The most incredible Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting! Fluffy, soft, buttery and moist with the most perfect velvet texture!
Super easy to make Red Velvet Cake is similar to the original recipe that started it all! Made entirely from scratch with a few tips and tricks, this is one cake that takes centre stage! Softer than most cakes with a mouth-watering velvet-like texture in each bite.
Any cake that layered and slathered with a cream cheese frosting (carrot cake comes to mind) can sit by me with a huge spoon. Out of all cakes on this blog, this one is my favourite.
Red Velvet Cake
Is it chocolate? Is it vanilla? WHAT IS IT! Essentially it’s a chocolate cake made with little cocoa powder. The cocoa reacts with the acidic vinegar and buttermilk, and in turn keeps the cake moist, light, and fluffy. The chocolate taste is fairly mild but the flavours are delicately rich.
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How To Make Red Velvet Cake
This red velvet cake has been adapted from The New York Times, with slight adjustments to the ingredients and the addition of oil for an even softer, richer and buttery melt-in-your-mouth cake. We tested a few versions with just butter, some with only oil, and some with half a dozen eggs! Truthfully, the one we are publishing is the best and received high praise from everyone who tried it. Both young and old!
With all the testing I have a few tips to get you the best results!
- Cake flour — We tried this version with both all purpose/plain flour and cake flour, and the cake flour version resulted in a softer, velvety cake, fooling everyone into thinking we had purchased it from an expensive baker! You can certainly use all purpose though if that’s all you have. You will still get an incredible cake.
- Oil — This addition guarantees a moist sponge. Mix it together with your cocoa powder and red dye so the three incorporate really well into the cake batter. This ensures the cocoa powder is mostly dissolved before being mixed through.
- Buttermilk OR milk with vinegar – We tried one version using buttermilk plus vinegar and one version making our own buttermilk, souring full cream milk with 1-2 teaspoons of vinegar before starting. Both worked INCREDIBLY well!
The batter is then split into two separate 8-inch baking pans to create two layers. We tried it with 9-inch pans and while the texture was good, the layers were a little too thin for our liking. We trimmed the dome on top away so the top layer sits better on the bottom layer. When trimming, you will feel how moist this cake really is! Try to save these pieces to decorate the cake with later! (Good luck not sneaking some pieces to eat! If you start, you won’t be able to stop.)
Just like my Best Fudgy Chocolate Cake, this one is so super addictive it’s hard to stop at one piece! Not overly sweet, but perfectly rich at the same time. You’ll see what I mean when you try it!
Looking for more red velvet recipes
Red Velvet French Toast | The Best Red Velvet Churros | Red Velvet Marble Waffles
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The most incredible Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting is fluffy, soft, buttery and moist with the most perfect velvet texture! Super easy to make with a few tips and tricks for the best results! You will go crazy for a second slice!
- 1/2 cup (120g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups (300g) caster sugar (or fine white granulated sugar)
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup cooking oil
- 2 tablespoons (20g) unsweetened cocoa powder plus 1 tablespoon extra for dusting
- 2 1/2 tablespoons (45ml) red food colouring (liquid, not gel)
- 2 teaspoons (10ml) pure vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon (20ml) white vinegar
- 2 1/2 cups (350g) plain cake flour, sifted (or all purpose/plain flour)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda (bi-carb soda)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (250ml) buttermilk*
- 14 ounces (400g) cream cheese (not spreadable), at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (120g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 4 cups confectioners (or icing) sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice (optional -- adds subtle hint of lemon)
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Heat oven to 350°F | 175°C. Lightly grease two 8-inch cake pans with butter or nonstick oil spray and lightly dust with 1 tablespoon of the sifted cocoa powder.
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Cream butter and sugar together until light in colour. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition to combine well.
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In a smaller bowl, mix together oil, remaining cocoa powder, red food colouring and vanilla until smooth. Stir colour mixture and vinegar through the creamed sugar mixture to combine.
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Sift together flour, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl. Add half of the dry ingredients and half of the buttermilk to the wet ingredients; mix well. Repeat with remaining dry ingredients and buttermilk.
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Divide batter among the 2 prepared pans and bake for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack completely.
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Beat together cream cheese, butter and vanilla until smooth lighter in colour (about 3-4 minutes). Beat in icing sugar until frosting is light and fluffy (if frosting is too thin, add more icing sugar and beat again until reaching your desired consistency).
Optional if using: mix in the lemon juice.
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Transfer 1 cake onto a serving dish/plate, flat-side down. Trim the top dome off of the cake to create a flat bottom later. Scoop about 1 1/2 - 2 cups of frosting onto cake and spread evenly over the top.
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Place second cake layer on top and use remaining frosting to cover top and sides of cake.
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Crumble trimmed pieces of cake to decorate.
Enjoy!
*To make your own buttermilk, mix 1 cup of full cream milk with 1 teaspoon vinegar before baking. Allow the milk to sour for 5-10 minutes.
Adapted from The New York Times
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Karina says
That sounds fun and great! I would recommend baking them at 350* for 18 to 20 minutes checking on them. I have not tried them this way but it sounds fun!!
NANCY says
I would like to use this batter for cupcakes. What temperature and how long would you recommend I bake them for?
Karina says
That is great to hear! I am so glad that you found me! Thank you so much for letting me know and following along with me!
Jane says
Been looking for a recipe that uses both butter and oil! Glad i found your blog.
A friend of mine ordered 200 red velvet cupcakes and made her using this recipe with meringue icing and it was a hit, Her boss loved it.
My eldest son said this is the best red velvet cupcake he ever tasted.
Thank you so much.
Maria, Malta EU says
Super delicious <3 Wonderful recipe!! Made it or my partner's bday and the result was everyone praising me 😀 will def make again and again and again…..
Karina says
It is 2 TBSP plus 1 for dusting.
Keli R Lee says
I’d it 2Tbsp plus 1 for dusting or is it 3Tbsp plus 1? The missy jug ingredients offs different than the written instructions.
Mairi says
We have made this cake a cake a couple of times and the taste and texture is wonderful.
Our only problem is that it isn’t red despite halving the quantity of cocoa.
Ara says
Two words: food coma! But it will be a blissful journey.
Karina says
Yes, you are always welcome to try new things with my recipes and make them your own! Good luck! I hope they turn out for you! Let me know what you think! Thanks so much!
Esse says
Hi, is it possible to use less sugar without altering the end result? thanks!
Karina says
Yes and yes!! Great idea!!
Michelle says
Can I use this recipe to make cupcakes? Also can this be made a day ahead and then frost the day of?
Karina says
AW! That is great to hear! I am so glad that you were able to find this recipe for him! Happy birthday to your son! Thanks for following along with me from Africa!
Karina says
It is a MUST!! SO GOOD! Save me a piece;)!
Kate says
Oh my gosh, this cake looks insane!!! What a great recipe! Definitely, I have to try this.
Aznorsha says
wonderful recipe!
Lucy says
It’s my son’s birthday this coming Saturday I had already settled for your fudgy chocolate cake but with this red velvet recipe I guess am baking him two cakes…perfect timing.Love your blog all the way from Tanzania,Africa.