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, just made this cake today for hubby’s birthday, what’s the best way to store please? Thanks x
Hi Jessica- keep it in an airtight container either in the fridge or on the benchtop if it’s not too hot where you live! If you did the cream cheese frosting, it’s safest in the fridge! N x
Trying to make red velvet cake for the first time tomorrow and I’m so excited to try this! This might be a newbie question, but what is the best way to put the crumbs around the base of the cake?
Also, can I use three 6” cake pans to bake this recipe instead of 2-8” pans? I only have 6” pans.
Thank you!!
Hi Jaclyn – yes you can use 3 x 6 inch tins and if you watch the video you will see that I put the crumbs around the top edges of the cake for decoration. If you want to crumb the sides you can put the cake on a rack over a tray to catch any falling crumbs and gently press the crumbs into the side of the cake – there are lots of videos on youtube that show how to do this! N x
I could not get the cake done in 25 minutes. It was more like 45 minutes.
I am a professional baker and bake about 20 cakes a week. My oven is calibrated. I use 8 x 2 inch pans as the recipe calls for.
I use Americolor Super Red Gel food coloring and it produces a deep red cake.
A really good cake, just test for doneness before removing from the oven.
Can’t wait for the book and mostly the blog to resume!
Hi Nagi. Love your website and all your handy hints! Going to give this a go on the weekend. If sticking to the cup measurements what is your advice on the best way to measure the butter in cups? Scoop it? Spoon it in?
Was thinking of making this as a 4 tier cake so might make this x2 ASI think the layers might be too thin if I try and divide it into 4 pans? I’ll probably make them as 2 separate cakes rather than doubling the measurements into one (scared I will muck it up if I play around with the measurements). Can’t wait
Hi Illie – when measuring butter in cups, it helps to know that 1 stick of butter in the USA equals half a cup – you would not need to actually scoop it. If you are in Australia or Europe, a half cup of butter is 125 grams and butter is marked out on the package in 50 gram increments so you can cut the correct amount. And yes, it’s safest to make 2 separate batches if you need 4 tiers! Happy baking! N x
Made this yesterday for my son’s birthday. He told me it was the best cake I’d ever made. He’s 27 now…there have been a lot of cakes. Thank you!!
Awww Deb what a sweetie! N x
I made this last night and it was perfect! My new go-to red velvet recipe. Thank you!
Woohoo! Well done Lyndsay! N x
Made this as a wedding cake and it was a fail. I followed your instructions to the ml and ⁰C and the cake lost nearly all its colour (it went orange I used plenty of powder colour mixed to the products instructions and it’s never failed in any other cake I’ve baked) one cake was dry the other was under cooked. I used the full mix in one 8″ lined and greased spring cake pan/tin I tested it using a tooth pick to the base etc. I’ve been a baker over 12 years and I’ve had to use box mix which came out perfect with the same measures in volume of mix same temps and time cooking. Not sure what went wrong.
Hi Dee – I am sorry that you had a problem with it. I note that per your email, you are in the UK. Did you see my Note 7 under the recipe that in the UK you need to use gel colours only as the other colourings won’t work? Also since you were baking in one pan did you cover the top after 30 mins so it wouldn’t get too brown as per the notes? I hope that helps – N x
Hi Nagi!
I’m wondering what type of oil you recommend using in this cake? 🙂
Canola or vegetable oil are both fine here! N x
I’m so sad. I’m UK based and only took notice of note 7 AFTER I’d baked my cakes and was wondering why (despite a good dose of red food colouring) my cake came out like a murkey brown colour. I’ve made the ‘brown velvet’ for hubby’s birthday – hopefully obvious lack of the red colour doesn’t take away from the occasion 🙁
I’m also from the UK. I bought my colours from eBay. They are powder colours I also got a muddy orange cake. Not sure why as I’ve made plenty of other cakes and the colour has stayed perfect.
Hi CK — oh no! But Brown Velvet sounds like a 70s band! I am sure that it will still taste great despite the colour issue – happy birthday to your hubby!! N x
How much gel food colouring do you need? My raw mixture is kind of pinky brown after a 15g tube of Dr.Oetkers red extra strong food colour gel ☹️ Do i need to add more?
Hi Nagi,
Thank you for your response.
Hubby actually enjoyed the taste of his cake but I was just so bumbed by the colour that I could only express disappointment.
Hopefully with Gel food colouring this ‘Brown Velvet’ should hopefully transform into a beautiful ‘Red Velvet’ cake x
I made the red velvet cake and was very precise, as you suggested, sticking to weight measurements. I used Philadelphia Cream cheese. But somehow the icing/frosting wasn’t thick enough – I had to add quite a lot of extra icing sugar and it still remained rather thin. In the end, I placed the iced cake in the freezer which forced the frosting to harden. The cake was delicious, but still not sure why my icing didn’t thicken properly 😭
What country are you in Ian? And did you use the block or tub Philly? N x
If you are in the UK you can get a cream cheese called Langley Farm cream cheese, made in Yorkshire. This has 30g of fat and makes lovely cream cheese icing.
I’m so happy to know that Denise!! Thanks for sharing! N x
Hi Nagi, I would love to make this cake for my sister’s baby shower. She is having a boy – can I use blue food colouring instead of red or will it turn a funny colour? Thank you
In this case with the reddish hue that cocoa gives the batter, I think you will end up with purple or murky brown if you try that! N x
I always love your recipes. It never failed. I made this red velvet cake for my sister in law, and they loved it. Thank you so much for sharing such are amazing recipe.
Please make a recipe of red velvet cheesecake 🤩
Hi Nagi, the recipe sounds just perfect for my sons birthday cake as Red Velvet is his favourite! I know you have answered similar a couple of times but I need to make it ahead. If I freeze the layers do I assemble them on the day still frozen and put the frosting on and then let it defrost once assembled or defrost the layers and then make up?
Thank you – I am going to make a practice cake so I get it right – can’t wait!
I find it easiest to frost the layers about 10-15 minutes after taking them out of the fridge or freezer. Then the cake can set for a bit either at room temp (or in the fridge depending on the type of frosting and if it’s a hot day) until you are ready to serve it. N x
Thank you Nagi, for an excellent recipe! The texture and flavor of this moist tender cake was remarkable. I researched many recipes online before deciding to try this version with the butter/oil mix plus excellent detailed instructions and information that accompanied it. I followed the recipe exactly with with one exception. I purchased cake flour and buttermilk as recommended, even purchased 8″ cake tins because all I had were 9″ and I wanted a taller cake. The only change may seem crazy, but I decided to try omitting the red food coloring because I know there are some questions about its use. I had read that originally the acidic ingredients with the small amount of cocoa produced the reddish color and I was curious to learn whether the the cake would end up a light tannish color like the batter, but I am thrilled to report the cake came out a beautiful reddish-brown color that contrasted well with the white frosting. Amazing!! Thanks again, Nagi for all the work in writing this recipe!
Thanks for that interesting info AV! I am happy that you enjoyed the cake! N x
Would this cake lend itself to being baked as a 3 inch deep square layer and turned on it’s side? I’d need to carve it a little and decorate with buttercream and sweets as I’m making the iconic Sweet Shop from the Austrailian Women’s Weekly kids cake book. Worried it may be too soft for this or how it would bake as a very thick layer. Any help would be really appreciated!
Hi Laura – sorry I haven’t tested it baked in a pan that size so I do not know if it will work sorry! I suspect this one might be a bit too soft to stand on its side so you might be better off with my chocolate cake. Let me know how it goes!! N x
Hi Nagi,
Would using the corn starch and plain flour substitute (instead of cake flour) still give the same good texture??
Can this recipe be used for cupcakes?
Use this one please Nikki! https://promotown.info/red-velvet-cupcakes/%3C/a%3E N x
Hello 😀 is this cake too spongey / soft to be covered in fondant?
And will it frost better if popped in the fridge? you’ve mentioned frozen is better for frosting but I don’t have much freezer space.
Thanks!
Hi Alice – it’s a pretty soft cake but I think you could use fondant. I recommend freezing or refrigerating for applying buttercream as it leads to a smoother finish, but a fridge cold cake with fondant will make condensation as it warms up and that will make the fondant soggy from the inside. Frost with a buttercream in between layers and to crumb coat, refrigerate briefly (15 minutes) to set the coating, then do your marzipan and/or fondant layers. The cake should then stay out at room temperature. If where you are is really hot then I would just do buttercream and refrigerate it! N x
I followed the recipe exactly but mine just tasted of oil – so disappointed. Should it really be 250ml, it seems a lot?! I’m not sure what went wrong!