugar Geek Show says
Very standard 🙂 Just make sure you whip whip whip until it's light and fluffy and creamy if you've never made this type of buttercream before.
Keldon says
Could you put the vinegar back and just make that (optional ) ? I would like to try it with vinegar, just don't know amount needed. Thank you, it's a wonderful recipe can't wait to try it!
The Sugar Geek Show says
It doesn't need vinegar because it has buttermilk.
Mary says
What is the baking time for cupcakes? I want to try these for Mother's Day!
The Sugar Geek Show says
Mine baked in about 18 minutes and I filled the liners half full.
Jana says
I’m excited to try this! I make an awesome Red Velvet cake that is a family recipe. I love white cake and this looks great. We will see what the hubby thinks?
Lubna mahmoodi says
Hi i want to ask about frosting.. I did not understand how u put flour and sugar on medium heat to cook the flour .. The sugar will becom caramel
The Sugar Geek Show says
It would take a lot longer for the sugar to heat and become caramel. I only toasted it for 2 minutes.
Sheryl says
Love love love this recipe!!! Can this be made in 10 inch pans? Does the recipe need to be altered or just doubled? Thank you for sharing such a delicious cake with us and your advice.
The Sugar Geek Show says
Yes you can double and triple the recipe because it's measured by weight
Jennifer says
Is the Ermine Frosting recipe ok for piping?
The Sugar Geek Show says
I used it to pipe all these rosettes on the cake and it held up just like any other buttercream
Kristin Shields says
Can you bake this like a pound cake in a tube pan? Is so, I am wondering what the cook time would be? My pound cakes bake at 325 for 1 hr and 15 minutes. I may try it sometime, but any advice is appreciated.
The Sugar Geek Show says
This is not a pound cake, it is a light and fluffy dessert style cake and it may not hold it's shape in a tube pan.
Renee says
Hey there. First, this cake is DELICIOUS. So fluffy and delicate. Second, my questions: 1) it did shrink quite a bit when I took it out of the oven. Probably ended up being about half the size it was initially. Is that normal? It still seems very light and fluffy so just wanted to check. 2) I am making my first sphere cake (BB-8 from Star Wars) and just used my best judgement on baking time, leaving the temp as you suggested at 335. Do you think I should have made other adjustments? It took a long time to cook, for a 6" diameter sphere. Probably double your suggestion above. Probably also was related to the problem in #1. Any thoughts on how I could have done things differently? Again, thanks for a delicious recipe! Looking forward to your reply because I will*certainly* make this again and hope to do a better job!
The Sugar Geek Show says
Did you tap the cake pan to release air when removing it from the oven as stated in the instructions to prevent shrinking?
P Hill says
Thanks for using weight for the dry ingredients. Should the wet ingredients also be weighed, or measured by volume? I have not made this cake yet, but will post a rating when done. Thanks
The Sugar Geek Show says
All by weight to make it easy 🙂