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 am so glad i followed your recipe! successful the first time! I was shocked by the compliments. Thank you so much 🙂 (hug)
Whoot! So pleased to hear that Julia, thanks for letting me know! N x
Hi Nagi!
This looks great and am so excited to try it this weekend; I will let you know how it turns out.
Also, your dog is adorable and I love your writing style.
Thanks so much!
Thank you for the compliment Marilou! Including about my DOG!
I made this cake and it came out great. It’s very moist and had just a hint of chocolate. I used the red food coloring. I didn’t buy buttermilk because I didn’t know what to do with the rest of it. I did the lemon juice substitution but maybe next time I will use buttermilk to see if there really is a difference. I didn’t use 4 cups of confectioners sugar either, just 1 cup. And it was sweet enough for me. This is the only red velvet cake I’ll make. Thanks Nagi.
I’m so pleased to hear that Paula! I’m glad you were able to adapt the sweetness to your taste too 🙂 I think my mother would only use 1 cup too, she really doesn’t like sweet things much! N xx
Cake stuck to the pan. Too oily for my taste. Disappointed.
Hi Sharon, I’m sorry to hear that. Did you butter and dust the cake pan with cocoa?? And regarding the oiliness, I must confess I’m surprised to hear that, I really would never consider this cake to be even remotely oily??
Hi Nagi,
This recipe looks great! I was just wondering how long you think the cake would stay fresh for?
Thanks,
Rach
Hi Rachel! It’s great for up to 3 days in an airtight container. 🙂 I keep it in the cupboard unless it’s very hot, in which case I put it in the fridge and ensure it comes to room temperature before serving.
Great stuff. Thanks for the info 🙂
Hi Nagi
I stay in Japan at the moment and would like to know if you get buttermilk here in supermarkets… I am new to the language. I would really like to try out your version of this cake for my upcoming anniversary.
Thank you!
Sorry to say I don’t know Radha! If you can’t find it, use the milk/lemon juice options 🙂
Best cake I’ve ever made! Turned out perfect! Taste texture and color was awesome!
FANTASTIC to hear Meagan! Thank you so much for letting me know. Hope you have a great weekend! – N xx
Making this cake for my sons 18th birthday! I’ve never tried red velvet wish me luck! Do you use the basic Philadelphia cream cheese recipe for frosting? Your cake looks beautiful I’m planning to also use cut off pieces to crumble for decorations.
Hi Roxanne! Yes Philadelphia is always my choice cream cheese. Happy 18th to your son! N xx
First off thank you for this amazing recipe! It’s the first time I made red velvet and although mine wasn’t red I’m still going to try it again with better measuring stuff (recently moved into my first flat so I have very little things). Even thPugh it was more brownish it tasted amazing and everyone loved it! It has to be the fluffier cake I have ever made! So goood 🙂
Hi Bekki, I’m so glad to hear everyone enjoyed the flavour of it! I think you are in the UK and I’ve been doing some research and learned that the liquid food colourings you have are very different to what’s used in Australia and the States, it is far less intense because I believe it’s based on natural rather than artificial ingredients. I am updating the recipe now for directions – you will need to use a food colouring GEL which is around the same strength as the food colouring we have here in Australia. 🙂 N xx
Hi,
I have tried this twice now and both times the cake did not turn out red! Just looked like a chocolate cake. Tasted lovely and texture right but just not red. What went wrong? I used liquid food colouring not gel?
Wow that’s crazy cuz I making my cake three times and I got chocolate cake too I used two bottles of food coloring???
Hi Kateryna! I’m sorry to hear that, can I ask which country you are in? The other lady is in the UK and I updated the recipe for specific UK colouring directions – need to use GEL not natural liquid food colouring.
Hi Marina! You definitely used 2 1/2 TABLESPOONS of food colouring per recipe?? That’s a ton of food colouring and should definitely make it red!!
Hi, yes I used the whole bottle! The mixture was definitely red when it went in the oven, but came out brown (& it wasn’t burnt!)
That is so odd Marina! Can I ask which country you live in? I’ll do some research.
Hi Nagi, I live in England. Thank you maybe it’s something strange over here that is clashing with the food colouring??
Marina
Hi Marina! I actually did some research and found that the mainstream liquid food colouring in England is usually made from natural ingredients so it is nowhere near as intense as what we get here in Australia and the US which is artificial. So unfortunately you will need to find food colouring GEL which is artificial, and use the same amount specified in the recipe. I added notes into the recipe, I hope that helps! PS This problem explains why every red velvet cake I’ve seen by British celebrity chefs is nowhere near as red as they should be! 🙂
Hi Nagi,
I live in Brasil and we dont have buttermilk in here. Will the cake be arruined if i use 1c. Milk+vinager or lemon juice?
Thanksa lot,
Vanessa
Hi Vanessa! The crumb will not be quite as tender but to be honest, most people probably can’t tell the difference. I must admit, my friends couldn’t tell! 🙂 N xx
Hi Nagi – my son wants a red velvet cake for his 21st birthday so I’m trying yours. I would call myself a beginner cook and I appreciate the detailed recipe and notes – I follow everything very exact and literally! Anyway, was just wondering how you were able to get your lovely red crumbs to decorate just the outer circle on the top of cake and just the lower edge surrounding the cake? I would love to achieve that but how to do so???
thanks!
Hi Leslie! I just use my fingers to sprinkle it on very carefully 🙂 Just do it slowly and close to the icing, you will be fine! If an odd crumb goes in the wrong place, just use a small sharp knife to remove it 🙂
Hey! Thi is an amazing recipe.
I just have one question, I have powdered colouring instead of the liquid. Could you relate the amount that I have to use?
Thanks a lot! Kudos.
Hi Nagi. I love this cake recipe- the cake is light and airy and the cream cream icing is a great consistency I just wanted your opinion on your choice of red food colouring. I have used the gel for my cake and its worked out fine- but am yet to try it with the liquid food colouring. Have you tried both the gel and the liquid food colouring- do you find it makes a better cake? Also do you have a preference for vanilla extract- as I have used some rubbish ones in my time and the cake seems to need a good vanilla extract to balance the flavours and bring out the vanilla. Love the cake 🙂
Hi Aimee! I personally have a preference for liquid because I find it’s easier to measure out, I know that sounds weird as most people recommend gel but that’s my personal preference 🙂 Also I have found some gels differ in strength which is really annoying because a tiny bit too much can make an icing WAY too blue or go red instead of pink etc 🙂 I don’t have a personal preference for vanilla, I just make sure to use real vanilla rather than fake essence. Generally the stores here in Australia only sell good quality real vanilla extract, whereas the artificial stuff really varies in quality. So glad you enjoyed it Aimee, thanks for letting me know! N xx
Can you tell, does this need to be refrigerated once it’s made? I was just wondering about the cream cheese and you can’t beat Philly xx
Hi Mark! I don’t as long as it’s not too hot 🙂 I prefer the frosting to be at room temperature because it’s creamier! But on hot summer days I refrigerate it then take it out before serving.
Hi Nagi! I made this recipe into cupcakes yesterday for my niece’s 2nd birthday and I had to report back. They were absolutely perfect!!!!! So moist, flavourful and I loved the vibrant red colour. I will never need another red velvet recipe again. You were so right about the oil, it makes a huge difference in insuring the cupcakes come out perfectly moist instead of using all butter. Thank you so so much, I can’t wait to try many of your other delicious recipes! Take care.
A fan from Canada
I am so happy to hear it wasn’t “zara-zara”!!! 😉 N xx
I made this recipe for my daughter’s birthday and it turned out delicious. My cake pans are 9″ ones, but it worked fine, except the layers were not domed. I used regular sugar, cake flour, and the 2 T cocoa in the recipe, plus the 2 1/2T red food coloring. The batter was red, but the cooked cake looked more like a slightly reddish devil’s food. If I do it again I will make 2 changes: I had an open box of dark chocolate cocoa; I will use regular cocoa instead, and I will NOT dust the buttered pans with cocoa but use flour instead: the cocoa on the cooked layers’ surface bled into the frosting, and I had to refrost the cake after it had set overnight in the refrigerator. Fortunately the frosting recipe is so generous that I had plenty left over.
Hi Gwen! So glad you thought this was delicious! Yes please use REGULAR cocoa, not dark 🙂 Dark cocoa darkens the cake which is why yours didn’t come out bright red!
Hi Nagi, I love red velvet cake and this looks amazing! I just finished making red velvet cupcakes and they were ok, but a tad dry. The recipe I used called for just butter, no oil, although I keep reading that oil is needed also, so perhaps that’s why they were dry. So I’m still searching for the perfect red velvet recipe. This one looks like a winner. Can this recipe be made into cupcakes? Thank you for sharing your recipe! Oh yeah, and my name is Zara so “zara-zara” made me laugh out loud! Ha, that’s funny.
Hi Zara, glad to hear you LAUGHED at that!!! 🙂 I can 100% assure you, some oil is necessary. Butter = flavour but not moistness, oil = moist but less flavour. So combine the 2 for max results! YES this recipe is fantastic with cupcakes! Bake for around 25 minutes 🙂
If I were to make a 9 inch 2 layer cake , how much do I increase the quantity of ingredients. I would probably make it in 2 x 9 inch tin or just one 9 inch tin, then cut it into 2 layers to sandwich the cream cheese.
Thank you.
IN all honesty, I would just stick with this recipe and accept that the cake height will be slightly less. Not much! I think the pain of calculating the ratio to increase batter slightly will not be worth it! 🙂
Hi Nagi,
I’ve never made Red Velvet cake before, so I wasn’t sure what to look for in a recipe. I stumble across yours and decided to try it. Oh boy!! was this cake awesome!! I made if for a Valentine’s Day gathering I was going to and the cake was the star of the day. Everyone was wanting to take some home. I couldn’t find caster sugar so I used confectioner’s sugar instead and it was not a problem. I made the cakes one day in advance and didn’t lose a bit of moisture. I think I’ll be making red velvet more often.
Thanks for posting this recipe.
Oh wow oh WOW!!!! I’m so happy to hear that Giselle, thanks for letting me know! N xx