Tessa’s Recipe Rundown
Taste: Uniquely balanced with a gentle cocoa backdrop, a hint of tang from the buttermilk and vinegar, and a smooth, buttery sweetness.
Texture: Moist and melt-in-your-mouth soft, with just enough structure to withstand generous layers of frosting.
Ease: The batter comes together in no time!!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe: It’s a tried-and-true crowd-pleaser. The red color makes it a great option for holidays like Valentine’s Day, the Fourth of July, or Christmas.
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There’s something utterly irresistible about a classic Red Velvet Cake. It feels celebratory but familiar — decadent but never heavy. The combination of cocoa, vinegar, and buttermilk gives it a truly unique flavor.
This recipe in particular makes a soft, buttery, and moist cake (the trifecta 😉). If you’ve never made red velvet before, this is the perfect place to start. The batter comes together easily, bakes up beautifully, and stays incredibly soft even after frosting!
Do you want to make cupcakes instead of a cake? Check out our Red Velvet Cupcake recipe.
Great recipe, stays moist and delicious, even stood up to me messing up the way its combined. 🙂
I baked this cake for my daughter’s birthday and it was delicious!!!!
Recipe Ingredients
While the ingredient list is on the longer side, don’t let it intimidate you. It’s all easy! Each item plays an important role in creating the cake’s signature flavor and texture. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Cream cheese and unsalted butter: Used in the cake and frosting for richness and structure. Make sure both are at room temperature for smooth mixing.
- Dry ingredients: This kitchen-tested combination of flour and leavening agents gives the cake lift and balance. Measure carefully (preferably with a scale) to avoid a dense crumb.
- Sugars: Granulated sugar sweetens and moistens the cake, while powdered sugar helps make the smooth, stable frosting.
- Egg and egg yolk: Adds richness and helps create a tender crumb.
- Vegetable oil: Keeps the cake moist even after chilling (butter is not a good substitute).
- Unsweetened cocoa powder: Just enough to give classic red velvet depth without turning it into a chocolate cake.
- Hot coffee (or boiling water): Hot liquid blooms the cocoa, bringing out its full flavor. Water works as a substitute if needed, but coffee is preferred.
- My Best Chocolate Cake is another delicious coffee-infused cake!
- Buttermilk: This helps create the tenderness and flavor. I don’t recommend substituting it, but whole milk can work in a pinch with slightly different results.
- Distilled white vinegar and vanilla extract: This recipe uses small amounts to balance the sweetness and activate the leavening process.
- Red gel food coloring: I recommend using gel food coloring over natural or liquid options. I use the Americolor or Chefmaster brands!
- Ground cinnamon (optional): This adds a subtle warmth and enhances the cocoa without being overpowering.
The Perfect Frosting
Cream Cheese Frosting is the go-to for red velvet cake because its tangy flavor complements the cake’s sweetness so well. This is the same frosting I use on my Red Velvet Cookies, and it works just as beautifully on layered cakes.
For something more sturdy or to add more detailed cake decorations, try my Best Buttercream Frosting instead.
Storing & Freezing
- Storing: The cream cheese frosting for this cake will spoil if left out for extended periods. Store the cake, covered, at room temperature for up to 6 hours, then refrigerate for up to 3 days.
- Freezing: For longer storage, freeze the cake for up to 2 months. Chill until the frosting is firm, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap or place in an airtight container. If freezing the cake whole, thaw it overnight in the refrigerator before serving. Thaw individual slices in the fridge or at room temperature for 1-2 hours.
- Make-ahead: To prepare in advance, wrap the uncut, cooled cake layers tightly in several layers of plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag or airtight container. Store cake layers at room temperature for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Note: A fully frozen, well-sealed cake is still safe to eat after extended freezing (like for an anniversary bite), but some quality loss is normal. Over time, moisture migrates out of the cake, resulting in a drier, slightly spongy texture. The frosting may become grainy or weepy once thawed, and freezer odors may develop.
More Cake Recipes You’ll Love
Looking for more tried-and-true cakes? Browse some of my favorite cake recipes below, perfect for birthdays, holidays, and special occasions.
FAQs
Red velvet cake is buttery, moist, and plush, with a soft, airy crumb. It has a mild chocolate flavor and subtle tang that gives it more depth than a standard vanilla cake.
Not at all — it’s got a personality all its own! Unlike chocolate cake, red velvet cake uses only a small amount of unsweetened cocoa powder. It’s just enough to add color and depth, but let the other flavors shine through. The tangy ingredients help balance the sweetness and truly set it apart.
For a red velvet recipe that’s on the more chocolatey side, try my Chocolate-Stuffed Red Velvet Cupcakes!
Vinegar enhances the subtle tangy flavor that makes red velvet cake distinct, while also playing an important role in the cake’s texture. It reacts with the baking soda, alongside the buttermilk and cocoa powder, to help create soft, tender layers.
A few key elements work together to create that perfectly moist and fluffy crumb. Oil keeps the cake moist even after chilling or refrigeration, and the tiny bit of cocoa ensures it doesn’t dry out.
Be careful not to overmix the batter, as this can prevent the crumb from turning out tender and light.
You can, but for the best results, I recommend using my Red Velvet Cupcakes recipe! It uses the same base flavors as this cake, with a few small adjustments to ensure the cupcakes bake evenly.
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Ingredients
For the cake:
- ½ cup of plain hot coffee or boiling water
- ¼ cup (21 grams) unsweetened natural cocoa powder
- 2 ¼ cups (279 grams) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon, optional
- 2 cups (400 grams) granulated sugar
- ½ 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:
- 2 sticks (227 grams) unsalted butter, at cool room temperature
- 4 cups (500 grams) powdered sugar, sifted
- 16 ounces (454 grams) brick-style cream cheese, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
For the cake:
- Preheat oven to 325°F and line three 8-inch round cake pans with parchment rounds.
- Spray parchment and sides of pans generously with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a glass measuring cup, whisk the hot coffee and cocoa powder together, then 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 egg yolk and whisk for around twenty seconds (or until very well combined). Add in the buttermilk, vanilla, and red 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, then 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 inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Place the cake pans on cooling racks, and when they’re cool enough to touch, run a thin knife around the edges of the pans to loosen the cakes. Invert onto the wire racks and let cool completely.
For the frosting:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the softened butter and sifted powdered sugar on low. Gradually increase to medium-high to prevent a sugar cloud.
- Beat for 3 minutes until the mixture is pale, light, thick, but smooth. It may look dry or crumbly at first, but keep beating until it holds together.
- Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl and paddle, then add the cream cheese and beat on medium-high for 1 minute until fluffy.
- Add the vanilla and salt and beat for 30 seconds until fully incorporated. Scrape down the bowl again as needed.
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 and use the remaining frosting to ice the whole cake.
Notes
This post was originally published in 2013 and updated in 2022 with recipe improvements and new photos. Photos by Ashley McLaughlin.
I made this cake for a birthday party and it was delicious. Very moist and I received many compliments. The only thing was my layers were so thin. I am not sure why. I ended up making another batch and they were thin too. I used 5 layers and got the same size cake as I would normally with an 8″ 3-layer cake. Having the 5 layers was impressive but wondering if this is normal.
Hi Gina! So glad to hear that you enjoyed the flavor and texture of this cake, even if your layers were thin. As you can see in the photos of this cake, these layers will be on the thinner side compared to some cakes, but they shouldn’t be suuuuper thin. How old are your leavening agents? If your baking soda and baking powder are not fresh, they won’t do their jobs as effectively, which could be why your cake was so thin. They can lose their effectiveness long before the expiration date on the packaging. Tessa talks about the science behind leavening agents, and how to test for leavener freshness, in this article here! I would also encourage you to make the cake with real buttermilk, if you didn’t this time – it really does make a difference (check out the pink tip box, above the recipe, for more info on this). I hope that helps, Gina, and I hope you’ll give this cake another try sometime! Happy baking 🙂
i made this as a cake about almost over a year ago and it was one of the best cakes i’ve ever had. i’m planning to make it again but in mini cupcakes, can i do that or will the cupcakes have issues?
Hi Eric! So glad to hear that you enjoyed this cake so much! Our team has actually been working hard behind the scenes on a new recipe that will be perfect for you (spoiler alert: it’s a Red Velvet Cupcake recipe!). While we haven’t tried that recipe as mini cupcakes yet, that recipe will be much easier for you to adapt to mini cupcakes. Stay tuned – this recipe drops later this week!
Yummy
Wonderful and fun to make! Love the hot coffee/cocoa bit! Great flavor!
Hi I’m wondering whether the cinnamon takes the flavour profile away from a traditional red velvet and what the thought behind including it is.
Also is the melted butter necessary or would full oil make it moister.
Hi there! We recommend making the recipe as written with the specified amounts of butter and oil, for the best flavor and texture. We like the little hint of warmth the cinnamon adds, but if you’re worried about it, feel free to leave it out as it is entirely optional – no other adjustments needed. Let us know how it goes if you give this cake a try 🙂
Made a small cake for my grandpa. I’m glad I found this recipe, it was very flavorful! I added a bit of lemon juice to the cream cheese frosting, and used ermine for the middle to try something new. The family really liked it 🙂
This is no doubt, the best ever red velvet cake I’ve had in my long life! This is coming from someone who has never commented on a recipe on this platform but this recipe has given me no choice but to speak up! Brilliant work!
Thank you for your recipe!
I see other recipes using cake flour. Can I make a 1:1 substitution with all-purpose flour?
Did you also try a reverse creaming version of this recipe? I am wondering if you think there would be any significant enough difference?
Hi Lila! We haven’t tried using cake flour here, so I can’t say for sure how that will work – but this cake is already beautifully tender, so I would worry that cake flour would not give the cake enough structure. We also have not tried the reverse creaming method with this cake, but feel free to give it a try if you like! We always recommend making a recipe exactly as written once, so you have a baseline to compare to, and then experiment from there as you like. Let us know how it goes if you give this cake, and/or any of your tweaks, a try 🙂
I make this cake with cake flour and it is beautiful and soft.
I made this delicious recipe and oh my gosh! The flavor is unmatched. I did have one question. I turned the recipe into cupcakes and cooked the suggested time of 17 minutes. The cupcakes fall apart when touched. I’m using this same recipe for a cake in a few weeks. Does the cake fall apart too or should I change something to make it more sturdy? Thank you!
Hi Brianne! So glad to hear that you enjoyed the flavor of your cupcakes, even if the texture was off. This cake should be a perfectly moist, tender, and soft – but not super crumbly like you describe. I wonder if your cupcakes accidentally got a little overbaked? Your oven’s temperature could be running a little off. Do you have an oven thermometer to check that? Check out Tessa’s article here about ovens, full of tips!!
If you don’t have an oven thermometer to ensure your oven is at the temperature it says it is, invest in one now! They are inexpensive and really help your baking so much! This oven thermometer is one of Tessa’s favorites. Additionally, when baking your cake, be sure to use the size and material listed in the recipe. Tessa recommends three 8-inch cake pans for this recipe – and be sure not to use darkly coated nonstick cake pans or you may end up with dry or overbaked cake edges. Tessa’s favorite pans are linked in the Tip Box, above the recipe. I hope that helps, and I hope you love the cake! Happy baking 🙂
My family absolutely loved this cake!
This will be the second Christmas Eve celebration our family will have enjoyed this delicious recipe as our Happy Birthday Jesus cake. Thank You for sharing!
Going to try making this cake today, I really do not want to use the red dye. Would I still need to add the vinegar? Thanks for your help.
Hi Carla! Feel free to not use the red dye; however, the vinegar is still needed as it assists in making this cake rich and tender. Please let us know what you think of this recipe when you give it a try 🙂