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.
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, a splash of milk, 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 sour milk. 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.
Keywords: Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Need something smaller? Here are my red velvet cupcakes!
Wow red velvet has never been my favourite cake, but I tried this recipe and it came out beautiful, the texture is amazing it’s moist and so so tasty. I highly recommend. This is a delicious cake. By the way I’m a cake addict so I know . The lady that made such horrible comments has no idea of what she is talking about, she is just rude and mean please don’t pay attention to her stupid comments. I think you explain every step so well and one can feel the love going into the planning of this recipe thank you
I love this cake recipe very much.
If I choose to omit the food coloring, would I still need to use vinegar in this recipe?
Hi Mandy, you can leave out the vinegar if skipping the food coloring.
A REAL red velvet cakes would never have this type of frosting.
I want to do “green velvet” for St. Patricks Day. Is changing the color of the food coloring the only difference I would make.
By the way – your recipes always come out perfect for me. Thank you.
Hi Debbie, you sure can change the food coloring for St. Patrick’s Day. Many readers have had success making green, blue, and purple versions of this cake. See the recipe notes for details on the best kinds / amounts of food coloring to use. Thank you so much for trusting my recipes. Have fun!
I’m preparing to make this for my daughter’s 12th birthday. Any tips for high altitude baking with this recipe?
Hi Delilah, I wish we could help, but we don’t have experience baking at high altitude. Some readers have found this chart helpful: https://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/high-altitude-baking.html We hope it’s a hit for your daughter’s birthday!
One of my 9 inch pans overflowed, and then sunk toward the end of baking. I did apply Wilton bake-even strips to the pans before baking. Disappointed as this was my first attempt at this cake. I even went and measured the pan to be sure I wasn’t incorrect on the size pans I have.
Hi Ann, we’re happy to help troubleshoot. Were your pans overfilled by chance? The batter should be evenly distributed amongst the two, 9-inch round pans (not filled to the top). A little sinking is normal, but it could also be possible that your cakes just needed a few extra minutes in the oven. You can use a toothpick to test for doneness. Thank you for giving this recipe a try!
This red velvet cake is so moist and tasty!
Can I successfully use a 10×3 round pan for this recipe?
★★★★★
Hi Natalie, one 10-inch 3-inch deep pan is not large enough for this batter. The cake wouldn’t bake evenly because it would be too thick. 2 10-inch pans is too much, so I recommend sticking with the recipe.
I made this as a 6 inch cake and it did not come out at all. The edges burnt and the middle is still goopy
★
Hi Ally, this amount of batter won’t fit into 2 6-inch pans. How many 6-inch pans did you use? I’m unsure of the best bake time, depending on how much batter was in each pan.
I made this cake today for my daughter’s birthday. Delicious and pretty easy/foolproof – even without a stand mixer.
★★★★★
This recipe looks amazing! Is it possible to substitute the red food coloring with a natural red food coloring?
This is a firm favourite in our family. I would like to make for my daughter’s birthday but have an 8 inch sandwich tin, can you advise how I should adapt the recipe?
★★★★★
Hi Suzanne, For an 8 inch cake, we recommend using 3 8-inch cake pans. The cakes will be very thick using two 8 inch cake pans and may not bake evenly– or may even overflow. Bake for about 23-26 minutes.
The recipe is amazing! The cake comes out perfect every time. Just a quick question, can we replace the butter with vegan butter, and the milk with non dairy milk for a lactose intolerant person? Thank you in advance!
Hi Elena, we’re so glad you love this cake! You can certainly try those swaps, although the results will likely be a bit different. Let us know if you give them a try!
★★★★★
Loved the recipe! Just quick a question. How long can we store the leftover cream cheese frosting?
Hi Cindy, so glad to hear that! You can cover and store leftover frosting for up to 5 days in the refrigerator or up to 3 months in the freezer. After freezing, thaw in the refrigerator then beat the frosting for a few seconds so it’s creamy again.
OMG – my very first layer cake and it was perfect in every way! The crumb was perfect, the flavor was the best of any red velvet cake I have ever eaten (and I am a connoisseur,) and the icing was so easy and yummy. I made this for a small dinner party before Valentine’s Day and it was a complete hit! I will make this again and again. Thank you, Sally and team!
★★★★★
I used this as the top tier to my wedding cake with a Swiss meringue buttercream icing a few years ago. I swapped to a gluten free flour (own recipe) and used coconut cream with lemon juice to substitute the buttermilk. Was an absolute hit and still a favourite for special occasions
★★★★★
Is there a difference when using Dutch rolled butter( unsalted) ? We r lucky enough to have these fantastic Amish ingredients and produce down the street!
Hi CA, Dutch rolled butter tends to have a higher butterfat content than American butter. While it can be wonderful in cooking but we find it’s sometimes difficult to use in baking recipes. Its higher fat percentage, while making the butter tasty, creates too much grease in doughs and batters. We haven’t tested it in this specific recipe, so we’re unsure just how much it would be impacted/what other tweaks might be necessary. If you do decide to give it a go, please do let us know how it works for you!
European here: Clear, easy-to-follow recipe, the cake was a beauty, and, I’m sorry to say, sickeningly sweet — it fully qualified as inedible. I’ll take your word for it that this is everything a velvet cake should be, and just conclude that perhaps velvet cakes shouldn’t be in the first place. If this ranks anywhere on the scale between normal and excellent dessert in the US, I understand better how your country is plagues with diabetes and obesity. I might try to adapt the recipe with 40-50% of the sugar, and probably less oil, too.
★
Sally I really love your cakes, I’ve been baking your recipes for years now and the cakes never fail to impress. On this occassion I wanted to make the red velvet cake for Valentines, but I was so disappointed. I did everything as said except that I’m lactose intolerant so I swapped the milk making my own buttermilk and used 100g less sugar and powder food colouring . which is 3 things I always do with the recipes to suit me and turns out fantastic..but not this time.
Do you think you can tell me where it went wrong. The cake was dry, not as fluffy as it would be and didnt really raised that much.
ok thanks Sally
regards
Indi
Thank you so much for trying this recipe. Sugar, especially in cakes, does more than jsut sweeten. It actually creates a more tender and moist crumb, so by reducing the sugar (which, yes, this cake does have a lot!) you are also reducing the moisture in the cake. You could add a little more buttermilk if you’d like. I have never tried this cake with lactose-free buttermilk, so I am unsure about those results. I wonder if there was too much food color powder added as well?
Absolutely love this recipe, I’ve made is several times over the years! I’m hoping to make a smaller version with a 6in pan (still two layers), would it work to cut the recipe in half? Thanks!
★★★★★
Made for my daughters birthday and it c some out beautiful! The frosting was less firm than a normal buttercream so I just popped it in and out of fridge as I was piping the sides since it would warm up in my hands too much. First time making red velvet and I’m so pleased but I always trust sally for cakes!
★★★★★
I am about to make this recipe. I have been doing a lot of research. Hot coffee seems to be included in many? Would you recommend adding this ingredient to your recipe?
Hi Kim, we haven’t tested a version with hot coffee. We recommend sticking with the recipe for best results, but let us know if decide to do any experimenting.
Hi, I really want to make this cake for Valentine’s day in my heart shaped bundt cake. Do you think I could make it in a bundt pan – 10 cups and cut it in half and put the frosting in between? If yes, how much time do you think it will need to go in the oven?
Hi Liza, definitely! See recipe notes for Bundt Cake instructions.
Hello, I’ve made this recipe several times and it always turns out great, with an amazing texture. I’m sure the whipped egg whites makes a difference. I’m looking for a white velvet cake and I was wondering if I could use this recipe? Replacing the cocoa with flour and no red coloring.
★★★★★
Hi Stephanie! We haven’t tested a white velvet cake recipe, but would love to hear what you try. Swapping cocoa powder and flour is not always a 1:1, so it may take some testing.
Thank you for the reply Trina, I’ll let you know !
What a disaster! I make cakes all the time and I did everything as outlined in the recipe – used cake flour, let the butter, eggs, and cream cheese come to room temp, creamed the butter and sugar, whipped the egg whites, etc. and the cake came out terrible. It tastes like flour and not much more. We couldn’t taste the cocoa or vanilla at all and it was barely sweet. The texture was way denser than in the pictures, too.
As for the icing, it tasted wonderful, was was ridiculously think, even after adding over an extra 1/2 cup of powdered sugar to try to thicken it. I had my doubts going in because there was a lot 16 oz of cream cheese and 3/4 cup of butter is a lot. My normal cream cheese recipe calls for 3 oz of cream cheese. Anyway, it was way too thin, but I didn’t want to add more sugar because it probably would have taken an extra cup over the extra half cup I already had used to thicken it enough, so we slopped it on thick because there was sooo much and it ended up looking like it was covered in poofy, melty marshmallow. We still had a ton leftover. It did taste very good and was the cake’s only saving grace.
After we all tasted the cake, I trashed the rest and kept the spare icing for cookies, so at least there is that. I just can’t figure out how it went so wrong because I was very precise with all my measurements, leveling everything and I know I didn’t forget anything. I will definitely never be making this recipe again. So much effort for nothing but some leftover icing.
★★
If I want a blue velvet cake, can I just substitute blue food coloring for the red?
Hi Joy, sure can!
this cake was mid tbh. separating the egg yolk and white was too complicated for a recipe such as this and i doubt it made any difference on the texture. the cake was very dry and not rich in taste like you would expect from red velvet, probably because there was barely any cocoa powder. will be trying a different recipe next time.
★★
I need to bake a red velvet for my granddaughter’s birthday . Can i make this recipe in a 9×13 pan??
Hi Laura, this batter fits nicely into a 9×13-inch cake pan. Same oven temperature. Bake for about 40-45 minutes. Keep your eye on the cake and use a toothpick to test for doneness. Hope it turns out great!
I tried this cake with the Beet Powder and the cake turned out brown. I was sceptical that the beet powder would work so doubled the amount required but the cake remained brown. So, in I would try to gel colorant in future and see if that works. Very disappointing! The cake was good in all other respects but when one needs a Red Velvet cake it does need to be red.
This is the 4th year in a row my daughter (now 17) has asked for this cake for her birthday. The recipe is perfect as is – we make no changes. We love making it together every year and it’s a huge hit with the whole family! Wish I could post a pic of how beautiful it looks even when made by amateurs like us who need every detail in the instructions to bake it 🙂
★★★★★