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. 😉
Hi Nagi,
My daughter has asked for a “red velvet cake” for her birthday, but not because she wants a red cake. What she loves about red velvet is the cream cheese icing (mostly) and the chocolate flavour in the cake. I don’t like red velvet because of the food colouring (no direspect to anyone who’s a fan of red velvet, this is just a personal preference!). Would the consistency or taste of the cake change if I omitted the red food colouring? Would it look unappealing because it won’t be quite so chocolaty looking as a chocolate cake? I’m considering using your chocolate cake recipe and combining it with the cream cheese icing from the red velvet. It sounds like the red velvet cake is more moist and “velvety”…perhaps because of the cake flour and buttermilk? What would you recommend?
Thank you for your help! Can’t wait to make this cake (birthday party is in 2 days!)
Hi Nagi,
Your recipe looks amazing and I can’t wait to make it. Thank you for the easy to follow instructions and all the substitution notes. They’re very helpful as I’m in the UK!
I have a question about the vinegar. I can’t find white vinegar in the UK. Do you know of any suitable substitutes? We have distilled malt vinegar here and white wine vinegar, but I have no idea what is close to white vinegar.
Thank you!
Hi Gemma. I am in the UK too, and use white distilled vinegar from Tesco or ASDA.
Thanks, Debi! Will give it a go
Hi Naggi,
In my country there is no buttermilk, what if I do it myself? (I know you have been clear about this,…but…)
Help please
Hi Ana! Please see sub in the recipe notes 🙂
Hello Anna, I also live in an area with no buttermilk, so I made my own. For this recipe, 1 cup full cream milk + 2 and a half tbsp of white vinegar. Leave for a minimum of 5 minutes. I left mine longer. Hope this helps. My cake turned out perfectly moist just as Nagi described 😊
Can i use cultured low fat buttermilk for this case? Is it the same? Thanks.
Hello Nagi, I only have 1 10-inch pan. Should I still divide the batter or just bake one and divide the cake? How do you suggest adjusting the baking time? Thank you.
I would do 1 cake and cut in half 🙂 N x
Hello Nagi, just to let you know that my husband got me an 8 inch pan and proceeded with the recipe. It was perfect, pretty, delicious, moist and all. Thank you for sharing. What made me decide to go for this recipe is the story about your mom’s comment. I know the Japanese really know their cakes! 😉
How right you are!! Japanese cakes really are amazing! Glad you enjoyed this Kris, than you for letting me know! N x
Hi!! 🤗 I’ve never baked a red velvet cake before… actually don’t really know how they’re “supposed to taste?” LOL… But I would like to attempt this recipe but could you pls tell me how to substitute beet juice instead if using the food coloring and put hat same bright red colour? Thanks!
Hi Karen I’m sorry but I don’t know the answer to that. Sorry!
Hi Nagi I’ve just made this red velvet cake which is a lovely soft sponge BUT my cake is Brown and not a nice red colour I followed the recipe to the letter what has gone wrong x Any help please
Hi Brenda – please tell me you saw the notes for UK readers re: colouring!!!
Thanks Nagi for a truly amazing red velvet cake recipe! After salivating on your cake photos for weeks I finally made a batch of cupcakes using your recipe and they were AMAZING! So moist and delicious! Truly the best red velvet cake I’ve had – best thing about it is that I made it! The pillowy soft sponge reminds me of those matcha green tea cakes I’ve had in Japan, and in the Chinese bakeries in Sydney like Breadtop. Would you, or you mum, take on the challenge of posting a matcha sponge cake recipe for me please?
Nagi thank you so much for this recipe, it was absolutely delicious. I stumbled across your blog whilst i was looking for a red velvet cake recipe and i am so happy i was directed here. I have also made your lasagne which was a great hit. This cake was so moist and yummy. I made it for my brothers girlfriend on her birthday, they took half the cake and at had the rest. They said that the biggest mistake they made was to give us the other half. We eat it everyday with tea (i also had it for breakfast). This is hands down the best velvet cake ever. I added half a cup of brewed coffee in mine which worked well. The UK notes were so helpful as i always struggle with us recipes.
That’s terrific to hear Mini! Thanks for letting me know you enjoyed this – N x
Thank you for this wonderful recipe. I need to make a large one for a wedding cutting cake. Would this recipe be suitable to double or triple for a large round cake?
Hi Margy! That should be fine as long as the pan is larger 🙂 I made a double batch in a large rectangle pan and it came out fine!
Hi Nagi, would you please have the exact name of the red food gel colour you used?
Hi nagi i follow this receipe exact to point but still find the cake very oily what can i alter for this not to be the case next time
Hi Zeenat! It means that the batter was not beaten properly to incorporate the oil into the batter 🙂 Did your batter look smooth like mine? 🙂 N x
Hi Nagi i follpwed the receipe to the point and i’ve made it 3 times but find it very very spft when turning out. What can i alter for this not to happen seems like the cakes “very oily” hope tou can assist
Hi Zeenie! Can you check how big your eggs are? Egg is what makes the cake hold together. The ingredients specifies the weight of the eggs required 🙂 N x
Dearest Nagi,
I made this cake a few weeks ago for my boyfriend and it was perfect. Just PERFECT. The best recipe for Red Velvet Cake I‘ve found by far. Thank you especially for including tips on how to substitute things that sometimes aren’t easy to find here in Europe and measuring everything in cups as well as grams.
I want to try and make a bigger cake this time by using 28 cm round pans. How would I have to adjust the recipe?
Thank you so much for your help.
Jeanne
My cake sank in the middle. I only had 1 8 inch round to use and followed cooking times you provided…any idea what went wrong?
Dearest Nagi,
I’ve been following you and your fabulous recipes for some time now, and am particularly fond (as are all my family and friends) of your Lemon cake with lemon glaze, one that I have made countless times now!! My daughter has requested a red velvet cake for her 6th birthday and of course, I turn to you!!! I have a question about the frosting, as I am always afraid of overly sweet frosting… if I want to reduce the sweetness, is it possible to cut down the icing sugar? Or will that compromise the ability for the frosting to hold? As its a birthday cake we’ll be taking into school to share with the class, I wouldn’t wanna risk having runny frosting!!
I want to try this recipe but I’ve not really baked a whole lot. I have a 9in, 7 in and a 3 in pan that I want to make the cake in for the tiers. will this recipe be ok to do between these sizes? I only ask because I’ve noticed a lot of places say keep to the size of pan for the recipe or it will not turn out right. Thanks
I can find SR sponge flour in the UK , is this ok to use or should I stick with plain plus cornflour?
Hi Barbara, yes please follow the substitution directions in the notes! N x
Hi Nagi,
I truly loved this cake and I want to make it again for a party on Sunday but I want to make it on Friday so just wanted to ask is it okay if I wrap it in plastic wraps and leave it outside until Sunday, the temperature will be around 30 degrees here in UK for this weekend. Please reply.
Thank you for such a super recipe.
Hi Aysha! That should be ok 🙂 I keep it out in our summer which is hotter than that. Try to put them in a cool place in the house if you can!
Thank you for replying back, can’t wait to impress my guests. and thank you again for such a delicious and easy to follow recipe.
hi! your cake really look delicious! i am excited to try to make it for a birthday this weekend but this will be my FIRST time baking so i have a few questions i hope you can help with :
1. i only have a 9.4 inch x 2.8 inch round baking pan. if i pour all the batter into this pan, will it overflow as it is baking in the oven or form a huge mound in the middle?
2. how do i remove the cake from the baking pan? do i just flip it over? does it makes a difference that im only using one pan?
3. i only managed to get emborg cream cheese instead of the philadelphia cream cheese unfortunately. is there any alteration to the recipe that i have to make to ensure the cake is good?
4. how long do i need to cool the cake before i can slather the frosting all over it?
5. after everything is done, do i store the cake in the fridge until consumption?
6. how long can the cake be kept in fridge?
thanks in advance for your help! =D
Hi Vivie – your pan should be fine, it won’t overflow. If it isn’t a springform pan, then yes, flip it out gently. I am not familiar with that brand of cream cheese, but if it is like Philly, then it should be fine. Yes you need to cool the cake. Keep the cake in an airtight container at room temperature unless it is very hot where you are, in which case fridge is best. Hope that helps!
Thank you for your fast reply! Can’t wait to try it out!
So yum!! Totally understand ‘zara zara’ every other recipe was exactly that. Definitely keeping this recipe. Thank you 🙂