Bake up a vibrant Red Velvet Cake, a classic treat that blends cocoa's deep, subtle tastes with the unique tang of cream cheese frosting. This iconic cake is easy to bake and includes a few key ingredients for a slice of perfectly moist but fluffy cake with luscious frosting.
A layered Red Velvet Cake is more than just a sweet treat; it's a feast for the taste buds and the eyes. That striking red colour, mixed with the velvety cream cheese frosting, makes it the star of any party.
The cake's signature texture and flavour come from 3 key ingredients: cocoa powder, buttermilk, and vinegar. While these might seem like an odd combination in a cake that is vibrant red in colour, just the right amount of cocoa and the lovely tang from buttermilk make this cake a real winner in flavour. The vinegar and acidity in the buttermilk react with baking soda and cocoa powder for the perfect cake texture. So grab your spatula - it's time to whip up a masterpiece that'll wow everyone.
What You Need to Make this Recipe
Plain flour — used as the base for the cake to ensure it has the perfect texture.
Unsweetened natural cocoa powder — adds a rich, chocolatey depth to the cake without overwhelming sweetness.
Bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) — reacts with vinegar and buttermilk to help the cake rise and become wonderfully fluffy.
Baking powder — works alongside the bicarbonate of soda to ensure the cake has the perfect rise.
Unsalted butter — preferred unsalted to control the saltiness of the cake, plus it adds a lovely creaminess and flavour to the cake layers and frosting.
Vegetable oil — keeps the cake moist and tender for days.
Caster sugar — dissolves better in the batter, producing a finer crumb.
Large eggs — essential for binding the ingredients together; always ensure they're at room temperature.
Vanilla extract — enhances the cake's flavour profile beautifully.
Buttermilk — reacts with the bicarbonate of soda, adding lightness to the cake, and its tangy taste is subtle yet impactful.
Distilled white vinegar — though it might seem odd, it reacts with the bicarbonate of soda, making the cake extra fluffy.
Red food coloring (gel or liquid) — key to achieving that iconic vibrant color, the amount is adjusted depending on the desired vividness.
Full-fat cream cheese — creates the richest, creamiest frosting that pairs perfectly with the cake.
Icing sugar — sifted into the cream cheese frosting for smoothness and just the right touch of sweetness.
How to Make Red Velvet Cake
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C /160°C fan (350°F). Grease and line two 20cm/8" cake tins. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, salt, bicarbonate of soda, and baking powder.
2. In a large mixing bowl using an electric hand or stand mixer, beat the butter, oil, and sugar together on medium speed until fluffy.
3. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until well combined, then beat in the vanilla.
4. In a liquid measuring cup, stir together the buttermilk, vinegar, and red food coloring. Use enough to make the liquid bright red. (The more you add, the brighter the cake layer will be.)
5. While mixing on low speed, add a third of the flour mixture to the butter mixture, and beat just until combined.
6. Then, add half of the buttermilk mixture. Repeat with another third of the flour, then the remaining half of the buttermilk, ending with the rest of the flour. Stop and scrape down the bowl occasionally.
7. Divide the cake batter among the prepared tins and bake for 35 minutes or until the centres are springy to the touch. Let cool in the tins for 15 minutes, then invert the cakes and cool completely on a wire rack. Remove the baking paper.
8. Beat the butter and cream cheese in a large mixing bowl on medium speed until smooth and fluffy, then beat in the vanilla. While mixing on low, gradually mix in the icing sugar until well combined. Increase the speed to medium and beat until fluffy, about 1 minute. Place one sponge on a cake stake and spread about a quarter of the frosting on top of the layer. Place the other sponge on top and spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides of the cake.
What Is Red Velvet Cake?
Red velvet cake has its roots deep in American baking history, especially in the southern United States, but it's found a special place in hearts worldwide. Originally, the unique red hue came from the cocoa powder reacting with acidic ingredients like buttermilk and vinegar. These days, though, we often help it pop with red food coloring. Layers of the brightly colored sponge cake are baked until fluffy and moist, then coated in a classic cream cheese frosting.
What Does Red Velvet Cake Taste Like?
Red velvet cake hits that sweet spot with its slightly chocolatey taste and a bit of tang from the buttermilk and vinegar. It's not as full-on as a regular chocolate cake, but it's more complete taste-wise than a plain vanilla sponge.
Want to tweak the chocolatey-ness of your red velvet cake? Play around with the cocoa powder amounts! If you're all about that rich chocolate flavour, go ahead and use the full 3 tablespoons of cocoa powder (use Dutch-processed for an even deeper flavour). Just know that your cake might not turn out as bright red. But if you want that standout red colour with a lighter chocolate touch, dial the cocoa powder back to about 1 tablespoon.
Can This Recipe Be Made Into Cupcakes?
Yes! Spoon the batter into cupcake cases in a muffin tin, filling them up to two-thirds. Pop them in the oven at 180°C or 160°C with a fan and bake for about 20-25 minutes. You'll know they're ready when a toothpick comes out clean from the middle. This little tweak makes around 24 gorgeous cupcakes, ideal for sharing with your mates or treating yourself. For generously frosted cupcakes, double the frosting recipe.
Can This Recipe Be Made Into A 3-Layer Cake?
Absolutely, this versatile recipe can be adapted to create a majestic 3-layer cake, perfect for those moments when you want to impress with height and elegance.
- 15cm/6" cake: Divide the batter among three 15cm/6" cake pans and bake for 25 to 30 minutes. This will give you a cake with substantial layers, ideal for a celebration centrepiece.
- 20cm/8" cake: Divide the batter among three 20cm/8" cake pans and bake for about 20 minutes. This option yields thinner layers, perfect for stuffing more frosting into the cake or adding a flavoured filling.
- 25cm/10" cake: Double the recipe and divide it among three 25cm/10" cake pans, then bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Double or triple the frosting recipe, depending on how much icing you like. This larger version makes a showstopping cake that can serve a bigger crowd, making it ideal for weddings, large gatherings, or any time you want your cake to make a grand statement.
How To Decorate Your Cake
If you're all about that extra texture and colour, sprinkle your cake with cake crumbs. Just take a bit of the cake batter and fill up a muffin paper or a small ramekin about three-quarters of the way before you split the rest between your cake pans. After baking your layers, pop this little extra into the oven for around 15 minutes or until it passes the toothpick test. Let it cool, then break it up into fine crumbs to sprinkle over your cake.
The frosting recipe makes enough to pipe several dollops on top of the cake. If you want to add more decorations, double the frosting recipe and pipe decorations around the bottom and top of the cake with decorative piping tips.
What Type Of Food Coloring To Use
Gel or paste food colourings are highly recommended because they're much more concentrated than liquid colourings. This means you need less of them to achieve deep, vivid colours, and they won't thin out your cake batter. However, you still need quite a bit for a vibrant hue (1 to 2 teaspoons of gel and 1 to 2 tablespoons of liquid food colouring).
Powder or natural food colourings made from vegetable dyes can also give your cake a beautiful colour, though the shade might be slightly less intense compared to synthetic dyes. Remember, the quality of the food colouring will impact the final look of your cake, so choose a brand and type that will bring out the best in your red velvet creation.
Can I Use Cider Vinegar Instead Of White Vinegar?
Yes, you can use cider vinegar instead of white vinegar in your red velvet cake recipe. Cider vinegar, like white vinegar, is crucial in enhancing the cake's texture and flavour. It interacts with the baking soda, helping the cake rise while contributing to the subtle tanginess characteristic of a classic red velvet cake.
Pro Tips for Making this Recipe
- Room-temperature ingredients: For the smoothest batter and best baking results, ensure all your ingredients, especially the eggs, butter, and buttermilk, are at room temperature before mixing. This helps create a smooth emulsion that traps air and results in a fluffy, uniform cake texture.
- Sift dry ingredients: Sifting the flour, cocoa powder, and leavening agents together not only helps to distribute the cocoa evenly but also removes any lumps, resulting in a finer crumb.
- Don't overmix the batter: Mix the batter only until the dry ingredients are fully incorporated with the wet ingredients. Overmixing can lead to a dense cake because it develops the gluten in the flour.
- Bake Immediately: Don't wait too long to bake the cake after combining the wet and dry ingredients. The reaction between the vinegar and baking soda in each of these mixtures helps the cake rise, but that starts once they combine together, so waiting too long could diminish its effectiveness in the oven.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely, you can use different food colourings to give a unique twist to traditional red velvet cake. Blue, green, or purple can make a fun and stunning dessert. Changing the colour doesn't affect the taste but adds a personal touch to your baking.
Yes, you can skip the food colouring in your red velvet cake recipe without affecting its taste or texture; it just won't have the classic red look. Omitting the food colouring still results in a rich, moist, and slightly cocoa-flavoured cake. This is an excellent choice for those wanting to cut down on artificial colours or prefer their baked goods to have a more natural appearance.
Yes, colouring the frosting to match or complement the cake adds extra visual appeal to your red velvet cake, especially with non-traditional colours. Opt for gel or paste food colourings for vibrant colours without changing the consistency. If the frosting gets a bit soft, beat in more icing sugar.
If you're out of buttermilk for your red velvet cake, try a quick substitute. Mix 240ml of milk (whole milk is best for richness) with one tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice. Stir and let it sit for 5-10 minutes until it slightly curdles. This DIY version replicates buttermilk's acidity and tanginess, keeping your cake moist and tender.
Loosely cover the cake and refrigerate it for up to 1 week. For longer storage, freeze the cake for a few months by wrapping it tightly in cling film or putting it in a freezer-safe container. Thaw it in the fridge overnight before serving to enjoy its best taste and texture.
If you've tried this Red Velvet Cake recipe, then don't forget to rate it and let me know how you got on in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
Red Velvet Cake Recipe
Equipment
- Cake tins
- Electric mixer
- Mixing Bowls
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 360 grams plain flour
- 3 tablespoons unsweetened natural cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 125 grams unsalted butter softened
- 120 milliliter vegetable oil
- 300 grams caster sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 240 milliliters buttermilk room temperature
- 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
- Red food colouring gel or liquid
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 250 grams unsalted butter softened at room temperature
- 330 grams full-fat cream cheese room temperature
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 500 grams icing sugar
Instructions
For the Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 180°C /160°C fan (350°F). Grease and line two 20cm/8” cake tins.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, salt, bicarbonate of soda, and baking powder.
- In a large mixing bowl using an electric hand or stand mixer, beat the butter, oil, and sugar together on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until well combined, then beat in the vanilla.
- In a liquid measuring cup, stir together the buttermilk, vinegar, and red food colouring. Use enough to make the liquid is bright red. (The more you add, the brighter the cake layers will be.)
- While mixing on low speed, add a third of the flour mixture to the butter mixture, then add half of the buttermilk mixture. Repeat with another third of flour, then the remaining half of the buttermilk, ending with the rest of the flour. Stop and scrape down the bowl occasionally.
- Divide the cake batter among the prepared tins and bake for 35 minutes or until the centers are springy to the touch. Let cool in the tins for 15 minutes then invert the cakes and cool completely on a wire rack. Remove the baking paper.
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- Beat the butter in a large mixing bowl on medium speed until very soft and spreadable. Add the cream cheese and beat until soft and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the vanilla.
- While mixing on low, gradually mix in the icing sugar until well combined. Stop and scrape down the bowl occasionally during mixing. Increase the speed to medium dn beat until fluffy, about 1 minute.
For the Assembly:
- Place on sponge on a cake stake and spread about a quarter of the frosting on top of the layer. Place the other sponge on top and spread the remaining frosting all over the top and sides of the cake.
Notes
- Room-temperature ingredients: For the smoothest batter and best baking results, ensure all your ingredients, especially the eggs, butter, and buttermilk, are at room temperature before mixing. This helps create a smooth emulsion that traps air and results in a fluffy, uniform cake texture.
- Sift dry ingredients: Sifting the flour, cocoa powder, and leavening agents together not only helps to distribute the cocoa evenly but also removes any lumps, resulting in a finer crumb.
- Don't overmix the batter: Mix the batter only until the dry ingredients are fully incorporated with the wet ingredients. Overmixing can lead to a dense cake because it develops the gluten in the flour.
- Bake Immediately: Don't wait too long to bake the cake after combining the wet and dry ingredients. The reaction between the vinegar and baking soda in each of these mixtures helps the cake rise, but that starts once they combine together, so waiting too long could diminish its effectiveness in the oven.
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