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.
Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.
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 made this cake from another source l wanted a cake with more flavor or taste but cannot fine it. Any suggestion thank you.
Hi Bessie! This cake to me is everything you want a Red Velvet to be 🙂 Hope you do try it!
Should I butter the bottom and the sides of the pans or just the bottom? also, if the pans are nonstick and rather dark, should I decrease the oven temp to 325 or is 350 okay? thanks!
Hi Allie! Sides and base 🙂 What do you mean “if the pans are rather dark….should I decrease oven temp”?? Are they some sort of magical pans? 🙂 I’ve never heard of the pans affecting the suitable oven temp!
Color of the pan changes a lot the final result!
Here’s a link with infos about it?
http://www.thekitchn.com/do-dark-colored-pans-heat-differently-weve-got-chemistry-219610
Learn something new every day! I can imagine it can make a real difference to cookies 🙂 I only have grey springform pans so this is made with a grey one!
OH and, if i only have 9″ pans, do you recommend I add to the ingredients or will it be okay as is? thanks!
Hi Allie! 9″ pans will be fine 🙂
My cakes didn’t rise 🙁 I have yet to taste them
Oh dear. Did you remember the rising agents??? 🙁
The flavour of this cake is SO good, and definitely moist. However when I flipped them out of their pans there were spots of gooeyness. Not everywhere! Just in spots. I don’t know if I underbaked them (I baked for 30 mins) or maybe its little lumps that when cooked melted and stayed at the bottom of the pan? Either way I am very happy with the result! I was scared to overmix so there definitely was some lumps but nothing to freak out about
Hi Lulu! that sounds really odd ? Where were the spots of gooeyness?? So not concentrated in the centre? I’m glad you were happy with the result though! I really should make a video of this recipe one day soon! N xx
I’ve made red velvet cake so many times always looking for the best recipe. This is definitely the best so far. But there is one more ingredient that I have to add…
Instant coffee, it is a must. Half a cup of coffee after adding the eggs. ?It lifts the flavour to the sky! It’s a promise!
OK! You’ve convinced me I will add it next time!!!!! 🙂 N x
Hi just wanted to know whether this cake could be used for a tiered wedding cake?
Hi Rakiya! I’ve never tried it myself but if you use the supports then I don’t see any reason why not!
Love it. I just omitted the cocoa. It was moist and light. I did adjust my cooking time a little. However, I add vinegar to my milk and let it sit for 15 minutes before I use it instead of lemon juice. It works for me!
Hi Nagi,
What will the outcome be like if I remove the cocoa powder- can’t risk the cake turnng brown again :'(
Hi Esther – are you in the UK? If so, I have added new notes about UK food colouring 🙂 It’s a nationwide problem!!!! If you remove the cocoa powder, you will miss that hint of chocolate flavour that is part of a real Red Velvet Cake!
Hi Nagi,
Yes I live in the UK. I’ve read all the notes about the change in regulation affecting us British bakers :'( Would it be okay to reduce the amount of cocoa powder and increase the food coloring?
Hi Esther! Yes you can reduce the cocoa powder 🙂 There’s only 2 tbsp so it won’t affect the recipe too much
I’m so happy to hear that Tiffany! Thank you for letting me know! N xx
I cannot tell believe how disappointed I am. I made this recipe and followed it to a “t”. It looked beautiful, but the cake itself was DRY! What a waste of time. I didn’t substitute anything. I had all the ingredients and was so disappointed. It was supposed to be the highlight of our Christmas desserts.
I’m sorry to hear that Barbara. All I can think is that you accidentally misread one of the ingredients or instructions because I can absolutely promise you (and also the many comments support) that this is not dry, it is moist and really tender. 🙂
How long can this cake be kept outside after the icing and/or does it have to be kept in fridge after frosting. If we do keep in fridge how long and will the icing melt or something if we keep in fridge for like 4 5 hours and then take out…appreciate your response. Thanks
Hi Sangeet! I don’t refrigerate this unless it gets above around 28C 🙂 It is definitely best served at room temperature so if you do refrigerate it, yes, please take it to about 1 – 2 hours before you serve it. 🙂
What weight is the buttermilk – I am in Scotland – going to attempt this for new years day – thank you – oh happy new year when it comes 🙂
Hi Jean! Please ensure the buttermilk by volume – 1 cup / 250ml 🙂
The mixture won’t separate at step 5 if you add 1 teaspoon of the flour with each egg at step 4. 🙂
Thanks for the tip Sarah, I’ll give it a go the next time I make it! N x
Hello! I can’t seem to find a liquid buttermilk here in our country, but I found a buttermilk powder. Sadly your recipe calls for liquid one, right? What should I do?
Hello! I can’t seem to find a liquid buttermilk here in our country but I have found a buttermilk powder. Sadly your recipe calls for a liquid one. What should I do?
Hi Sharifa, I’m sorry I haven’t tried it with powder but I’m pretty sure it will work!
Excellent recipe!!
Thanks Marie!! N xx
Nagi,
I love, love your instagram posts! Your enthusiasm comes across loud and clear!
I made your red velvet cake for my family’s Christmas party. The recipe and especially the notes made it foolproof. It was a huge hit.
I’m making it again for New Year’s Eve. My question is: can I make the frosting a day ahead?
Thanks!!
Marie
Hi Marie! I am so glad you enjoy my IG posts, thank you! I’m sorry for the delay responding 🙁 I don’t recommend making the frosting the day ahead, it kind of flattens so you wold need to re-beat it. N xx
Absolutely delicious! Made this for Christmas per my husbands request. I searched many different sites and recipes before deciding on this one. Although many of the recipes were similar, this one stood out because it calls for a cup of oil, also uses cake flour and super fine sugar ( which I made in my food processor). I do think that contributes to the soft, super moist cake. Of course I also read all the reviews. It was a hit and everyone devoured it! Thank you for a superb recipe that will join my archives of “best recipes” that I will make again.
WOO HOO! so glad you enjoyed this Jennifer!! The oil, cake flour and super fine sugar are definitely very specifically in this recipe 🙂 Oil makes it more moist than just using butter, the cake flour makes the crumb really tender (like what you get from good bakeries) and the super fine sugar dissolves much faster so also contributes to that beautiful tender texture. 🙂 N xx
Loved the cake however the frosting had a tangy taste, not sure what happened also had lumps in frost.
Hi Carmen! The frosting will have a slight tang because it is made with cream cheese 🙂 Most people love that!! For the lumps, the icing sugar needs to be sifted (please see ingredients) 🙂
I viewed about 20+ red velvet recipes (no exaggeration) since 5am this morning, and I figured there had to be a more simplistic one out there. Then around 3pm I crossed yours; however, what attracted me were #1 the positive reviews and your quick response, and #2 the easy to follow recipe. Since this was my first time making a red velvet cake, I reduced the ingredients by half and made one pan instead. It turned out PERFECT! I did run into a hiccup, but it was on my part: I don’t own any circular bake pans so I had to use the cheap tin one from the grocery store, which made me cook it for 50 mins. Even with the extra time, it still turned out really moist. I didn’t have regular buttermilk so I used low fat buttermilk, and I used Swans Down Cake Flour. This was my test run for my Post Christmas Dinner Party, rest assure that I will be serving this cake there.
I lived in Japan for a year and I must say that perfection was all I had while there.
Thank you so much!
Woo hoo! I am so thrilled to hear that it came out perfect for your Mel!! I know what you mean, when I am searching for a recipe I always do lots of research before settling on one. Glad this met your expectations!!! 🙂 N x
Could I use sour cream instead of the oil ? Just curious
Hi Jaime, sorry, I recommend sticking to the recipe as written. 🙂 N x
Hi! So I tried this recipe but I encountered some problems. I’m using a small oven, and I did the baking in one cake pan for 45 minutes at 180c. However, at the 20 minutes mark, the top of the cake started to burn and I quickly covered it with foil. But about 10 minutes later the burn smell gets stronger and I had to take it out to check. The top part was even more burned and cracked now but inside is still wet and gooey. At around 35 minutes mark, I lowered the temperature to 150c and switched the top heat off, and let it bake until the timer goes off. But again when it’s done, I took it out and the red gooey part inside is oozed out of the top of the cake. Any advice?
Hi Debronski! I’m sorry to hear you had problem, it sounds like your oven doesn’t distribute heat evenly if the top of the age was burning at 20 minutes. Smaller oven would mean the heated walls are closer to the cake which would explain why it was burning. When you say “small oven”, how small? one of those really small toaster ovens??
Hey there, really appreciate your reply! It’s a 20L oven, not those toaster ones. Do have any recommendations on how to adjust the heat & time before I give it another try? I’m still planning to do it in one cake pan. Or do you think it’s better to seperate and bake twice? Fyi, I only have one cake pan that’s suitable for this so if I were to bake it twice, I’d need to wait for the first one to cool before baking the second one.
Hi there! Can you tell me a little more about the oven?? Is it a normal home oven? 20L sounds small to me. And a small oven will definitely cook this more unevenly. 🙂
Yes it’s a normal small home oven. You can see more details on it at this link :-
http://www.senheng.com.my/electric-oven/17592-pensonic-20l-electric-oven-pen-peo2000.html
This is exactly what I’m using. Hope you can help me to figure things out, thanks!