Red velvet cake is much more than vanilla cake tinted red. This recipe produces the best red velvet cake with superior buttery, vanilla, and cocoa flavors, as well as a delicious tang from buttermilk. My trick is to whip the egg whites, which guarantees a smooth velvet crumb.
This is my forever favorite red velvet cake recipe. I published it on my blog a few years ago and decided it’s time for clearer recipe instructions and a video tutorial. Many of you love this recipe too, so let’s roll up our sleeves and rev up our mixers!
Red velvet cake is the queen of all layer cakes. The “I can’t quite put my finger on the flavor” cake. It’s the sweet marriage of buttermilk and vanilla with a little cocoa for good measure. She’s tall, dramatic, and completely covered in silky cream cheese frosting. This is my best red velvet cake.
What Does Red Velvet Cake Taste Like?
I used to be unsure about red velvet. I don’t really trust a cake that has a mystery flavor. What is red velvet? Is it more like vanilla cake, chocolate cake, or just a butter cake tinted red? From red velvet brownies and red velvet cookies and red velvet cupcakes, I’ve had a lot of fun getting to know red velvet. Red velvet is:
- Mild cocoa flavor
- Tangy buttermilk
- Sweet vanilla
- Very buttery
These 4 flavors are essential to the perfect red velvet layer cake. Not only is the flavor outstanding, red velvet cake’s texture is worth writing home about. It’s dense and soft with a moist and velvety crumb. However, the absolute best part about red velvet cake is the cream cheese frosting. Slathered on thick, my cream cheese frosting recipe is delicately sweet and undeniably creamy.
How to Make Red Velvet Cake
I use specific ingredients, certain amounts, and unique mixing techniques to produce my best red velvet cake recipe. Begin by whisking the dry ingredients together, then beat together the wet ingredients. We’ll combine the two, add buttermilk and tint the batter red. More on food coloring below.
- Cake Flour: I highly recommend cake flour. Cake flour is much lighter than all-purpose and the perfect base for a light, soft-crumbed cake texture. Like I mention above, red velvet’s texture is important to the authenticity of the flavor. You will thank me for the recommendation after you taste how incredibly soft this cake is. It’s the texture you find at professional bakeries.
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder: 2 Tablespoons is plenty for a little cocoa flavor without overpowering the vanilla and butter flavors.
- Butter & Oil: What sets red velvet cake apart from chocolate is its buttery flavor. With only butter, we risk a dry cake. With only oil, we lose the butter flavor and softness that comes with creaming butter & sugar together. So all that’s to say, use both butter and oil. Moist texture, soft and cakey texture, buttery flavor.
- Buttermilk: Buttermilk is tangy, creamy, and makes baked goods extremely moist. You can’t make delicious red velvet cake without it! Additionally, buttermilk helps activate the baking soda to leaven the cake. If you’re interested, I have plenty more on this topic in my Baking with Buttermilk post (including a DIY buttermilk substitute recipe). It’s also a key ingredient in these black velvet cupcakes!
What About the Food Coloring?
Red velvet cake wouldn’t be red without food coloring. I recommend gel food coloring because the color is concentrated, so you need less of it. For natural coloring, use beet powder. If you don’t want to use food coloring, leave it out! The cake will have the same flavor and be a lovely shade of cocoa.
My #1 Trick
I add one simple step to this red velvet cake recipe and it guarantees the BEST texture.
Whip the egg whites separately, then fold into the batter.
This cake recipe requires 4 large eggs. Separate the eggs before starting. Beat the egg yolks with the wet ingredients, then beat the egg whites into fluffy peaks and fold them in last. Beating the egg whites incorporates air and promises a velvet-rich texture.
You will never go back.
Red Velvet Cake Video Tutorial
Cream Cheese Frosting
In my opinion, cream cheese frosting pairs best with red velvet’s flavor and this frosting recipe is really simple. You need brick-style cream cheese, butter, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt to offset the sweetness. It glides on seamlessly and is silky smooth. If you’re looking to pipe decoration with this cream cheese frosting, chill it in the refrigerator for 20 minutes. This guarantees the creamy frosting will hold its shape.
Of course, feel free to use traditional vanilla buttercream or Swiss meringue buttercream here if you prefer. Or try white chocolate buttercream frosting!
This recipe converts red velvet skeptics. I should know because I used to be one!
Interested in turning this red velvet beauty into a tiered wedding cake? See my homemade wedding cake for details.
More Classic Cake Recipes
- Vanilla Cake
- Banana Cake
- Pumpkin Cake
- Chocolate Cake
- Strawberry Cake
- Lemon Cake
- German Chocolate Cake
Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours
- Yield: 12 servings
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Red velvet cake is much more than vanilla cake tinted red. This recipe produces the best red velvet cake with superior buttery, vanilla, and cocoa flavors, as well as a delicious tang from buttermilk. My trick is to whip the egg whites, which guarantees a smooth velvet crumb.
Ingredients
- 3 cups (360g) cake flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 Tablespoons (10g) unsweetened natural cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (240ml) canola or vegetable oil
- 4 large eggs, room temperature and separated
- 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
- liquid or gel red food coloring
- 1 cup (240ml) buttermilk, at room temperature
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 16 ounces (452g) full-fat brick cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 3/4 cup (12 Tbsp; 170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 5 cups (600g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- pinch of salt, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease two 9-inch cake pans, line with parchment paper rounds, then grease the parchment paper. Parchment paper helps the cakes seamlessly release from the pans. (If it’s helpful, see this parchment paper rounds for cakes video & post.)
- Make the cake: Whisk the flour, baking soda, cocoa powder, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.
- Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on medium-high speed until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add the oil, egg yolks, vanilla extract, and vinegar and beat on high for 2 minutes. (Set the egg whites aside.) Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a silicone spatula as needed.
- With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients in 2-3 additions alternating with the buttermilk. Beat in your desired amount of food coloring just until combined. I use 1-2 teaspoons gel food coloring. Vigorously whisk or beat the 4 egg whites on high speed until fluffy peaks form as pictured above, about 3 minutes. Gently fold into cake batter. The batter will be silky and slightly thick.
- Divide batter between cake pans. Bake for 30-32 minutes or until the tops of the cakes spring back when gently touched and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If the cakes need a little longer as determined by wet crumbs on the toothpick, bake for longer. However, careful not to overbake as the cakes may dry out. Remove cakes from the oven and cool completely in the pans set on a wire rack. The cakes must be completely cool before frosting and assembling.
- Make the frosting: In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk or paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter together on medium-high speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the confectioners’ sugar, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase to high speed and beat for 3 minutes until completely combined and creamy. Add more confectioners’ sugar if frosting is too thin or an extra pinch of salt if frosting is too sweet. Frosting should be soft, but not runny.
- Assemble and frost: Using a large serrated knife, slice a thin layer off the tops of the cakes to create a flat surface. Discard or crumble over finished cake. Place 1 cake layer on your cake stand or serving plate. Evenly cover the top with frosting. Top with 2nd layer and spread remaining frosting all over the top and sides. I always use an icing spatula and bench scraper for the frosting. I used Wilton piping tip #12 for decoration around the top.
- Refrigerate cake for at least 30-60 minutes before slicing. This helps the cake hold its shape when cutting.
- Cover leftover cake tightly and store in the refrigerator for 5 days. Frosted cake or unfrosted cake layers can be frozen up to 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before decorating/serving.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: The cake layers can be baked, cooled, and covered tightly at room temperature overnight. Likewise, the frosting can be prepared then covered and refrigerated overnight. Let the frosting sit at room temperature to slightly soften for 10 minutes before assembling and frosting.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 9-inch Round Cake Pans | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Red Gel Food Coloring or Beet Powder | Silicone Spatula | Cooling Rack | Cake Stand, Serving Plate, or Cake Turntable | Icing Spatula | Bench Scraper | Piping Bag (Reusable or Disposable) | Wilton Piping Tip #12 | Cake Carrier (for storing cake)
- Cake Flour: For best texture and taste, I strongly recommend cake flour. You can find it in the baking aisle and I have many more recipes using it. If you can’t get your hands on cake flour, you can make a DIY cake flour substitute.
- Vinegar: The vinegar helps brighten the red color. Don’t get scared, a touch of vinegar is normal in red velvet desserts! You can’t taste it.
- Why is everything at room temperature? When everything is near the same temperature, they mix together easily, evenly, and produce a uniform texture. It’s important!
- Food Coloring: The amount of red food coloring is up to you. I tested with varying amounts. To get the dark red color you see here, use 2 teaspoons of gel food coloring. You could use liquid food coloring too, but gel food coloring is more potent. You’ll need at least 1 Tablespoon of liquid. Dye the batter until you are pleased with the color. Use beet powder for a natural alternative (mix 1/2 teaspoon beet powder with 2 teaspoons of water before adding) or leave the food coloring out completely.
- Buttermilk: Buttermilk is a key ingredient and flavor in this recipe. You can use low fat or full fat. If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make your own buttermilk substitute. To do so, add 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of fresh lemon juice or white vinegar to a liquid measuring cup. Add enough regular milk (whole milk is best) to make 1 cup. Stir the two together, then let it sit for 5 minutes before using.
- Sheet Cake: This batter fits nicely into a 9×13-inch cake pan or 12×17-inch sheet pan. Same oven temperature. Bake for about 40-45 minutes or 20-25 minutes, respectively. Keep your eye on the cake and use a toothpick to test for doneness.
- 3 Layer Cake: Prepare 3 9-inch cake pans in step 1 and divide the batter evenly between the pans. Bake for about 22-25 minutes.
- Bundt Cake: This cake batter fits into a 10-cup or larger bundt pan. I’m unsure of the exact bake time (likely around an hour), but use a toothpick to test for doneness. Same oven temperature.
- Cupcakes: You can use this cake batter for 2-3 dozen cupcakes. Fill cupcake liners 1/2 – 2/3 of the way full. Bake for 20-21 minutes or until the tops of the cupcakes spring back when gently touched and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Use my red velvet cupcakes recipe if you need fewer.
Recipe originally published on Sally’s Baking Recipes in 2015.
Need something smaller? Here are my red velvet cupcakes!
Reader Comments and Reviews
Can this be made into a blue velvet cake? Would I just put blue dye? Thank you!!
Hi Paige, yes, many readers have reported using this recipe to make a blue velvet cake by adding blue food coloring instead. Hope you enjoy it!
This is the best red velvet cake I’ve ever tasted
Hi I was needing to make 2 3 tier 6 inch cakes. Do I double this recipe? And how much do I fill them with batter? Thank you! Im kinda new to baking
Hi Trish! Here is everything you need to know about converting recipes to different Cake Pan Sizes.
How many cups of batter does this recipe make? I need enough for a half sheet cake. Thank you!
Hi Victoria, see recipe Notes for details on baking in a half sheet pan. Enjoy!
Hello, can I make this ahead of time and freeze? Have you ever done that with with recipe?
See Notes after the recipe for our recommended make-ahead instructions, Meeks!
The cake was an oily sunken mess and the “frosting” was completely runny. What a waste of ingredients, time and electricity. Back to my trusted recipes 🙁
What adjustments do I make to make 3 layers?
Hi Camille, for a 3 layer cake, you can simply divide the batter between 3, 8 or 9 inch pans. See recipe notes for more details. Enjoy!
G’day!
Hopefully this isn’t a silly questions… I’ve never baked multi-layer cakes before…
Can I bake the two cakes at the same time?
Does the time in the recipe allow for both of the cakes in the oven at the same time, or is the time just for a single layer?
Thank you!!!
(P.S. I’m slowly making my way through your cupcake recipes for the kids, and they are loving them!!!)
Hi Nate, you can bake the layers at the same time as long as they can all fit on the same oven rack without touching. If they can’t, it’s best to bake in batches. Either way, the bake time will be as listed in the recipe. Hope you enjoy the cake!
I completely forgot to come back and say thank you!
Thanks for the advice and thank you so much for the quick response!
It’s actually only the second cake I’ve ever baked, but following the measurements and directions it turned out AMAZINGLY!!!
The kids and my wife and friends LOVED it. Your website has kick started a new hobby for me.
Cheers!!!!
Omy goodness, this is the best batter and I love to use it! Thank you
Awful recipe! Ridiculous amounts of sugar and butter. The sponges sank and the frosting never got thick enough even after adding an extra 400g.
I want to use a natural alternative to red but all I have are cooked beets. What should I do?
I was very pleased with this recipe. It was delicious! I think I overbaked it just a bit though so I’ll have to try again 🙂
The cake is delicious but way crumbly! What did I do wrong?
Hi Slouie! Could the cake have been over-baked? That’s the most common culprit for dry, crumbly cakes.
Hi,
I have no idea what I did wrong. The cake was pulling away from the pans. The toothpick test was good. I checked the cake 10 mins later and both cake layers had sunk in the middle pretty deep. I let it cool, took it out of the pans and cut one in half. It was extremely oily looking.
I had used my scale set on ml for the oil and for the buttermilk. I’ve been baking for over 50 years and I prefer using a scale for any recipe that provides metric measurements. It seems like every baker has different metric measurements so I follow the measurements given for the recipe I’m making.
Am I the only one who had this issue?
Hi Patty, I’m so sorry that happened. A sunken, oily cake can happen for a few different reasons, like slight differences in ingredient ratios, oven temperature, or even how the cakes cool in the pans. Since you measured carefully by weight, it sounds like you did everything right on your end. I wonder if the pans you were using were a bit small or if there was just a touch too much liquid or oil. You’re definitely not the only one who’s had a tricky bake now and then, especially a layer cake, and I really appreciate you sharing your experience.
The red velvet cake recipe is fantastic — I have no issues with it at all. However, I found the cream cheese icing to be far too thin. Even after adding an extra 400g of icing sugar, it was still too soft to hold any piped decorations. Refrigerating the cake and icing made little difference. Next time, I might try using only half the amount of cream cheese to achieve a thicker consistency.
Hi Steve, what kind of cream cheese did you use? We know that it can be hard to find the brick-style cream cheese outside the U.S., and the kind sold elsewhere doesn’t produce as thick of a cream cheese frosting.
Listen cake recipe is great perfect texture well explained. The icing recipe is crazy i dont know how i didn’t clock it before trying to mix but for the love of God if your following this only add like 200 cream cheese. That would still be a large volume but least not runny
Can I use six inch cake pans? If so, how many layers would it make and about how long should it stay in the oven?
Hi Vera! We recommend using our red velvet cupcakes recipe instead. It makes the perfect amount of batter for a 3 layer, 6 inch cake.
Do you think I could do melted butter instead of oil in the cake batter?
Hi Clare, this recipe calls for softened butter, which needs to be creamed with sugar to form the base of the batter.
Is the frosting recipe correct? It came out very thin and would not hold the weight of the top layer, seeping out. When I looked up the cream cheese frosting at other baking blogs, the ratio of sugar to cream cheese and butter was almost twice more than what you list in your recipe. Also, it would be helpful to actually know how much of the red food coloring to add so the cake comes out red and not pink. Haven’t tasted the cake yet, hoping it’s as delicious as others say it is.
Hi Barbara! The recipe is correct. Did you use full-fat block style cream cheese? See Notes after the recipe for details on food coloring: To get the dark red color you see here, use 2 teaspoons of gel food coloring. Hope you love the cake!
Hi! What elevation are you baking at? I’m at 4700 ft above sea level and wondering what adjustments to make. Thanks!
Hi Jess, wish we could help, but have no experience baking at high altitude. Some readers have found this chart helpful: https://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/high-altitude-baking.html
Hi there, if I want to make x2 10 inch cakes should I double the recipe?
Hi Dani, here is everything you need to know about converting recipes to different Cake Pan Sizes. This cake recipe yields roughly 8-9 cups of batter.
Thank you!
I love this cake! It comes out perfect every time! My niece now wants us to make it for her 21st in a heart shape tin. What size tin could I use for that?
They have options that are 9 inch, but I guess the dimensions still wouldn’t be the same as a 9 inch round.
Thanks!
Hi Alex, the 9-inch pan should work well. Just fill the pan half way, then use any leftover batter for cupcakes on the side. So glad it’s a favorite for you!
Hey! So I’m measure by cups, and after I weighed it to compare, and I’m getting 434g flour after measuring 3 cups, spooned and leveled. I cant figure out why that is?
Hi Michaela! The weight measurement is always the most accurate and what we recommend you go by. You can read more about measuring baking ingredients in this post.
Hi! I love this recipe on its own but do you think it would alter it too badly if I add nuts to it? I dont want to mess up the texture… thank you!!
Hi Jade, 1 cup of nuts should be just fine here!
Have you tried doing this recipe dairy free? Is it possible to do it dairy free?
Hi Diane, we haven’t tested a dairy free version of this cake, but let us know if you try anything.
I have tries out the dairy free version it came out beautifully, I used dairy free alternative butter and then I made the buttermilk using almond milk instead of wholemilk. I also used apple cider vinegar instead of white vinegar and you couldn’t taste it. Thank you for this recipe as this recipe worked unlike other recipes I have used.
I disagree an ermine frosting is much tasting and compliments the red velvet cake much better
Please note in the directions it doesn’t tell you when to add buttermilk! I almost forgot it!
Hi Amanda! See step 4: With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients in 2-3 additions alternating with the buttermilk.
I love this red velvet recipe! Made a wedding cake with it and was AMAZING!
I now have an order to make another red velvet but gluten free.. I don’t have gluten free cake flour (does it even exist?) could I substitute 1:1 with my gf flour or do I still need to take out 2 tablespoons and add 2 tablespoons of the cornstarch to turn it into cake flour?
Hi Danielle, we haven’t tested a gluten-free version of this cake, but you can certainly try a DIY version as you suggest. Let us know if you do give it a go!
So I did make it with the DIY cake flour but using gf flour and it turned out the same! I didn’t notice a difference it was still delicious ☺️
This recipe is so hard to do in the instructions. You should put how much of each ingredient instead of us having to go back-and-forth to see how much of each ingredient.
I always measure out every ingredient before beginning and put them in order of use. I often mix dry ingredients in the same bowl, and things that are liquid either in measuring cups or the bottle with the correct measuring spoon beside it. This is called mise en place and makes baking a lot easier. Hope it helps you.
I just made this gluten free for a friend’s birthday and it was absolutely the best gluten free cake I have ever had. I followed your recipe exactly except I used gluten free AP flour (King Arthur 1:1) and used your at home cake flour method (adding cornstarch) to make the cake lighter. What resulted was a light and moist cake with superb flavor. I can’t wait to try more recipes. Thank you!
It was delicious. The cake is so good . I’m making the icing I bet it will tated delicious. we had all the ingredients.