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Home Sweet

Red Velvet Cake

By:Nagi
Published:10 Jun '16Updated:21 Sep '21
1,584 Comments
Recipe v Video v Dozer v

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.

Made this for a birthday party, everyone was floored by how "velvety" and soft the sponge is. And the frosting is just perfect! Easy to follow steps, concisely written!

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.

Made this for a birthday party, everyone was floored by how "velvety" and soft the sponge is. And the frosting is just perfect! Easy to follow steps, concisely written!

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. 🙂

Made this for a birthday party, everyone was floored by how "velvety" and soft the sponge is. And the frosting is just perfect! Easy to follow steps, concisely written!

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.

Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

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.

Made this for a birthday party, everyone was floored by how "velvety" and soft the sponge is. And the frosting is just perfect! Easy to follow steps, concisely written!

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!

Made this for a birthday party, everyone was floored by how "velvety" and soft the sponge is. And the frosting is just perfect! Easy to follow steps, concisely written!
Made this for a birthday party, everyone was floored by how "velvety" and soft the sponge is. And the frosting is just perfect! Easy to follow steps, concisely written!

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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Made this for a birthday party, everyone was floored by how "velvety" and soft the sponge is. And the frosting is just perfect! Easy to follow steps, concisely written!

Red Velvet Cake

Author: Nagi | RecipeTin Eats
Prep: 30 mins
Cook: 25 mins
Total: 55 mins
Sweet Baking
American, Western
4.94 from 284 votes
Servings10 -12
Tap or hover to scale
Print
  • 1164
Recipe VIDEO above. The classic, iconic Red Velvet Cake! The sponge is soft and velvety, true to it's name, with a buttery flavour, moist with a hint of chocolate, vanilla and tang from buttermilk.
MEASURES: Don't switch between weights/ml and cups in the recipe, read note 11.  UK: Please read notes 7 and 9. After Red Velvet Cupcakes? Here's the recipe!

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:

1. Cake flour is lighter and has a lower protein content that all purpose / plain flour. It produces cakes with a very soft crumble and minimal “bounciness”, like what you get from posh bakeries.
It is not readily available in all countries, though it can be found in Australia in supermarkets (Coles, Woolworths). 
SUBSTITUTION – If you can’t find cake flour, substitute as follows: Measure out 2 2/3 cups / 400 g plain (all purpose) flour into a bowl. Remove 5 tbsp / 60g plain flour, then add 5 tbsp / 60g of cornstarch / cornflour.
CAN’T USE CAKE FLOUR? This recipe will work just fine if you make this with just all purpose / plain flour. The cake just won’t be quite as tender. 🙂 Still delicious though!
2. Baking Soda is also called bi-carb soda. It works like baking powder but it is 3 times stronger. It needs acid to activate it (buttermilk in this recipe). It cannot be substituted with baking powder in this recipe.
3a. Sugar – Normal white sugar will also work just fine, it is just that caster sugar blends in easier, faster and better. 🙂
3b. Icing sugar – For Australians reading this, either soft or pure icing sugar will work here. I usually use soft because it’s a pantry staple and less sifting required!
4. Buttermilk – for most baking recipes, buttermilk can be substituted with milk + lemon juice left to curdle. But for this recipe, it does not work quite as well so please use buttermilk if you can!
5. Batter – Don’t worry if it separates slightly because of the oil, it will come together when the flour is added.
6. CAKE SIZE: This can be made in one cake pan (but 2 cake pans is better/easier). Just pour batter into one cake pan and bake for around 45 minutes in total, maybe even 1 hour, but you must cover with FOIL at around 30 minutes, otherwise the top may get too brown. Use a skewer to test if the inside is baked. Then cut cake in half.
CUPCAKES: This makes 22 standard cupcakes. Divide between paper patty lined muffin tins. Bake 25 minutes or until skewer comes out clean.
7. If you are in the UK, please use GEL not liquid food colouring. The liquid colouring sold in the UK tends to be natural rather than artificial so it is not as intense as the liquid colouring we have here in Australia and the US. So to achieve the intense bright red colour, you will need to use gel.
8. OIL SPLITTING: A few readers had a problem where the base of the cake was oily once removed from the pan. To ensure this does not happen, ensure the batter is beaten well after each ingredient is added. See video for how the batter should look. 
9. Philadelphia Cream Cheese in the UK is softer than what we have here in Australia (and in the US, Canada). In the UK, it has a lower fat % and comes in tubs, and it’s spreadable. We also have Philly that comes in tubs that are specifically made to be spreadable. This recipe calls for Philadelphia cream cheese that comes in blocks and is firmer. If you are in the UK, get 2 x 180g Original Philadelphia cream cheese and start with just 250g instead of the 400g called for in the recipe. After beating, if your frosting consistency is soft / fluffy but still holds its shape, add more (for more cream cheese flavour). Also, ensure your butter is softened but NOT super soft, that will also help. And don’t worry, even if you used 250g, the frosting still tastes like cream cheese frosting!
10. Frosting too runny – Frosting should be soft and fluffy, but spreadable able to hold it’s form if piped. Ensure the butter and cream cheese are just soft enough to whip smooth, but not extremely soft (eg left out on hot summer day). If your frosting is too runny, refrigerate for 15 to 30 minutes, then beat again to fluff up. Or add more icing sugar.
11. Constant measures – Do not switch between grams/ml and cups. So if you weigh your flour, then use only the weights and ml measures for each ingredient, where provided (but use tsp or tbsp where ml is not provided). But if you measure flour using cups, then you must use cups for ALL ingredients. Reason: cup sizes vary slightly between countries. So if you switch between grams and cups, the recipe may be adversely affected. So to be sure this works, stick to either grams & ml, OR cups. I’ve personally specifically tested this recipe using both methods and had someone else test it too, and it works 100% both ways.
Keywords: Red Velvet Cake
Did you make this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @RecipeTinEats.

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1,584 Comments

  1. Emily Patricia says

    November 20, 2022 at 6:26 pm

    My work colleague requested a red velvet cake for her birthday that is tomorrow. Of course, I can e right to Nagi for the recipe! The cakes cooked perfectly and the cream cheese frosting was perfect! Can’t wait to eat it all together tomorrow. The little tiff bits of icing and cake I tried as I was assembling (from cutting off the top layer of the cake etc) was delish!

    Thank you for such a fabulous recipe.

    Reply
  2. Eileen says

    November 5, 2022 at 7:45 am

    Hi! Not sure where to get white vinegar in the UK. Do you think white wine vinegar would be ok substitute? Or any other recommendations? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Emily Patricia says

      November 20, 2022 at 6:26 pm

      White wine vinegar would be fine I think! As it’s just a small amount

      Reply
  3. Kerry says

    October 30, 2022 at 5:51 pm

    Made this yesterday for a friends’ engagement cake. Cake was a hit, but I wasn’t happy with the consistency of the cream cheese icing. It was too soft, and did not hold shape at all – oozed out from between the layers. I ended up having to freeze it just so I could transport it. I also tried the icing recipe from the cupcakes version, but had the same issue. And yes, I used the (Australian) blocks of Philly cream cheese, full fat….

    Reply
  4. Gene says

    October 24, 2022 at 7:33 pm

    My first attempt was a total disaster. I’m thinking it was because I used peanut oil. I tried again as I’m having a dinner party and this was to be my dessert. So far, it’s not looking great. The cakes do not look cooked. I took one out after 30 minutes and it sank. I’m leaving the second one in the oven as I read in a comment that he/she had to leave it in for 45 minutes. I’m not hopeful for having a lovely red velvet cake for dessert. I have successfully made red velvet cake before so I don’t know why it’s all gone awry.

    Reply
  5. who gives one says

    October 22, 2022 at 7:13 am

    1 star
    u man r dickheads this was shite
    my wife left me due to the unsatisfactory cake i just want my kids back

    Reply
    • Chrisanina says

      December 26, 2022 at 2:28 pm

      WOW I’d Say This Recipe Wasn’t To Blame For Your Wife Leaving You! Maybe Check Your Attitude And The Way You Speak To People? My Guess Is It Has More To Do With Your Situation Than A Recipe! Have A Lovely Day! 🙂

      Reply
  6. Joanne Kenealy says

    October 18, 2022 at 4:36 am

    5 stars
    Love love love this recipe!! Never flops and is a firm favourite with all my friends and family. Got a lot of stressed out theatre and itu department through nights during covid lockdowns here in the uk too! Thank for your this recipe! It’s never let me down xxx

    Reply
  7. Sokuntheary says

    October 7, 2022 at 10:43 am

    Hi Nagi,

    I live in Australia too. I’m trying to find cake flour at the supermarkets and it is not easy to find. Can you send me a link as to what you use?
    I found this. Is this the cake flour you use? https://www.woolworths.com.au/shop/productdetails/262660

    Reply
    • Jessica Jo says

      December 9, 2022 at 5:04 pm

      You can substitute cake flour. Nagi’s recipe note 1: SUBSTITUTION – If you can’t find cake flour, substitute as follows: Measure out 2 2/3 cups / 400 g plain (all purpose) flour into a bowl. Remove 5 tbsp / 60g plain flour, then add 5 tbsp / 60g of cornstarch / cornflour.

      Reply
  8. Bekkie says

    September 21, 2022 at 3:29 pm

    5 stars
    Hi Nagi, this cake is fabulous! I’m making it for my friends’ anniversary and baked one yesterday to try it out. The texture really is velvety and the colour is gorgeous! I used kefir instead of buttermilk and that worked out really well. Thanks for this amazing recipe.

    Reply
  9. Susan S says

    September 15, 2022 at 9:45 pm

    5 stars
    Hi Nagi,
    Made the Red Velvet Cake, all is good and yummy! just the food coloring wasn’t the right one. Thank you big time for the recipe, loving it.

    Reply
  10. Elen says

    September 4, 2022 at 11:23 pm

    Hi Nagi, I would love to bake your Red Velvet cake. 1) Would your Cup and Spoon measurement be Australian?
    2)Would oven temperature at 180C be Fan force or non Fan force? 3)For 2 x9” round pans, should I increase your recipe by 50%? Thanks

    Reply
  11. Dianne says

    August 21, 2022 at 4:37 pm

    Hi Nagi, is the cake flour in Australia the Lighthouse brand with lower protein plain flour for pastry, cakes and biscuits?

    Reply
  12. Vikki says

    August 12, 2022 at 10:50 pm

    I made this today and it was perfect. I used 23cm pans (that’s just what I have) and cooked on a lower temp (160deg C) for 35 mins. The cakes were perfect with flat tops so nothing to cut off.

    In case anyone is wondering, I did the math and it’s 838 calories per slice 😱 (for a 12 slice cake)! Next time I’ll do half the quantity in a small cake tin 😳😁

    Reply
  13. Tracey says

    August 12, 2022 at 10:39 pm

    Hi Nagi,
    I need a large square or rectangle to feed at least 70 people. What size do you recommend. I could do 2 separate cakes

    Reply
  14. fred says

    August 10, 2022 at 2:04 am

    What size cake tins did you use in this recipie?

    Reply
  15. Val Froggatt says

    July 12, 2022 at 7:04 pm

    Hi Nagi I am in UK and want to try your Red Velvet cake for the first time. With regard to the flour, will it be UK Plain or Self Raising? Many thanks

    Reply
  16. Karlene says

    July 11, 2022 at 10:30 am

    Hi Nagi,

    Any tips for making this one ahead of time? Can the cake be cooled and left on the counter to be assembled next day? Or can the cake be put together the day before, put in the fridge and then left out to come to room temp for serving?

    Thank you!

    Reply
  17. Natalie says

    July 6, 2022 at 11:04 pm

    5 stars
    Hi, I made this cake yesterday and making another today.. It is delicious!! Thank you

    Reply
  18. Bernadette says

    July 2, 2022 at 3:59 pm

    5 stars
    I have now made red velvet cake recipe twice & each time the cake turns out so moist & fluffy.I used the “weigh everything” method including eggs & cake turned out perfectly thankyou

    Reply
  19. Maryam says

    June 30, 2022 at 7:02 am

    Hi Nagi,
    I absolutely love this recipe and especially like the cake (it’s soo soft and moist!) I was wondering could I make this my regular cake base and if I subbed out the cocoa powder would it affect the cake?

    Reply
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Hi, I'm Nagi!

I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative! Read More

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