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. 😉
Naida says
I can see now, it is in wet ingredients. Newer thought sugar is wet ingredient;)
Nagi says
Hi Naida – it’s not a wet ingredient per se, just part of the ingredients for the wet part of the mixture! N x
Naida says
I can’t see sugar in sponge recipe
Linda says
Full Circle.
About 3 or 4 years ago I was looking for a Red Velvet cake recipe for my daughters birthday. She warned me that they are very hard to get right. Thats when i discovered Nagi’s website for the first time. Made the cake and it was awesome. She wants it again tomorrow for her birthday and I am going to supervise my 11 year old grand daughter make it. She is an awesome baker and uses your website all the time too. I dont have much more to teach her. Thanks again Nagi for all the wonderful recipes that you create and make us all better cooks
Zac says
Hi, I’m planning to make this for Christmas and I just wanted to ask What food colouring you use in this recipe? Thanks
SN says
Hi Nagi,
Am I able to do an ombré frosting
with Philadelphia cream cheese
Caroline Ng says
I want to try this red velvet cake.
Q1. Instead of red dye, how to switch to beetroot powder?
Q2. How to reduce sugar so cake n cheese frosting don’t taste so sweet?
Q3. How to swop this to using match powder to make it a green velvet cake?
Nagi says
HI Caroline – sorry I haven’t tested those variations so am not certain they will work! N x
Karina says
Hi Nagi, can I substitute food colouring for red beet juice? If yes, how much juice should I use? Thank you so much!
Leanne Misaljevich says
Hi I’d like to make a 3 layer cake – would it be possible to use the same amount of ingredients and share the batter between 3 x 6″ pans?
Nagi says
I haven’t tested the timing on that Leanne but I think it would work. You will have to watch it carefully so it doesn’t overcook. N x
Caroline says
Thanks for your reply. Hope that one day you will try out the variation matcha velvet cake and share it with us 🙂
Sheun says
I don’t seem to see in the notes; I have 9 inch pans, how much should I adjust bake time? Cheers
Nagi says
Hi Sheun – I haven’t tested that but I would estimate 20-22 mins bake time on 9 inch pans. Thanks! N x
Marusia Pola says
Hi, I am from México and I love your recipes, they are completely bullet proof. I really want to do this red velvet recipe for Christmas dinner but we don’t have buttermilk available in Mexico, I was wondering if I can replace it for yoghurt or mild and vinegar, I know you say it is not the same but, is that bad?, thank you!!
Mandy says
Hello, is this cake freezable? If so what is the best technique, and up to how long can it be frozen for?
Nagi says
Hi Mandy – you can freeze the layers tightly wrapped in plastic for up to a month then thaw and add frosting on the day you want to eat it. N x
Liliana Batolova-Tonev says
Hello 🙂 Recipe looks amazing and I will try it for sure! 1 question is – I didn’t see the ring size anywhere? these measures are for what ring size? Also – when you add the frosting and “assemble” the cake does it need some time in the fridge or is ready for eating?
Thanks!
Nagi says
Hi Liliana – in Step 1 of the recipe it calls for 2 x 8 inch pans. Once the cake is assembled you can eat it straight away – and I usually do! N x
Terence says
Hi! Is the flour measurement 400g or 2 and 2/3 cups? I understand each cup of flour should be around 120g which should be a total of 320g?
Kayla says
Hello! I am looking to make this cake for Thanksgiving! I live im Colorado & was wondering if I should add/take out anything for higher altitudes?
Kelly says
Nagi, 1 TBL is 10g. Which do you think is the best option? 1 or 2 TBL? Thank you.😊
Nagi says
Hi Kelly – I am not sure what you are referring to? 1 or 2 TBL of what? N x
Denise Burgess says
What are the amounts for a 9” cake please
Nagi says
Hi Denise – see the recipe notes for other pan sizes. N x
Char says
Nagi! wow! i made this cake yeterday for my sister-in-laws 33rd birthday and it was amazing! i was so nervous because you mentioned that “homemade buttermilk’ wouldn’t work as well…but i used it anyway! i was pleasantly surprised! I have modified your ermine frosting recipe to incorporate cream cheese in there for the frosting and its out of this world. Rave reviews across the board! Thank you so much!
Rosie says
SO DELICOUS. Easy recipe to follow and UK adaptions were very helpful. Everyone was blown away by how delicious it was! (p.s. i forgot to put my star rating in the previous comment so re-doing this time with)
Rosie says
SO DELICIOUS!! Easy recipe and the UK adaptions worked well. Everyone was blown away by how delicious it was : )
H says
Hello, what were the UK adjustments? I’m struggling a bit
Laurie-Anne says
The best red velvet cake I have ever tasted and made!
How would you adjust for cupcakes??? Quantity and length in oven… TIA
Nagi says
Hi Laurie-Anne – the cupcakes version is here: https://www.recipetineats.com/red-velvet-cupcakes/. N x
Laurie-Anne says
Thank you Nagi!!!
Jen says
I made a dairy free version so I did replace the buttermilk but my dad said it was the best cake he’d tasted so thanks for an excellent recipe.