Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
A soft, tender red velvet layer cake with a hint of cocoa and buttermilk tang, covered in thick, smooth cream cheese frosting.
17% of it needs you at the counter
- Hands-on
- 30 min
- Cooking
- 27 min
- Resting
- 2 hr
- Serves
- 12
- Calories
- 735
- Protein
- 7 g
- Per serving
- $1.01
Why this recipe works
Red velvet is a Southern classic: a mild cocoa and buttermilk cake, deep red, under a thick layer of cream cheese frosting. The color comes from food coloring, so gel coloring gives the boldest red without thinning the batter.
- Buttermilk and a spoonful of vinegar react with the baking soda for the light, velvety crumb the cake is named for.
- Oil instead of butter keeps the cake moist and soft, even straight from the fridge.
- Just 2 tablespoons of cocoa gives the gentle chocolate note of red velvet; more would turn it into a chocolate cake.
Ingredients
For the cake
For the frosting
You will need
- Two 9-inch round cake pans
- Parchment paper
- Large mixing bowl
- Whisk
- Stand or hand mixer
- Offset spatula
- Wire rack
Method
Tap a step number to mark it done.
Prepare the pans
Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease two 9-inch round pans, line the bottoms with parchment and grease the parchment.
Mix the batter
Whisk the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. In another bowl, whisk the buttermilk, oil, eggs, vinegar, vanilla and food coloring until evenly red. Pour into the dry ingredients and whisk just until smooth.
Bake
Divide the batter between the pans. Bake until the tops spring back and a toothpick comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes.
Cool
Cool in the pans for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a rack, peel off the parchment and cool completely, about 1½ hours.
Make the frosting
Beat the cream cheese and butter until completely smooth. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla and salt, beat on low, then on medium until fluffy, about 2 minutes.
Frost and chill
Brush loose crumbs off the layers. Fill and frost the cake, then chill for 30 minutes so the frosting sets before slicing.
Cook's notes
- Gel coloring gives the deepest red with the least liquid. Most red coloring is synthetic, but some natural reds are carmine, which is made from insects; check the label if that matters to you.
- For clean white frosting, spread a thin first coat to trap the red crumbs, chill it for 15 minutes, then add the rest.
- Keep the frosted cake in the fridge and eat it within 4 days.
Nutrition per serving
735 calories
$1.01 estimated cost per serving
Where the calories come from
| Protein | 4% of calories | 7 g |
|---|---|---|
| Carbs | 48% of calories | 89 g |
| Fat | 48% of calories | 40 g |
| Fiber | 1 g | |
| Sodium | 440 mg |
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for the listed ingredients and amounts; not lab-tested. Cost estimated from average US retail prices.
Questions people ask
Is red velvet just chocolate cake with red dye?
No. It has far less cocoa than chocolate cake, plus buttermilk and vinegar, so it tastes only mildly of chocolate, slightly tangy, with a softer, finer crumb.
Can I make red velvet cake without food coloring?
Yes, it will just be light brown. About 2 tablespoons of beet powder gives a natural reddish color, though it fades a little in the oven.
What frosting goes on red velvet cake?
Cream cheese frosting is the standard today. Older recipes often used ermine frosting, a cooked flour and milk buttercream that is lighter and less sweet.
