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
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Claire says
Hi Nagi,
a quick question, after frosting the cake, do I need to refrigirate, since it has philaderphia in it?
Suna says
Hi Nagi…. love your recipes & he detail in your notes for substitutes & hints. My red velvet cake is just out of the oven. So haven’t tried it yet. I opened the oven door to check in the last 10 mins & it went flat, but think it might still be ok. Can I freeze it for a few days? Many thanks … Suna
Viv Stevenson says
After trawling the internet for a red velvet cake with the most positive reviews, I settled on this one for my very first attempt at Red Velvet. I was not disappointed. The recipe was true to its word. I followed all the notes regarding the UK and adjusted the flour and soft cheese as advised.
The cake was lovely and red, moist and everyone enjoyed it.
Thank you for adjusting your recipe for the UK. Definitely will be making again and again.
Nagi says
That’s great to hear Viv, thanks so much for the great feedback! N x
Maryam says
Made this for my mums birthday, it was absolutely delicious. The cake was so lovely and soft and the cream cheese frosting was perfect. (Especially since I’m not the biggest fan of cream cheese!) I’m from the UK and we don’t have cake flour or buttermilk so I used the substitutes and it turned out perfectly fine. Thank you for providing such a detailed and easy recipe.
David says
All supermarkets have buttermilk here in the UK its right with the regular milk and cream
Navneeta says
Hi you can find cake flour and buttermilk in Asda in polish/Asian section
Mo says
can you help please, I am not a regular baker, I have a fan oven, and followed the recipe exactly, but the cake was raw on inside and approaching overcooked on outside. what temperature is best for fan ovens thanks
Nagi says
Hi Mo, sorry you had issues here – what temperature was your oven on? It sounds like it was too hot. N x
Chloe Juson says
Hi Nagi! Where do you buy your buttermilk here in AU?I’ve tried woolies and coles but they don’t have it. thanks!
Nagi says
Woolies and Coles stock it! N x
Dee says
Hi Nagi. Planning to make this recipe (Red velvet cupcakes) this Thursday for my colleagues at work as a treat for all the hard work we’ve all put in this year with the pandemic (we are health care workers, doctors and nurses at a primary health care clinic, I’m a physician/doctor).
Is cake flour the same as self rising flour? That’s the only one I found here in Stockholm. If not, I will use the cake flour substitute.
Regarding buttermilk, can I “make my own” by over whipping whipped cream till the butter and buttermilk separate? Can’t seem to find buttermilk in stores here. Otherwise I will use the substitute and hope for the best. Also can I double the recipe and use 2 muffin tins in the oven at the same time? Do cooking times/temp stay the same?
Thanks! Love ur recipes(specially Asian inspired ones) and cook at least one of ur recipes every week for dinner. Thanks for all!
Nagi says
Hi Dee, no it’s not – cake flour has a lower percent of protein making it perfect for baking as it results in softer cakes etc. It doesn’t have any raising agent in it like SR flour. N x
natalie hackett says
Hi Nagi. I made this for my daughters birthday. I didn’t have the red food colouring so we had a blue velvet cake :). It was delicious and she loved it, so thank you. Also your instructions are probably the best I have seen, the notes and qualifications on substitutes and differences between countries is very helpful and much appreciated. Kind Regards, Natalie
Valeria Paglioni says
Hi Nagi, I made this yesterday but the cake was still slightly raw inside while outside was overcooked. I managed to save it with some trimmings at the end but it was a shame 😔. In your recipes is not specified, is the oven static or fan assisted? Mine was fan so perhaps I should have lowered the temperature to 160 for a slower and more even bake? Please let me know! 🙂
Sharon Chabikwa says
Loved it!recipe is super easy to follow and the cake was simply the best
Ujvala Rao says
Just made this cake for Halloween and it went down a treat! Perfect texture, delicious taste and striking to look at. Your recipes have not failed me yet Nagi!
Pris says
Hello! How should I adjust this recipe to make a three-tiered 4” cake?
Alexandra says
Absolutely perfect. Better than the red velvet cake from hummingbird bakery
NATALIA T VALENCIA says
Hello, I typically prepare all of my ingredients the night before baking. Would it be okay to put together the wet ingredients a night before?
Mary says
Hi There,
I was wondering if I could use two 10″ pans for this recipe. Would to work the same?
Ani says
Hi u mentioned milk + lemon combo wont work for this recipe. But i dun wanna buy buttermilk just for this case. Can i still use the milk + lemon combo or milk + vinegar?
Nagi says
You sure can Ani! It’s not quite as soft but it still comes out very similar 🙂 N x
Ani says
Hi Nagi! I tried out this recipe and it turned out simply awesome!! Everyone loved it so much!! The texture and sweetness was just right! The buttermilk substitute made it great and soft too! I did lower the powdered sugar in frosting and still turned out great! Surely will try with original buttermilk next time 🙃☺️
Sylvia says
Hi Nagi,
I made my first red velvet cake over the weekend using your recipe and its scrumptious 😋 Like I’m amazed I wa s able to pull it off. Thank you for sharing such a great recipe!
Chrisanina says
Hi Nagi,
I Have Never Commented Before But Your Website Would Have To Be My Favourite. I Have Made This Beautiful Cake As Per Your Recipe Many Times And It Never Fails. It Is A Huge Hit With Friends And Family, Young, Old And In Between. Thank You For Such A Fabulously Delicious Cake. 😊
Marjorie Rego says
I made my first red velvet cake yesterday using another recipe (because it was smaller and just a test) and it was terrible! Decided to try a half batch of your recipe today (because your recipes never fail me) and it is amazing Nagi. I just pulled it out of the oven and can’t wait to taste it. Thank you Nagi. 🙂
Merlyn says
My 8 year old requested a red velvet cake for his birthday. I was nervous considering I had never made a red velvet cake or cream cheese frosting before. The cake was delicious, moist and overall amazing!!
Nagi says
Wahoo, that’s great to hear Merlyn!! N x