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. 😉
Nona says
Hey Nagi…Tried your recipe…..honestly the sides of the cake that were baked all through tasted absolutely delicious…..but the cake (one large round 12 inch pan) did not cook through the center …….interestingly when i did the toothpick test through the middle it came out dry but when the cake was cut after about 20 mins of cooling I discovered that the center was still quite mushy and it sank too…..it was flabbergasting! Any thoughts on why this might have happened? Do you think that I should lessen the wet ingredients….our buttermilk out here is quite thin/runny. Please help….i so want to get this right after all that baked outer ring that I had the good luck to devour. Cheers. Nona
Nagi says
Hi Nona! I’m so confused – I don’t know how the toothpick comes out clean if it’s still uncooked in the middle?? Did you insert the toothpick all the way to the bottom?? Our buttermilk is very runny too – it’s basically like milk but slightly thicker 🙂 N xx
Nona says
Believe me…..i am as confused as you…..have baked many a cakes but this experience was a first……nevertheless thanks a ton for the prompt response + recipe…..will give it another try this weekend.
Fran says
Hi Nagi
I made this cake and it was absolutely delicious! I’m planning on making cupcakes this time and was wondering how long I should leave it to bake in the oven for?
Thank you so much!
Nagi says
Hi Fran! I think 22 minutes, from memory 🙂 At least, if I were to make them right now that’s what I’d put on the timer!@ N xx
Diane says
Just one question please! Do you measure the dry ingredients before or after they are sifted? For instance do I put 2 and 2/3 cups cake flour in the sifter and use that? Or sift some flour and then measure it after it is sifted? Supposed to take this to work tomorrow! Yikes! Thank you!
Nagi says
Hi Diane! To be honest there is no difference for me, but to be 100% sure, measure after sifting 🙂 N xx
JuWil says
Have been a fan of Red Velvet since I first tasted one I bought at a supermarket a few years ago, and they never stocked the same cake again. A friend of mine made one a while back and it tasted more like a dry chocolate cake; I was disappointed because I couldn’t share my opinion. THIS RECIPE IS THE BOMB!!!!!! I never had a birthday cake before and decided to use this recipe based on the reviews, as the instructions seemed simple enough (for someone who’s not a Cake Boss). I made it, it came out a bit lop-sided, but it tasted like I imagine a Red Velvet should taste. Like “velvety gold”. Was tempted to deviate from the recipe (like I do with most recipe’s) when I saw the amount of oil that needed to be used. Good that I didn’t. Great, GREAT recipe. Now my sister wants me to make this for her birthday as well.
Nagi says
Terrific to hear JuWil! Thanks for letting me know you enjoyed it – N x
Mari says
Hi! LOVE this cake, ive made it twice now and the flavour is lovely. The only issue I have is with the colouring. Ive tried Wilton and Dr oetker super red (Im in the UK and both are gels) and I cant get the red a deep colour, it comes out a burgandy/reddish brown. The last time was slightly better but I used so much of it that I felt it changed the taste and still wasnt the red that is shown in the pics. Any recommendations?
Thanks!
Nagi says
Hi Mari! I have a note in the recipe specifically for food colouring for readers in the UK 🙂 Your red food colouring is much weaker than here in Australia, the US, Canada etc! N xx
Kath says
Mari, you could try Wilton online, they’re pretty strong but I haven’t tried red as I have a carmine intolerance. So I used blue, unorthodox but beautiful and still delicious.
Absolutely excellent cake recipe thanks Nagi. It is possible to buy cream cheese from some deli counters here, would that be higher fat? Or curd cheese??
Julia says
Hola. He leído muchas recetas y creo que me quedaré con esta porque promete ser muy buena. Puedo adornarla con fondant ? Quiero hacerla para unos 15 años . Que tiempo puede durar sin refrigerar después de hacerla ?, le agradezco su respuesta.
Maryam Mahmoud says
Hi Nagi,
i was wondering if this cake would taste the same if i added fondant over it
Nagi says
Hi Maryam! It won’t because fondant has quite a different flavour to cream cheese frosting which is the classic for red velvet cake 🙂 But it will still be delicious! N x
Justine says
Hi, I’m going to bake this cake for my sons 18th birthday ( he loves red velvet cake) we live in the uk so how much red gel will I need? They sell it in 15g tubes.
Many thanks Justine
Nagi says
HI Justine! Please see Note 7 about red gel in the UK 🙂 Round it up to 40 ml – 2.5 tbsp is just under.
Johanna Asuncion says
This is my first time leaving a comment online ever. I believe a little effort is needed to show my gratitude towards this posted recipe. This has been the best red velvet cake I have ever tried. I have been on a quest to try as much red velvet cake recipes as possible (23 and counting ) and this was my 23rd and it beat all the first 22 recipes. Thank you for sharing! I appreciate this being a part of my cake journey.
Note: i know you said no sub but I was excited to try it and realized I had no buttermilk. I used half yogurt and whole milk with 1tbs of apple cider vinegar and 1tbs of lemon juice and shook the heck out of it. It came out still perfect! I can’t imagine it getting any better if I have used buttermilk. I can’t wait to to try it with the real deal!
Bravo!
Omar says
Hey nagi
I dont have any butter at the moment can i use oil instead?
Thanks
Jackie Hancock says
Hi Nagi, you seem to have taken my comment out, I didn’t realise me asking for a 12in cake batter would offend you, if it has I do apologise. I will just play about with it and see what I come up with. Sounds just lovely though by everyone else’s accounts.
thanks
Jackie
becky says
hi Jackie, i quite often use this conversion chart works well for me 🙂
http://www.cakebaker.co.uk/baking-tin-size-conversion-calculator.html
hope it helps!
Ava says
This was the first time that I ever made this cake and with your recipe it just worked out great! I just tasted it. Super fluffy and delicious! Thank you very much! 🙂 I will definitely make it again.
Say, is it possible to refrigerate the cake or won’t it taste anymore when you defrost it again?
Nagi says
Hi Ava! This cake freezes just fine! 🙂 N x PS Pre frosting. Don’t freeze the frosting!
Renata says
You definitely mastered this recipe. Easy to follow. Great instructions! Loved the cake!
Nagi says
Great to hear you enjoyed this Renata!! N xx
Lauren says
What is the best type of food colouring to use for this recipe?
Nagi says
Which country are you in Lauren? 🙂 N x
Hannah says
I could only find self raising cake flour, will this work? should I just subtract the bicarb from the recipe?
Thanks!
Nagi says
HI Hannah! I haven’t tried that, it’s best to stick to the recipe for baked goods! 🙂 N xx
Shaki says
Thanku very much for the great recipe..the cake was perfect 😃
Nagi says
I LOVE HEARING THAT!! *Sorry for shouting* 😂
Nagi says
Hi Zuzana! Did you use the recommended amount of food colouring for UK readers? I have a specific note about this! 🙂 N x
Nagi says
You should TOTALLY gives this a go! Make sure you read the recipe properly and watch the video 🙂 Then go!
Neeti says
Ofcourse! Thank you so much…. I will surely revert back with the results 🙂
Swarnali says
While going through all the reviews of your recipe I couldn’t believe that almost every one said those things which I too wanted to share with you..though I bake simple cakes but this time I dared and made this cake ..and the result is unbelievable.thanks to you..thank you for the tips also. Your cake is just suberb.
With sincere thanks
Swarnali
India
Nagi says
LOVE hearing that Swarnali!!! So glad you enjoyed it! N x
hassini apsara says
hi Nagi
your sure we can’t replace butter milk with anything for this recipe?
Nagi says
Hi Hassini! Please see the recipe notes 🙂 N x