A moist, classic Red Velvet Cake!! Made from scratch, and surprisingly easy when a few specific, simple steps are followed. This iconic cake has a soft “velvet” texture, just like what you get from the best top end fine bakeries, and is topped with soft, cream cheese frosting.
After Red Velvet Cupcakes? Here they are! UK readers: Please read note 7.
Red Velvet Cake recipe – tried and tested favourite!
This Red Velvet Cake has been taste tested and given a big thumbs up by many people because it’s a rather large cake and I’ve made it 5 times in the last two weeks.
“FIVE TIMES??!!”, I hear you exclaim (out loud or in your head). “You’re MAD!!”
If getting this cake exactly to my taste, as close as I can get it to the cakes you get from posh bakeries, and ensuring it works using both US and metric (i.e. rest of the world!!) measures means that I’m a mad baker, I’ll take that title. 😉
Besides, I’m really enjoying baking at the moment. There is something so satisfying about making something as pretty as Red Velvet Cake.
To tell you the honest truth, the reason I made it so many times in recent weeks is because my original recipe got a “so-so” response from the two toughest taste-testers I know: my mother and brother.
“The sponge is zara-zara”, my mother declared on first bite.
What the….?? Zara-zara? What on earth does that mean??
“Zara-zara” means “rough” in Japanese. The Japanese language has a handful of words which sound like what it means. “Zara-zara” being a perfect example. Usually it cracks me up. Not that day.
I gasped, indignant, and grabbed a spoon to shovel a bite into my mouth, ready to argue. And I realised – she was right. It was not as velvety as it could be. As it should be.
NOT HAPPY.
So I improved it. 🙂
What is Red Velvet Cake?
Red Velvet Cake is not just a chocolate cake with red food colouring added. This cake is softer than most, “velvet-like”, and the chocolate taste is actually quite mild. It’s more like a cross between a vanilla and chocolate cake with a very subtle tang from buttermilk. And it is generously smothered in a fluffy cream cheese frosting.
It’s wildly popular in America and there’s a cult following in Australia. Give it a few years, it will become a firm favourite soon!
The cake tastes buttery and moist, because it has butter in it for flavour, and oil for moisture. Yes, you need both, I promise you. It is not the same if you use only one of them.
Why should you use THIS Red Velvet Cake!
There are 3 more specific things about this recipe which might be a bit different to other Red Velvet recipes you have seen, but there’s a reason for it.
1. Cake flour – it’s a must! It’s key to achieving that soft silky sponge, just like what you get from posh bakeries. However, if you really can’t find it, please see the notes for a substitute;
2. Only 2 eggs – I’ve seen some recipes call for up to 5 eggs. I only use 2. It’s enough to hold the cake together just fine – any more than 2, and find the cake begins to start tasting “eggy”; and
3. Buttermilk – For almost every other baking recipe that I make using buttermilk, I say that you can substitute with lemon juice + milk which, when left for 5 minutes, curdles to have the same effect as using buttermilk. Not for this recipe – sorry! It is just not the same – part of the reason mine was “zara zara”. 😂
Oh, and one more rule. There is no substitute for Philadelphia Cream Cheese for the frosting. I’ve tried better value store-brand cream cheese before. It is never the same. Promise. ❤
I bake the layers in 2 separate tins, but if you don’t have two tins, you can make one big one and cut the cake in half. And to make the layers nice and neat, I cut the dome top off.
I like to crumble the off cuts and use it to decorate the cake. I think it looks pretty, don’t you? But that’s purely optional!
I promise you, there is nothing tricky about this cake. All you have to do is ensure you measure the ingredients properly, rather than just eye-balling it. 😉 As long as you do that, it’s actually easy to make, no more difficult than an ordinary sponge cake.
Putting aside fiddly fancy decorated cakes, Red Velvet Cake is surely one of the most striking and stunning cakes around. If you’ve never tried it before, you’re in for a real treat! – Nagi x
Red Velvet Cake
Watch how to make it
How to make Red Velvet Cake – quick tutorial video! Red Velvet Cake for UK readers – please ensure you read Notes 7 and 9.
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Red Velvet Cake
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 2 2/3 cups (400 g) plain cake flour (Note 1)
- 2 tbsp (10 g) cocoa powder , unsweetened
- 1 tsp (5 g) baking soda / bi-carb soda , NOT baking powder (Note 2)
- Pinch of salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (115 g) unsalted butter , softened (1 US stick)
- 1 1/2 cups (330 g) caster / superfine white sugar (Note 3a)
- 2 eggs , at room temperature (around 2 oz / 60g each)
- 1 cup (250ml) vegetable oil
- 1 tsp white vinegar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract (or essence)
- 1 cup (250 ml) buttermilk , at room temperature (Note 4)
- 2 1/2 tbsp red food colouring liquid (UK: use Gel, Note 7)
Frosting (Note 10)
- 14 oz (400 g) Philadelphia Cream Cheese, block , softened but not too soft (UK see Note 9)
- 1/2 cup (115 g) unsalted butter , softened (but not too soft)
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 cups (450 g) soft icing sugar / powdered sugar sifted (Note 3b)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F (all oven types). Butter 2 x 21cm / 8″ round cake pans (sides and base) and dust with cocoa powder.
- Sift the Dry Ingredients and whisk to combine in a bowl.
- Place butter and sugar in a bowl and beat with electric beater or in stand mixer until smooth and well combined (use paddle attachment if using stand mixer).
- Add eggs, one at a time, beating in between to combine. At first it will look curdle – keep beating until it’s smooth.
- Add vegetable oil, vinegar, vanilla, buttermilk and red food colouring. Beat until combined and smooth (Note 5).
- Add Dry Ingredients. Beat until just combined – some small lumps is ok, that’s better than over mixing.
- Divide batter between cake pans. Bake for 25 – 30 minutes on the same shelf, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. (Note 6)
- Rest for 10 minutes in the pan then turn out onto a cooling rack and allow to cool.
Frosting
- Beat together cream cheese, butter and vanilla for 3 minutes (this makes it really smooth and changes from yellow to almost white). Add icing sugar and beat for 2 minutes or until frosting is light and fluffy to your taste. If your frosting seems too runny (depends on quality of cream cheese/ if the cream cheese was too soft), just add more icing sugar.
Frost Cake
- Cut the top off the cake using a serrated knife (to make the layers neat).
- Spread one cake with 1 1/2 cups of frosting. Top with the other cake. Spread top and sides with remaining frosting.
- Optional: Crumble offcuts and use to decorate the top rim and base of the cake.
Recipe Notes:
Let them eat cake! 10 more classic cakes
.Life of Dozer
This is how he starts every day: assessing the surf. 😉
I was wondering if the cake can be made the day before as well as I’m making it for x-mas. I’ll frost it the day of. Thanks.
I was wondering how this cake is if you make it the day before (as in today for me lol). My daughter’s 21st birthday is tomorrow, and I’m afraid to leave it until tomorrow to bake having never made a red velvet cake before. But is it best on the day? Thank you!
Hi Jayne, should be fine made the day before!
Wonderful new website Nagi! Fresh, easy to navigate and everything is mouth watering! Love your work!
Thanks so much for the feedback Julia!!
Hi Nagi,
I will be baking this for our family Xmas party (along with your triflfe), my pans are 21c, however only 3cm high, so I was wondering if it would still work the same with doing three layers instead of two? 🙂
Hi Hayley, just use three pans instead of two, just keep an eye on them and check at about 18 minutes or so!
Hi! Love your site, the way you write is so warm and familiar (and not annoying like other recipe blogs), love your puppy! I always refer your site to friends and family because every single one of the recipes have turned out amazing…except this one! I was wondering if it’s 2 2/3 cups or 400g cake flour? I weighed 400g of cake flour out and the cake turned out powdery dry! 🙁
That doesn’t sound right at all Diana, 2 & 2/3 Cups of flour equals 400g so either way it is the correct amount. I’ve never had this issue before and made this cake plenty of times!
From Anna Olson’s conversion chart for cake flour, she puts 1/2 cup at 65g and 1/3 cup equals to 45g. So 2 2/3 cups is 350g right?
Nagi, when you baked this cake, you use cup measurements or weights?
Hi, if 1 cup of flour=120g (std measuring cup), doesn’t 2 2/3 cups=320g? 400g actually works out to 3 1/3 cups doesn’t it?
I had the same problem (just left a comment to that effect – although accidentally referred to sugar weight instead of flour weight in my plea for a correction! 🤦♀️)
Hi! I’m a BIG fan. I always recommend your site to friends and family when they ask for good recipes because I love your cutie puppy. and I find the way you write so warm and real (and not annoying, like some food blogs I’ve read.) AND every single recipe I’ve made has come out perfectly delicious! All except…this one! *Gasp! The cake came out powdery dry. And I was wondering if it’s really 400 grams of cake flour? Or is it 2 2/3 cups? I didn’t think that’s the same thing? Anyway, I’d love to know what you did when you made this beautiful cake.
Hi, THIS LOOKS GREAT. I REALLY WANT TO TRY IT THIS WEEKEND.COULD I ADD RUM TO THE FROSTING TO GIVE IT A KICK? IF SO, WILL IT AFFECT THE CONSISTENCY OF IT DRAMATICALLY.
A dash of rum sounds great!
Love love love this recipe! It never fails me and I have made it often, so often that I keep getting hints dropped about when am I baking again! I’m in the uk so I use the substitutions which work very well. You can’t go wrong! Thanks for a great recipe!!
Hi. Does the recipe call for 2 tablespoons of cocoa or 10g? These measurements are different weights so I’m a little confused. Thanks.
I made this for my Dutch in-laws and it was a massive hit. My daughter also asked for it for her 9th birthday party. I love this cake so much I am now looking for occasions to make it.
Just made this cake, my very first red velvet and I am in the UK! I was scared I have to admit especially when at the very first step mixing butter and sugar and it didn’t combine …just looked like breadcrumbs I almost cried, so I did chuck a bit more butter in just to combine (all measurements were as per the recipe?!) anyhoo I persevered as there was no going back …I didn’t have enough stock to try again. The rest went ok aside from a whole tube and a half of gel icing still making it baby pink 🙄. I only had one tin (I was going for heart shaped) so split he batter and baked. Stayed quick soft in the middle and my first one sunk ever so slightly. Second bake was better. Left to sit overnight (covered).
Today I made the cream cheese frosting as recommended with only 250g of Philly and a smudges more icing sugar and wow …delicious. I’m quite literally eating the cut offs and finger fills of the icing …I can’t. Stop. Eating. It! 🐽
It’s to be transported so I’m going to assemble tomorrow when I reach my destination. The cakes feel very weighty but I’m excited! 😊 hopefully it stands up ok and the frosting survives the weight. 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻
Can’t wait for all the family to try it. Even as crumbs and finger fulls it’s heaven in my mouth! I’m baking this every time from now on!
Thanks so much for sharing the recipe! Love it xxx
Hihi,
Can i use cultured low fat buttermilk for red velvet cake? Thanks.
Hihi,
Can I use cultured low fat buttermilk to make red velvet cake? Thanks.
I made this cake for the first time for my daughter that LOVES red velvet cake… until now, we’ve cheated and used Cake mixes but I thought it would b nice to do a “made from scratch” one… and oh my this was so delish!! 🙂 I never understood why the caske was called red velvet…but I know now!! I did reduce the sugar by about 15% (I usually do reduce sugar for foreign recipies!) but actually it wasn’t as sweet as I thought it would be, even with the frosting…should have known it wasn’t going to be sickly sweet as you’re Japanese!! 😉 (I’m second generation Korean born and raised in Japan’ so I know what cakes are like there!!)
Made two batches in one go- one 18cm cake for us at home and two tray cakes for her friends at school… it was a massive hit!! I don’t usually comment on the web but I had to say a massive thank you to you…for a gorgeous cake recipie and thoughtful details on different ingredients in different countries…(I live in UK now!) the tips were so-o helpful and actually a cake saver as I had to get it right first time around!!
Next time I make the cake, daughter just wants me to make regular icing (butter + icing sugar) so I better remember that….!!!
Thank you !!! 🙂
My grandson prefers a quarter sheet cake. How long do I bake it in a 13”x9” pan? Is there anything different that needs to be done to bake it in a sheet pan?
I have made this cake twice and it is truly amazing!! I also have to make the red velvet cookies when I make the cake for my grandchildren, per special request! They love both the cake and cookies. There are usually 9 to 12 of us when we celebrate so one cake will not do.
Just made this according to the recipe almost exactly and it is absolutely perfect! Unbelievable texture, so soft! These are the changes i made: slightly less sugar, as my hubby prefers things less sweet and this was for his birthday, white rice vinegar, rice bran oil, and halved the recipe.
I must say that I really appreciate having the ingredients by weight for accuracy and I’m certain that made a difference. Best red velvet ever!
Glad you enjoyed this one Justine!! And happy birthday to your hubby! N x
Hi Nagi, what kind of vegetable oil do you use?
Greetings Mariska
The Netherlands
We only get plain vegetable oil here! 🙂
Thank you so much for this recipe Nagi…
Made it and my kids loved the cake.. I made it in a single pan… didnt have gel colors so used powdered color…
It was moist n spongy n soft….❤❤❤
Thanks for all the tips you shared… it was very helpful!!!
That’s terrific to hear Misiriya! Thank you for letting me know you enjoyed this – N x
Here in Germany, I have never seen liquid or gel food coloring. I know there is some kind of powdered coloring. I hope, it’ll work though.
taste will be the same! 🙂 N x
Eek I forgot the vinegar and it’s in the oven. BUT i did put lemon in milk to make buttermilk (sorreeee) so hopefully the carbon dioxide will come from that. And I have a carmine allergy so my cake is blue 🙂
I’m sure it will be fine Kath! 🙂 N x
It has risen and is lovely, such a generous looking cake and wonderful texture. The icing is quite runny, next time I’d make a butter cream and then add Philli (UK). Proper cream cheese is hard to find as is buttermilk.
PS Did you see the note about UK cream cheese? Your cream cheese is runnier than block cream cheese we get here in Australia, US etc
I’m pleased you enjoyed this Kath!