Red Velvet Cake
To make red velvet cake, combine cocoa, buttermilk, red food coloring, and a touch of vinegar for its signature color and tang, then bake two layers at 350°F for 30–35 minutes. Frost with classic cream cheese frosting once completely cooled.
Red velvet cake is not just chocolate cake wearing formal attire. The cocoa is intentionally restrained, the buttermilk and vinegar bring a gentle tang, and the crumb lands somewhere between vanilla cake and chocolate cake with a soft, plush texture all its own. Butter and sugar get beaten until genuinely light and fluffy before the eggs go in, then the dry ingredients and buttermilk mixture are added in alternating batches so the batter stays smooth without being overworked.
The red color is the loudest thing about it visually, but technique is what keeps the cake from becoming a dense red doorstop. Give the butter and sugar the full four to five minutes, stop mixing once each flour addition disappears, and start checking the layers before the stated bake time runs out. Cakes do not receive a pension for staying in the oven longer.
Once the layers are completely cool, cream cheese frosting supplies the rich, tangy finish red velvet expects. Completely cool means completely cool, not “the middle feels only slightly warm and I am tired of waiting.” Warm layers and cream cheese frosting are how you accidentally build a tasteful little landslide.
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups (315g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 cup (240ml) buttermilk, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 2 tablespoons red food coloring (liquid)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup (225g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 ¾ cups (350g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 16 oz (450g) full-fat cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 cup (225g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 4 cups (480g) powdered sugar, sifted
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- Pinch of fine salt
Instructions
- 1Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease two 9-inch round cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment paper, then grease and flour the parchment.
- 2In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- 3In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the buttermilk, white vinegar, red food coloring, and vanilla extract. The vinegar and buttermilk will react slightly — this is correct and is the whole point.
- 4In a large bowl, beat the room-temperature butter and granulated sugar together with an electric mixer on medium-high speed for 4–5 minutes, until the mixture is pale, light, and fluffy. This step matters more than it seems — do not rush it.
- 5Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the bowl between additions.
- 6Reduce mixer speed to low. Add the dry ingredients and the buttermilk mixture in alternating additions — begin and end with the flour mixture: flour, buttermilk, flour, buttermilk, flour. Mix only until just combined after each addition. Overmixing here will make the cake tough.
- 7Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Smooth the tops with a spatula.
- 8Bake for 30–35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the edges are just pulling away from the sides of the pans. Begin checking at 28 minutes.
- 9Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn them out onto a wire rack. Remove the parchment paper. Cool completely — fully, completely, not mostly — before frosting. This takes at least 1 hour. Put them in the refrigerator if you're impatient.
- 10Make the frosting: Beat the cream cheese and butter together on medium-high speed for 3–4 minutes until smooth and fluffy. Add the sifted powdered sugar one cup at a time, mixing on low speed until incorporated, then increasing to medium. Add vanilla and salt. Beat until light and spreadable, about 2 more minutes.
- 11Place one cooled cake layer on a cake stand or plate. Spread a generous layer of frosting over the top. Place the second layer on top, flat side up. Frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting.
- 12Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before slicing so the frosting can set and the layers hold together cleanly.
Nutrition Information
Estimated per serving: 1 of 12 servings.
Estimated from the ingredients and quantities in this recipe using standard food-composition values. Brand choices, trimming, cooking loss, optional ingredients, and actual portion size can change the numbers. How we calculate nutrition estimates.
Pro Tips
- Room temperature ingredients are not negotiable. Cold butter won't cream properly, cold eggs can break the emulsion, and cold buttermilk slows everything down — pull them out an hour before you start.
- Sift the powdered sugar for the frosting. I skipped this once and the frosting had lumps in it and I thought about it for two weeks.
- If you want to crumb-coat the cake (a thin first layer of frosting that seals in loose crumbs), refrigerate for 20 minutes after that layer before applying the final coat. It makes the outside of the cake look like you know what you're doing, which is its own kind of peace.
Substitutions
Storage Instructions
Store the frosted cake covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Bring individual slices to room temperature for 20–30 minutes before serving for the best texture. Unfrosted cake layers can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerated for 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months.
Make Ahead
Bake the cake layers up to 2 days in advance. Wrap each cooled layer tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate. The frosting can be made up to 3 days ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator — let it come to room temperature and re-beat briefly before using. The fully assembled and frosted cake can be refrigerated overnight; the flavors improve by the next day.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this ahead of time?
Yes. Bake the red velvet layers ahead and cool them completely before wrapping. Keep the cream-cheese frosting separate, then assemble and frost the cake only after the layers are fully cool.
How do I store the leftovers?
Store the frosted cake covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Bring individual slices to room temperature for 20–30 minutes before serving for the best texture. Unfrosted cake layers can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerated for 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months.
Can I freeze it?
Yes. Freeze the unfrosted cake layers tightly wrapped. Thaw them while still wrapped, then make or refresh the cream-cheese frosting and assemble the cake after the layers are fully thawed.
Can I adjust it for what I have on hand?
Yes. Tested adjustments on this recipe include buttermilk → 1 cup whole milk + 1 tablespoon white vinegar or lemon juice; red liquid food coloring → red gel food coloring; and unsalted butter (frosting) → full-fat cream cheese only, increase to 24 oz.
What's the most common mistake to avoid?
Room temperature ingredients are not negotiable. Cold butter won't cream properly, cold eggs can break the emulsion, and cold buttermilk slows everything down — pull them out an hour before you start.
