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.
Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.
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. 😉
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://www.recipetineats.com/red-velvet-cupcakes/ 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!
Loved this when I made it last year for my 2-year-old. I wanted to make it again this year. Being pregnant I thought I would reduce the workload and wondered if it is possible to make this cake ahead of time and freeze it and pull it out the day before for icing etc? Thanks so much 🙂
Yes you can Dianne – cake layers actually frost better from frozen! N x
This cake was so good. Even thought I had to substitute for cake flour and buttermilk. I also halved the recipe to make a small 6 inch cake. It was fantastic. So delicate, soft and moist, this was an absolute treat for Valentine’s Day. Thank you.
I followed the recipe, but mine ended up SO dry! I’m not sure what I did wrong. I measured things by the gram. Will have to try again sometime soon.
If you measured it all correctly then it could be your bake time or oven temp Nikki – maybe check those before trying it again! N x
I have tried this recipe and yes it was and is amazing.
Is there a eggless version of this cake?
I don’t have an eggless version sorry! N x
Hi Nagi, do you have any make ahead instructions for this? I’m trying to make it the day before a birthday. Thanks!
Hi Nagi, is the amount of red food colouring (2.5 TB) in Aus tablespoons? So that’s 50ml, right?
Hi Nagi,
I would like to make this cake over two days so I’m not crazy rushed on the day I want to serve it. Would you recommend baking the cake layers AND crumb coating the cake on the first day, and leaving it in the fridge overnight for decoration the next day OR just baking the cake layers and storing them overnight before doing all the frosting the next day. If the latter, if it’s only stored for one night should I freeze the cake layers or just refrigerate them (properly wrapped, of course)?
Thank you in advance for your expertise!
Hi Taylor! You could do it either way and the cake would be fine. It’s a bit easier to frost cake layers frozen so I would pop them in the freezer! N x
I made this tonight for my son’s 12th birthday, per his request. It just came out so light and fluffy and the frosting was perfectly tangy and not too sweet. I highly reccomend!
Hi! Could you please give instructions regarding how to evenly distribute the cake crumbs on lower side of cake evenly for decoration?
This is a fantastic recipe. It tastes divine and is truly velvety. Followed the recipe exactly. Tasted even better the next day!!
I made this recipe for an end of year staff party, and had so many compliments! The cake is just as Nagi describes. Delicious, soft, fluffy… moreish.