This is my tried and true recipe for red velvet cake that is absolutely perfect every time. The cake is soft, buttery, moist, light, and topped with a delicious and tangy cream cheese frosting.
When it comes to cakes none are quite as stunning as red velvet. I've made this red velvet cake more times than I can count and it is truly perfect! The cake is light, soft, moist, and ultra-delicious plus covered with the best cream cheese frosting.
Key Ingredients for the Best Red Velvet Cake:
- Cake flour: In order to achieve a light, velvety texture, cake flour is mandatory for red velvet cake! It's also important that you lightly spoon the flour into the measuring cup and then level it off with a knife. Be careful not to pack the flour too tightly into the measuring cup.
*If you don't have cake flour you can easily make your own! Just take 2 and ½ cups of all-purpose flour + ¼ cup of cornstarch and sift them together a few times until the texture is very fine and soft.
- Cocoa powder: While it's not actually a chocolate cake, red velvet cake does have a mild chocolate flavor.
- Baking soda: Baking soda is a leavener that works with the acidic ingredients to make the cake rise.
- Butter: Unsalted and softened to room temperature. Leave it out on the counter for 1 hour to come to room temperature.
- Always use unsalted butter for baking. If salted butter is all you have on hand, decrease the salt in the recipe to ¼ tsp.
- Eggs (room temperature): Room temperature eggs mix into the batter more easily and evenly, to quickly bring eggs to room temperature, place them in a bowl of lukewarm water for 10 minutes.
- White vinegar: Adding vinegar to red velvet cake ensures the baking soda has plenty of acidic ingredients to work with and help the cake rise. I know it's an odd ingredient for cake, but trust me you won't be able to taste it and the cake will be extra light and tender.
- Red food coloring: 1 fl. oz. red food coloring. It may seem like a lot, but you will love how beautiful and vibrantly red the cake is.
- Sour cream (room temperature): Sour cream is the ultimate insurance policy for a moist cake.
- Buttermilk (room temperature): Buttermilk is required for red velvet cake, no substitutions!
How to Make Red Velvet Cake:
- Preheat your oven to 350° and generously grease two - 8 or 9" cake pans with butter or non-stick cooking spray. Line with parchment paper and grease the parchment paper, too.
- Sift together the cake flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
- In a large bowl, beat the softened butter with the sugar until smooth and creamy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add eggs, one at a time, and mix until just combined after each. Add the vanilla extract, white vinegar, red food coloring, and sour cream. Mix until smooth and scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- In 3 additions, alternate adding the buttermilk and the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mix until just combined after each, and then mix until smooth once everything has been added in. Be careful not to overmix.
5. Pour the batter evenly into the prepared cake pans, gently tap the pans on the counter to release any air bubbles trapped in the batter, and bake for 32 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center will come out clean when the cakes are done.
6. Allow the cakes to cool slightly in the pan and then cool completely in the fridge or freezer before frosting, overnight is best if you can. You can also wrap the cakes in plastic wrap and freeze them for up to 3 months.
Make the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature.
- 2- 8 oz. packages block-style cream cheese, softened to room temperature.
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 6 cups powdered sugar
In a large bowl, beat the softened cream cheese with the softened butter until smooth. Add in the vanilla extract and powdered sugar, 2 cups at a time, and beat on low speed until mostly incorporated, then beat until smooth once it's all been added in.
How to Frost Red Velvet Cake:
- Once the cakes have cooled completely, use a large serrated knife to level off the domed tops.
- Place one of the cakes, cut side up, on a cake stand and spread a generous amount of frosting on top, then place the second cake on top with the cut side down.
- First coat: The first coat is called the crumb coat. Don't worry if it's not pretty! After you've applied the crumb coat place the cake in the fridge for at least 30 minutes so it can set.
- Apply the second coat and use an offset spatula to evenly spread it on top of the cake and around the sides. Repeat with a third coat, if needed.
Tips for Frosting Cakes:
- Make sure the cake is always very cold when frosting. I find it helpful to freeze the cake overnight which helps it stay very cold while I'm frosting it.
- The cream cheese frosting should be soft and not too cold. Store it in the fridge when you're not using it and let it soften at room temperature for 1 hour before frosting the cake.
- Helpful tools for frosting cakes:
More Cake Recipes:
📖 RECIPE
Red Velvet Cake
This is my tried and true recipe for red velvet cake that is perfect every time. The cake is soft, buttery, moist, light, and topped with a delicious and tangy cream cheese frosting.
Print Pin RateServings: 16 people
Equipment
- 2 - 8 or 9" cake pans
Ingredients
- 3 cups cake flour*
- 2 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- 1 fl. oz. red food coloring
- ½ cup sour cream, room temperature
- 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 2 - 8 oz. packages brick-style cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 6 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- On parchment paper, use a pencil to trace the bottom of the cake pans and cut the circles out. Spray the inside of the cake pan with non-stick cooking spray, add the traced circles to the pan with the pencil side down and spray with more non-stick spray.
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Add the flour to a medium bowl and then sift in the cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine.
- In a large bowl, use a hand-held or stand mixer to cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Mix in the eggs, one at a time, and mix until just combined after each. Mix in the vanilla extract, white vinegar, red food coloring, and sour cream until smooth and combined. Be careful not to overmix.
- In 3 additions, alternate adding the dry ingredients and the buttermilk, mixing until just combined after each. After the final addition mix until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake pans. Gently tap the pans on the counter to release any trapped air bubbles and bake for 32 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean.
- Allow to cool slightly on the counter and then cool completely in the fridge for at least 2 hours before frosting.
- Make the cream cheese frosting: In a large bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, beat the softened cream cheese and butter until smooth. Mix in the vanilla extract. Add the powdered sugar 2 cups at a time and mix until mostly incorporated, then mix until smooth after all of it has been added.
- Use a large serrated knife to level off the domed part of the cake. Add 2 - 3 coats of frosting to the cake, refrigerate for at least 30 minutes between coatings.
- Cover the cake and store in the fridge for up to 5 days. Unfrosted cake layers can also be wrapped in plastic wrap and frozen for up to 3 months.
Notes
*If you don't have cake flour you can make your own: Sift together 2 and ½ cups of all-purpose flour with ¼ cup of cornstarch. *If you want to make this a 3-layer cake, divide the batter between 3 - 8 or 9" cake pans and bake for 22 minutes.
Nutrition
Calories: 693kcal | Carbohydrates: 90g | Protein: 6.8g | Fat: 35.9g | Saturated Fat: 22.2g | Cholesterol: 131mg | Sodium: 434mg | Potassium: 130mg | Fiber: 0.8g | Sugar: 70g | Calcium: 65mg | Iron: 2mg
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