Tessa’s Recipe Rundown
Taste: Sweet but not overly so with that tang from the cream cheese.
Texture: This is definitely the most MOIST red velvet cake I’ve ever tasted.
Ease: You are going to dirty dishes to get this cake made, but it is definitely worth it – especially if you or your family are red velvet lovers.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe: Super moist cake with an unbelievable frosting. My go-to recipe for red velvet cake.
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I’m very excited to share this recipe for Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting with you today, but first, I have something to say that may shock you…
I’m not a huge fan of red velvet.
I know it’s tremendously popular. But most red velvet type desserts that I’ve tasted have always been bland, dry, or sickeningly sweet. Plus, there can never be enough chocolate in my book so the tease of cocoa in red velvet cake kind of angers me if I’m being honest!
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I’m happy to say I created a fabulous recipe that even I enjoy eating. This doesn’t mean I plan on giving up my chocolate cake anytime soon, but now I have a go-to red velvet cake recipe.
This cake is absolutely perfect for birthdays, Valentine’s Day, 4th of July, Christmas, or any time the red velvet flavor craving strikes. I wanted to make this recipe super easy, so you don’t need any cake flour!
Sprinkle of Science
How to Make Red Velvet Cake
What is Red Velvet Cake? Is Red Velvet Cake Just a Chocolate Cake with Red Food Coloring?
Red Velvet Cake is a popular dish in the Southern United States. Although traditional recipes vary from modern ones, it’s now typically made with a small amount of cocoa powder, buttermilk, vinegar, and red food coloring as staple ingredients. Its name references both its color as well as its soft, velvety smooth texture. It’s not really a chocolate cake, but simply has a hint of chocolate flavor.
Tessa’s Tip: Use Room Temperature Ingredients!
With the exception of the hot coffee / hot water, you really want to make sure your eggs and buttermilk are brought completely to room temperature. This will help to form a uniform and cohesive batter and cake.
Why Use Hot Coffee or Hot Water in a Cake Recipe?
Just like in my Best Chocolate Cake recipe, this Red Velvet Cake uses hot coffee as a staple ingredient. If you don’t have coffee, you can just use hot water. The coffee does help to enhance that hint of chocolate flavor, and the heat of the liquid helps to ‘bloom’ the cocoa, bringing out its full flavor.
What if I Don’t Have Buttermilk?
Buttermilk works best in this recipe to provide a rich and tender cake. It is traditional (along with the vinegar too!). You can learn more about the science of buttermilk in my Buttermilk 101 article here. I would not recommend using a buttermilk substitute. If you must, use whole milk instead but note the cake’s final taste and texture will be different.
What Kind of Food Coloring is Best for Red Velvet Cake?
I would highly recommend using gel food coloring for red velvet cake and not liquid or ‘natural’ food coloring (I did a whole experiment with natural food coloring – check it out here!). You’ll need at least 3 teaspoons, possibly more depending on the brand, so don’t buy just one small bottle (0.75 oz). Opt for a larger bottle or buy two smaller ones. I like Americolor or Chefmaster gel food coloring.
Overview Instructions of How to Make Red Velvet Cake:
Make the Red Velvet Cake Batter:
- Prepare three 8-inch round cake pans with parchment rounds, spraying parchment and sides of pans generously with nonstick cooking spray.
- Whisk together the hot coffee and cocoa powder, setting aside for 5 minutes. Whisk in a separate medium bowl the dry ingredients of the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, vegetable oil, and melted butter. Add in eggs and egg yolk, whisking until well combined. Add buttermilk, vanilla, and food coloring, and whisk to combine.
- Whisk in the vinegar and coffee mixture. Sift the flour mixture in thirds into the wet ingredients, folding until incorporated.
- Pour the batter evenly between your prepared pans. Tap the bottoms against the counter several times.
- Bake at 325°F for 25-30 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean.
- Place the cake pans on a cooling rack. Once cool to the touch, run a thin knife around the edges to loosen the cake, and invert onto the cooling racks. Cool completely.
Make the Cream Cheese Icing:
- Using an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a hand mixer), beat the cream cheese and butter on medium-high speed until light, creamy, and smooth.
- Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure no clumps remain.
- Add vanilla and beat until combined.
- Gradually add in the confectioners’ sugar on low speed and beat until the buttercream frosting is fluffy.
Assemble:
- Lay one of the cake layers flat-side up on a cake plate or pedestal.
- Use about a third of the frosting to fill the bottom cake layer, then top with the second cake layer and repeat. Place the final cake layer flat-side up. Use the rest of the frosting to ice the sides and top of the cake, using an offset spatula to smooth the icing.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve!
What Kind of Baking Pans to Use for Red Velvet Cake?
Use three 8-inch cake pans for this recipe. My favorite brand of cake pan is Fat Daddio’s, they bake evenly and wash up easily. Don’t use darkly coated nonstick cake pans or you may end up with dry or overbaked cake edges.
Can I Use 9-inch Cake Pans Instead?
Although this recipe was specifically designed for 8-inch cake pans, you may be able to bake in two 9-inch cake pans. Fill each 3/4 full and increase the baking time by about 5 to 10 minutes because there will be more batter in each pan.
How to Prevent Red Velvet Cake from Sticking
Be sure to line each cake pan with parchment rounds. I like these ones which have tabs to easily pull out the baked cake layers. Spray the sides of the pans and the parchment generously with nonstick cooking spray.
What Kind of Frosting is Best with Red Velvet Cake?
Cream Cheese Frosting is the classic choice for red velvet cake! Its tangy flavor complements the sweetness of the cake layers. If you’d prefer something more sturdy or want to make special cake decorations, opt for my Best Buttercream Frosting instead.
Tessa’s Favorite Tools for Layer Cakes:
Can I Make Red Velvet Cupcakes Instead?
I actually have a Red Velvet Cupcake recipe here! It’s the same base recipe as this Red Velvet Cake, but with a few tiny tweaks to result in perfect cupcakes.
How to Make Cake Ahead of Time & How to Freeze Red Velvet Cake
You can wrap unfrosted un-cut cooled cake layers completely in several layers of plastic wrap. Place inside a freezer bag or airtight container. Store at room temperature for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 2 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge (do not thaw at room temperature or you will end up with mushy cake).
How to Store Homemade Red Velvet Cake
Cover with a cake keeper and store at room temperature for up to 6 hours, then refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Red Velvet Cake
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Ingredients
For the cake:
- 1/2 cup of plain hot coffee or boiling water
- 1/4 cup (21 grams) unsweetened natural cocoa powder
- 2 1/4 cups (279 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, optional
- 2 cups (400 grams) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (109 grams) fresh vegetable oil
- 1 stick (113 grams) unsalted butter, melted
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
- 1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 teaspoons red gel food coloring, plus more if needed*
- 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
For the cream cheese frosting:
- 16 ounces (454 grams) cream cheese, at room temperature
- 2 sticks (227 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 cups (500 grams) powdered sugar, sifted
Instructions
For the cake:
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line three 8-inch cake pans with parchment rounds and spray parchment and sides of pans generously with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a glass measuring cup, whisk the hot coffee and cocoa powder. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, vegetable oil, and melted butter. Add in the eggs and yolk and whisk for twenty seconds, or until very well combined. Add in the buttermilk, vanilla and food coloring and whisk to combine. Whisk in the vinegar and coffee mixture. Using a fine mesh sieve, sift the flour mixture into the batter in three additions, whisking until each addition is incorporated.
- Divide the batter equally between the prepared pans. Tap the bottoms of the pans against the counter several times to release any air bubbles.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean. It’s normal for the cake to look slightly spongy on top. Place the cake pans on cooling racks. When the pans are cool enough to touch, run a thin knife around the edges of the pans to loosen the cakes. Invert onto the wire racks. Let cool completely.
For the frosting:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter on medium-high speed until very light, creamy, and smooth. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl to ensure no clumps remain. Add in the vanilla and beat until combined. On low speed, gradually add in the sugar and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. If the frosting is too thick, add a splash of milk or cream. If it’s too thin, add more sifted powdered sugar.
To assemble:
- Lay one cake layer flat-side up on a cake plate or pedestal. Tuck in strips of baking paper under the cake edges to keep the plate clean.
- Use about a third of the frosting to fill the bottom cake layer, then top with the second cake layer and repeat. Place the final cake layer flat-side up. Use the rest of the frosting to ice the whole cake. Serve.
- The cake can be covered and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Recipe Notes
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This post was originally published in 2013 and updated in 2022 with recipe improvements and new photos. Photos by Ashley McLaughlin.
Hi Tessa. I’ve seen the reviews on this recipe and would love to try it out soon.
I just want to know if I can halve the recipe, reduce the amount of sugar and also use buttermilk substitute as it’s not readily available in the supermarkets in my country.
Hi Edima! We haven’t tried halving the recipe, so I couldn’t say for sure, but Tessa talks about how to turn this cake into cupcakes, in the pink tip box above the recipe! We highly recommend using real buttermilk, if you can, but using a substitute should work, if you cannot find the real thing (just note, the final taste and texture will differ as a result). Read Tessa’s article about buttermilk and various substitutes before you start, though! As for the sugar, we really recommend sticking with the original quantity of sugar in any recipe, for many reasons. Sugar doesn’t just sweeten baked goods; it moistens, provides tender structure, assists with gluten formation, extends the shelf-life (meaning it will be fresh and moist longer), and assists in creating a taller and lighter finished product – just to name a few things! Reducing the sugar content in a recipe doesn’t just lower sweetness; it messes with the recipe’s chemistry and creates a totally different baked good. I hope that answers your questions! Please let me know if you need any further assistance!
Hi. I don’t understand the last part of the method.. Do you combine the wet and dry ingredients or what? What do you mean sieve in the flour 3 times in what?
Hi Zeenat! Yes, you combine the wet and dry ingredients in the final step. The instructions specify to sieve the dry into the wet, because this is a delicate cake, so we want to really make sure there are no lumps or clumps of flour, leavener, etc!
You will mix the dry in one bowl. Follow the directions for mixing the wet together in a separate bowl. Then, when all the wet ingredients have been combined per the instructions, you will use a fine mesh sieve to sift the dry mixture into the wet mixture in three additions (not three times; just one third of the dry mixture at a time). Again, we are just taking extra precautions to ensure no lumps end up in the batter!
I hope that helps and makes more sense to you now! Happy baking! 🙂
This is an amazing recipie and I have tried other red velvets, one from preppy kitchen and one from sugar geek show but this recipe is hands down the best ever red velvet. I’m a cake decorator so it’s important to have amazing recipes this will definitely be the one I use for all my customers requests for red velvet. It’s a big win
And the added cinnamon gives the cake a great taste.
Hi Tania! I’m so excited you loved this recipe! So happy it works for your cake decorating 🙂 Thank you!
Hi! Thank you for this! But do I make this recipe into a 6 inch round pan?
Hi there! This recipe, as written, will make three 8″ cake layers. We have not tried making the recipe in 6″ pans, but you can try! Just watch that you don’t overfill your pans, as we wouldn’t want them to overflow in the oven! You will also need to watch your bake times carefully, as they will be very different from the recipe as written. Bake just until a toothpick inserted comes out clean, and no longer than that (to avoid dry cakes!). I hope that helps! Let us know how you like the recipe, once you have tried it! 🙂 Happy baking!
OMG I made this cake just yesterday as a birthday cake for my mom as she loooves red velvet. Well this is my new go to recipe! This cake was moist, delicious and the frosting was perfect! The only thing with my cake is that it wasn’t overly red after adding the cocoa/ coffee mix, but certainly not a deal breaker. I also did not have the gel food colouring so that may have been the reason.
Anyhow Tessa I have never been to your site before but you now have a repeat customer. Thanks for sharing!!
I’m SO happy you loved this recipe, Francine! The gel food coloring will make a huge difference in the future, but I’m so glad it was still delicious, regardless of the color! We can’t wait for you to try more of Tessa’s recipes 🙂
Delicious! This cake turned out perfectly. I followed the recipe exactly – I just used 2, 9-in pans and baked for 30 min, rotating the pans halfway through. It was so moist. Everyone raved about it. Thank you!
So happy to hear that, Jamie! Glad you enjoyed this recipe 🙂
Loved this recipe. Like Tessa I didn’t have a favorable impression of RV Cakes as all previous ones I tried seemed to be a vehicle for the cream cheese.
I made these into mini Bundts using the Nordic Ware 6-cavity Bundt pan. I baked for 20 minutes but I believe it can be checked at 15 minutes for doneness. These tasted great without icing.
Fantastic! So happy to hear they turned out beautifully in mini bundts too! I’m not a huge fan of rv cakes either, but this have become a favorite in our house 🙂
This recipe looks wonderful – how can I adjust the measurements to bake a mini cake for my daughter’s 1st birthday cake smash?
So fun! We haven’t tried baking this cake in smaller pans, so I can’t say for sure! I’d suggest using Wilton’s handy cake serving guide for more help. You could always make the entire recipe, but follow the instructions in the pink box above the recipe to bake any leftovers as cupcakes too 🙂 Let us know what you think of this recipe when you give it a try!
Can I make this recipe using two–9 inch round pans? If so, how long should I bake?
Thanks!
Hi Lynn! Check out the pink tip box above the recipe, we included details on how to bake with 9-inch pans there 🙂 Let us know what you think of this recipe when you give it a try!
This is the best red velvet cake recipe, hands down! It’s moist and chocolate-y: two components other recipes that I’ve made have lacked! The only alteration I made was using a little less sugar for the frosting than the recipe called for. 🙂
So happy you love this recipe!
Whoops!
CHECK FLOUR MEASUREMENTS
Made the fatal mistake of not double checking cups to grams. Conversions can be different for different ingredients.
Trust your instincts too!
Hi Tessa, can this be made in a sheet pan?
Hi Karyn! We haven’t tried that, so I can’t say for sure how it’ll turn out, but you’re welcome to experiment! Let us know how it goes if you do 🙂