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 begged me to make a red velcet cake and stumbled across yours! I’m in the Uk, and can’t for the life of me find cake flour, so I will be using either just plain flour or.. the cornflour one! Do I need to add any more baking soda if doing this? Also, the only pans I have are two 10inch rounds, I’m terrible with numbers (lol!) but will this still work? Or do i have to work out how much extra ingredients to add? And lastly, will the cream cheese icing withstand if I use it as a drip cake? So will add white Chocolate ganache to the top? But it may still be warm? Many thanks!! And I appreciate this recipe!
Hi Dominique! That’s fine, use the cornflour option provided in the notes. No you do not need to adjust the baking soda or any other ingredient or direction in the recipe if you do this! For the pans, 10″ is a little large for this, but you can use it and the layers will be about 2/3 of the thickness of what you see, but your cake will be larger in surface area 🙂 It is safer to stick with the recipe as is using your pans rather than trying to do a small scaling up. If you pour hot ganache on the frosting unfortunately it will melt the frosting. Sorry to disappoint on that! 🙂 N x
Thanks so much for responding Nagi! X will let you know how I get on with it tonight ❤️
I just made this cake, and it turned out great, flavour and texture, except the bottom cm of the cake looked like chocolate cake, as if something settled? and split the colouring? any ideas what went wrong? because i love how the cake turned out otherwise, but it doesnt look all red 🙁
Hi Courtney – how odd! Can I ask which country you are in and what brand / type of red food colouring you used??
in Australia, and used queens liquid food colouring, could it have been that the food colouring was a few years old? I couldn’t find an expiry or anything online to say food colour expires, but maybe I will try the gel next time 🙂
Hi Courtney! I use Queens too, I’m in Sydney 🙂 All I can think is that maybe it WAS off, I have never experienced it myself but that’s all I can think given we both use the same brand! N x
Whoever said this recipe would make 15 cupcakes was A) crazy B) wasting a lot of batter or C) making enormous cupcakes. Given that information, I doubled the recipe to (in theory) get 30 cupcakes. I ended up with over 70 cupcakes and the batter nearly overflowing over my 6qt kitchenaid standmixer bowl. They didn’t really rise to have a rounded top, but they didn’t sink either; Only the ones I overfilled sank in the middle. Most of the cupcakes had flat/very slightly rounded tops.
Take aways:
– ONE iteration of the provided recipe will provide about 3 dozen cupcakes (maybe minus a couple depending on the baker).
– Unless you are mixing by hand or have a larger than 6qt mixer, do not double it (in one go).
– Given “standard” (not mini or jumbo) cupcakes, batter filled about two-thirds of the cupcake liner, took 18 minutes in the oven. They looked a little underdone but a toothpick indicated they were baked adequately while still retaining the wonderful, moist texture.
– 1.5 times the icing was just shy of being able to ice the ~6 dozen cupcakes with a piping bag. The icing was not firm enough to really pile on, but a) it has a strong flavor so more might have overwhelmed them and b) the way to stiffen it would be to add more sugar which I did not want to do.
– Personal preference: I would have liked a slightly stronger cupcake flavor so I would be tempted to experiment with the cocoa powder to try and get a slightly stronger chocolate presence.
Overall, I loved the recipe and everyone who tried one (I gave away 60 cupcakes!) LOVED them.
The website is my photos of the adventure, uploaded to imgur since I see no way to attach them here.
Hi Kathleen! Thanks for the reminder to make these into cupcakes, I have been meaning to so I can add directions into the recipe INCLUDING THE NUMBER IT MAKES!!! 🤣 N x
https://imgur.com/a/BblGr – The photos
LOVE seeing these pics! Thanks!! PS Tried to leave comment but had trouble creating account 🙁
I understand. I struggled to create an account too. I made one just to make the post so I could share the photos. 😂
This is a fantastic recipe! Tried it once and it was a hit. Had to make another one two days later…lol. Thank you for the tips, absolutely helpful. Looking forward to trying many more of your dishes. Cheers!
So glad you enjoyed this Shamini! Thanks for letting me know! N x
I found this recipe after browsing the web while craving cake, and it looks perfect! I will have to run to the store to purchase the ingredients I need, but I am sure it will all be worth it! Hopefully by next week I will have made this cake, which will be the first cake I’m making since last year. 😬 Wish me luck!
I will definitely leave a rating once I bake this cake. Oh and I love the idea of using the crumbs to decorate! Would it be better to layer on a crumb coat, and chill the cake in the fridge before icing it? I’m just wondering…
Hi Tamarah! No need to chill, just make sure the cake is fully cool before icing 🙂 Hope you love it! N xx
Hi Nagi,
Does this cake freeze ok or is better made fresh? I want to use it in a large birthday cake and am going to struggle with timings so want to make in advance, but if it doesn’t compromise the taste!
Thank you x
Hi Louise! You can freeze the cakes without frosting for up to 3 months 🙂 Let them cool, wrap well in cling wrap, then put in a container for extra air tightness. Then defrost naturally before use!
Hi Nagi,
I made this last week and it went down a storm with all of my testers; lovely texture, flavor etc. I’d happily make this time and time again.
I did, however, get one question about beetroot. May I ask, please, if I were tempted to attempt a beetroot addition, how would you recommend doing so without compromising what is a wonderful recipe?
Thanks very much!
Matt
P.s. Tried your lasagne and shredded beef ragu a little while back as well – superb!!
Hi Matt, so glad it was enjoyed!! Regarding Beetroot – I’m afraid I don’t know the answer to that, I’m sorry!! N x
Another 5 star! Have to say I haven’t made this cake before and was a little intimidated with the buttermilk etc as they are ingredients I haven’t used before. The recipe and notes were 100% clear and guided me all the way through to 2 PERFECT cakes!! Thankyou soo much for the hard work and fabulous blog/recipe 🙂
WHOOT!!!! LOVE HEARING THAT TASH!!! N xx
1st off – I never leave reviews (yeah I know lol), but this was so freakin good!!! I made it last week for my daughters bday. She usually requests Cheesecake red velvet cheesecake… so it was crucial for me to make something equal (or else run to Cheesecake Factory and fork out $50). Not only did this recipe exceed my expectation, it was the BEST cake I’ve ever made!! Everybody loved it and to boot – my husband (who doesn’t care for red velvet) devoured his piece and kept going back for more, lol! I’m baking another cake today, for Valentines Day.
I followed the recipe to a T and used european butter for the ultimate result. Thank you SO much for sharing this recipe. It’s going to be enjoyed by family/friends for years to come!
YES YES YESSSS!!!! 🙂 N xx
Not only is this the first time I prepare this red velvet cake, it’s also the first time I taste it, so I have no point of reference to compare it. However, what I can say is that it’s so delicious and smooth and perfect.
It’s the first cake I’ve made in years, since I was a little girl, so visually it is not as beautiful as in your photo. But I definitely achieved a flavor and consistency quite the opposite of zara-zara.
I prepared it to celebrate February 14 with my love. Thank you very much for the recipe.
I absolutely love hearing that Mar! Happy Valentines Day to you and your love! ❤️
Thank you for sharing this recipe Nagi! It is truly the best Red Velvet Recipe out there and I’m so glad I stumble upon your blog! I made it twice now and the entire family loves it! 🙂
However, I tend to notice that it sinks in the middle? Do you have any ideas as to why it’s happening? Thank you again!
Hi Kenny! Do you know if your oven runs a bit weak? That can be the cause of that. Also, don’t peek / slam oven door while it’s baking! This can also cause it to collapse! N xx
Hello, I’ve made this recipe before and it worked like a dream! I was wondering if it would also work for cupcakes? What would your recommend the bake time be? Thanks so much!
HI Maggie! Check it at 22 minutes with a skewer 🙂 N x
Hi! Is this recipe batter enough to make a 3 layer 6 inches cake? Thanks in advance!
Hi Ann! What I would do is pour 2/3 into one pan and 1/3 into the other. That way you will lose less when yo level off the top. Then cut the one with more batter in it in half. The one with more batter should take an extra 5 minutes to cook. Hope that helps!
Thank you! I will try it tonight!
Can this recipe be halved?
Yes it sure can! 🙂
Hi. I love red velvet cakes so I’m going to try this one! So excited! Only thing is stopping me is we only have buttermilk powder here in our country, liquid buttermilk is scarce, can I use the powder instead and what is the measurement please, pretty please? 😊 Thanks so much!
Hi Teresa – that should be fine!! 🙂
Hi Nagi, I’ve made this recipe before once and it came out absolutely divine. I will be making it again but this time I have to try and make it dairy free and I also want to use a mirror glaze to cover it rather than a cream cheese frosting. My question was, can I use dairy free maragarine (sunflower oil based) instead of unsalted butter or would the outcome be too different? I’ll be making it on Sunday which is only a couple of days away so I hope you can reply if you can before then.
Many thanks,
Hatice
Hi Hatice, sorry I missed your deadline! I’m afraid I am not sure how this will come out if made dairy free, sorry!
Made this cake the other day, and even though it had to stay in the fridge for a couple days (I had neither time nor supplies to ice it), it still came out absolutely delicious. Probably the best red velvet cake I’ve ever had. And despite being frosted with a very flavorful icing, the flavor of the cake came through and the icing and cake flavors complemented each other so well. Thanks so much for posting this recipe!
I love hearing that Kelsey! So pleased you enjoyed it, thanks for taking the time to let me know – N x
Hi I haven’t got white vinegar at home at moment what can I use instead of that
Hi Vali – do you have any pale coloured vinegar or lemon juice? 🙂
Hi there. Thanks for your recipe but i have trouble with the cake being cooked within 45 minutes in one cake pan. The middle was not cooked within that timing and it was only cooked after 1 hour total duration and ended up the top and side being crusty and hard and the cake being dry. Im a bit disappointed with the outcome and hope you can suggest some method to troubleshoot it if possible, for cooking the whole came with one cake pan please. Thank you
Hi Con! Cover it with foil to stop the top from browning too much 🙂 This is exactly the reason why I cook this in 2 pans. I’ll add that tip in the recipe! N x
Hi Con – do you find it takes longer to cook things in your oven than most recipes say? Because if that is the case it sounds like your oven might run weak because this should definitely cook in that time! 🙂
Hi Nagi! Thanks so much for this recipe. I am planning to make this for a wedding coming up soon. I live in the UK, so the cream cheese will be mixed with butter. I was planning to make this cake on the tuesday- however do you think this will last well until the wedding which is on saturday? it would be covered with fondant icing but i am a bit worried about the cream cheese. Thanks so so much for any help at all! I love the recipe 🙂
Hi Christine! how lovely that you’re making this for a wedding! I would wrap very well and put in an airtight container and freeze 🙂
I made this cake today. It was delicious! It so happened that my nearest baking shop ran out of buttermilk, so i had to make some using milk n vinegar (eventho Nagi suggested not to) but it turned out well! (Thank God!). Since my family prefer the tangy taste of the cream cheese, i only used 2 1/2 cups of icing sugar instead of 4. Overall, this is definitely going to my recipe book. Thanks Nagi!