The BEST Red Velvet Cake
This recipe for classic red velvet cake is made completely from scratch and features a tangy cream cheese frosting. Make this cake for Valentine’s Day, Christmas, and birthdays!
If you’ve been making red velvet cake from a box until now, wait until you try the from scratch version. Only then will you understand why “velvet” is in the recipe name!
You see, it’s called “red velvet” both because of the cake’s signature crimson color, but also because of its velvety texture. The combination of natural cocoa powder, vinegar, and buttermilk in the batter creates a unique texture that no other cake has.
This crowd favorite cake might be bolder in appearance than your average layer cake, but it’s incredibly easy to prepare and requires no special ingredients or complicated prep work.
Enjoy this homemade red velvet cake any time of year — Valentine’s Day is the obvious choice, but this also makes a wonderful Christmas, birthday, or “just because” cake!
What Flavor Is Red Velvet Cake?
Red velvet cake isn’t just a prettier version of chocolate cake. Yes, there’s cocoa powder in the batter, but the overall flavor profile isn’t chocolatey.
If a cake is labeled as “red velvet,” that means it will have a mild cocoa flavor, but will also taste buttery and have vanilla undertones. The cake itself is also lightly tangy, which is complemented nicely by the cream cheese frosting.
Ingredients for This Recipe
The trick to achieving the signature color and texture of a red velvet cake is to use the right ingredients. A detailed ingredient list can be found in the recipe card below, but let’s quickly review the main things you’ll need to make this recipe:
- Cake Flour: I suggest using cake flour because it has a lower protein content than all-purpose flour, which creates a softer, lighter cake. When it comes to cake flour, two of my favorite brands are Pillsbury Softasilk and Swans Down. If you don’t have any on hand, you can use my cake flour substitute.
- Cocoa Powder: There’s 1/4 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder in this cake. The cake isn’t super chocolatey, but it has a hint of chocolate that you expect in a red velvet cake.
- Butter & Oil: The oil helps to keep the cake incredibly moist while the butter adds a rich, buttery flavor.
- Buttermilk: The buttermilk reacts with the baking soda to create a soft, tender crumb. If you don’t have any buttermilk on hand, you can make your own using my homemade buttermilk substitute.
- Vinegar: You’ll need 1 teaspoon of distilled white vinegar.
- Red Food Coloring: You’ll need one 1-ounce bottle of liquid red food coloring to make this recipe. I typically use McCormick red food coloring.
How to Make Red Velvet Cake
Despite its bold color, red velvet is one of the easiest layer cakes to prepare. Here’s an overview of the baking process:
- Prep the cake pans: Spray two 9-inch round cake pans with non-stick spray and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
- Sift together the dry ingredients: Whisk together the cake flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Then, sift the ingredients to ensure there are no clumps.
- Mix together the wet ingredients: I suggest creaming the butter and sugar together in a separate bowl for about 4 to 5 minutes. Creaming the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy incorporates more air into your cake batter, creating a softer and lighter cake. Once the butter and sugar are ready, mix in the eggs one at a time. Then, stir in the oil, red food coloring, vanilla, and vinegar. Don’t add the buttermilk just yet!
- Alternate adding the dry ingredients with the buttermilk: To the wet ingredients, you’ll need to add the dry ingredients in three increments, alternating with the buttermilk. Make sure to start and end with the dry ingredients and mix in each addition just until combined.
- Bake: Divide the cake batter between the two prepared cake pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let the cake layers cool in the pans for 15 minutes before inverting onto a wire cooling rack.
- Make the cream cheese frosting: I like to use a stand mixer to do this, but a hand mixer works just fine too! Beat the cream cheese until smooth, then add the butter and mix for an additional minute. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla and mix until well combined.
- Assemble the layer cake: I recommend leveling the tops of each cake layer using a cake leveler or a knife. From there, it’s just a matter of spreading frosting over the first layer, placing the second layer on top, and then frosting the top and sides of the cake. An offset spatula makes easy work of this!
Additional Frosting Options
I used my favorite cream cheese frosting for this cake and increased the amount to have enough to frost it. If you want to try another frosting, my vanilla buttercream frosting or ermine frosting would be delicious too.
Can This Recipe Be Used to Make Cupcakes?
Yes! This recipe will make about 30 to 32 cupcakes and take 15 to 18 minutes to bake. If you prefer less cupcakes, you can try my red velvet cupcake recipe instead. It’s very similar to this recipe, but scaled down to make 16 cupcakes.
Baking Tips
- Be sure that all of your ingredients are at room temperature before getting started.
- Make sure to sift the dry ingredients to remove any lumps of cocoa powder. This will also help to keep the cake soft and light!
- If you want to make it easier to get the cake layers out of your pans I suggest using parchment paper. I use these parchment liners from Wilton and LOVE them.
- Alternate mixing the dry ingredients in three additions with the buttermilk, this will help to prevent over mixing the cake batter.
More Red Velvet Desserts You’ll Love!
Recipe Video
Red Velvet Cake
Ingredients
For the red velvet cake:
- 2 ⅔ cups cake flour (spooned & leveled) (295 grams)
- ¼ cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder (22 grams)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened (115 grams)
- 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar (350 grams)
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- ½ cup canola or vegetable oil (120 ml)
- 1 (1-ounce) bottle liquid red food color
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
- 1 ⅓ cups buttermilk at room temperature (320 ml)
For the cream cheese frosting:
- 12 ounces brick-style cream cheese softened (340 grams)
- ¾ cup unsalted butter softened (175 grams)
- 3 cups powdered sugar (360 grams)
- 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- To make the red velvet cake layers: Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Spray two 9-inch cake pans well with nonstick cooking spray, line the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper, and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cake flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Then, sift the dry ingredients to remove any lumps of cocoa powder. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl using a handheld mixer, cream together the butter and sugar on medium speed for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the eggs and mix until fully combined, then mix in the oil, red food coloring, vanilla extract, and vinegar, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Mix in the dry ingredients in three additions alternating with the buttermilk, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Make sure to mix in each addition until just combined and be careful not to over mix the batter.
- Evenly distribute the cake batter between the two prepared cake pans and spread the batter around into one even layer. Tap the pans on the counter 2 to 3 times to remove any air bubbles from the cakes.
- Bake for 28 to 32 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean. Carefully remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool in the pans for 15 to 20 minutes. Then, carefully remove the cakes from the cake pans and place on the wire rack to cool completely.
- To make the cream cheese frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl using a handheld mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the butter and mix for about 30 seconds to 1 minute until well combined and smooth.
- Mix in the powdered sugar and vanilla extract and continue mixing until fully combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- To assemble the cake: Level the tops of each cake with a knife or cake leveler. Place one of the cake layers on a cake stand or plate, top with a layer of frosting, and smooth it out into one even layer. Place the second layer on top, then use the remaining frosting to frost the top and sides of the cake.
I am astonished on how brilliant this recipe turned out! I made this for my sisters birthday and everyone enjoyed it. I am excited to try more recipes from your website.
Hi, thank you for sharing your lovely recipes…is the cake stable enough for stacking? I would like to double up the recipe to make a tall 4 layer cake.
Thank you
Yes, it should hold up just fine with 4 layers.
Can I make this recipe in three 8” pans? Thank you 🙂
That would be fine!
I made the recipe with my daughter! We followed the recipe to the letter and the texture and everything was perfect.
however it wasn’t very red! Just brown!! I used a whole bottle of red food dye which was 37ml which I calculate is more than 1 ounce as per the recipe. What did we do wrong?
Hi, Jenni! I’m wondering if it may have been your cocoa powder. What kind did you use?
Can I substitute lime juice for the vinegar?
That should be fine.
Hi. Is there any possible substitute for distilled white vinegar?
I think lemon juice would be fine.
I have to make this cake gluten and dairy free. My only question is regarding the food coloring. I can find gluten free gel coloring, but not liquid. How would I substitute?
I’m not quite sure since I’ve only used liquid food coloring. After you mixed together the wet ingredients, I would add maybe 1 teaspoon at a time until it looks about the same color as the batter in the photos in the post.
I followed the recipe to a tee and it was very good! Everyone was impressed! Thanks!
Hi, so I did the cream cheese frosting but it was too runny. How can I fix it?
Did you happen to use cream cheese spread that’s in a tub? If so that can make the frosting runny. I recommend sticking with the blocks of cream cheese.
hi.. I need to make a 2 Kg cake for a birthday. My cake tin is 8x 10 inches. Is this recipe enough to make two of 8×10 trays and yielding a 2 kg cake?
Hi, Iresha! I honestly haven’t tried it in that size pan so I’m not quite sure.
How much does your recipe make in total? 1 kg of cake or 2 kg of cake?
I’m not sure how much the cake weighs once it’s baked.
This is like my best red velvet cake recipe. You are an Inspiration
love ur recipe ? fail proof indeed…thank you ?
First time I’ve ever made a red velvet cake and it turned out really good! I was so impressed! I cut down the cream cheese frosting in half and there was still ample frosting for the whole cake!
Will the texture or taste change if I add powder food colouring?
It really depends on how much you’re adding. If it’s a small amount, maybe 1-2 tablespoons I think it would be okay.
Can I use gel food color instead of liquid food color? Will that affect the texture of the cake? Thanks!
Gel food coloring would be fine. I’m not sure how much you will need, I would start with less then add more as needed.
can i use all purpose flour instead?
I would recommend cake flour if you have some, but you can make cake flour with all-purpose flour and cornstarch. You can find my cake flour substitute here.
I am using presto cake flour which has baking powder and salt in it. Do I have to change the amount of baking soda?
Hi, Kim! This recipe doesn’t call for any baking powder, so even if you adjust the baking soda, the cake may not rise properly. I would recommend using regular cake flour or making your own with all-purpose flour and cornstarch. I have a cake flour substitute here.
I made the cake, came out really tasty but crumbled, the only thing that I use different was that I used all purpose flour, a little bit more cocoa powder and I baked on a bunt pan. Any suggestions about why crumbled? The taste was fantastic!!
Hi, Andrea! All-purpose flour is denser than cake flour. I do recommend cake flour for this recipe, you can find my cake flour substitute here. Also, cocoa powder can dry out baked goods so using more along with a different kind of flour may be why the cake didn’t turn out quite right.
Hello,
I wanted to make a 1/4 sheet cake…could you tell me if this recipe would yield enough batter?
I think it would be enough.
During our “stay home” time recently, I thought I would take up a new skill; baking. This is the first cake I have ever attempted to make from scratch. A neighbor friend loves Red Velvet Cake so for their birthday, I thought I would impress them with a handmade cake since many bakeries were closed. Not only were they impressed I impressed myself as well. The cake was outstanding, moist, flavorful, and our friend and another neighbor enjoyed the slices we divided up to share since we could not have a party to celebrate. I followed the recipe to the letter but I used cake pans designed for a four-layer cake which I carefully monitored and tested with the toothpick. I wish I could share the photos of my creation here so you could enjoy them as much as my Facebook friends did. I have shared this recipe with a number of friends and with my birthday coming up, I’ve decided to make another one as a present to myself. Thank you for posting such a great recipe, it made many people happy during a difficult time, and this novice baker felt like an experienced pastry chef for a day.
So glad you enjoyed the cake, Mark!
Hi my maryjane from lagos nigeria whatvis the substitute for buttermilk cos i csnt get one to buy and i think this is a great start for me i want to make for my son upcoming birthday
Hi, Mary Jane! You can find my buttermilk substitute in the recipe notes. Here’s a link to the buttermilk substitute as well.
This recipe seems really nice! I was wondering if I could reduce the sugar?
You could probably reduce it by 1/4 – 1/2 cup, but I wouldn’t reduce it by more than that otherwise the it will affect the taste and texture of the cake.
Thanks so much for the recipe. My first bake for my hubby’s birthday and it was so yum..
I tried this recipe just now but wonder why my cake turned very crumbly, too soft and cracked easily. It even fell apart when I took it out of the pan (I was expecting it to be kind of solid heavy and moist one). It tastes heavenly though, the chocolatey, tangy and sweetness levels are just perfect. I’m sure I have prepared and measured all the ingredients just as directed in the recipe. As for vegetable oil, I used palm oil instead of canola and I used buttermilk substitute as noted on your blog as much as “1 cup/250ml milk + white vinegar” instead of 320 ml buttermilk. Do you think that would be the case? I love trying new recipes and I’d like to know where I did wrong.
Did you only use 1 cup of the buttermilk substitute? If so, that may be why. If you make it again, you’ll want to make an equal amount (1 and 1/3 cups, or 320 ml) of the buttermilk substitute.
Noted, thanks. Will do later 🙂
Can I use all purpose flour instead of cake flour? Also is it okay to substitute rice wine vinegar for the distilled white vinegar? Thank you.
Yes, but I would add cornstarch and make the cake flour substitute that I have in the recipe notes. The rice wine vinegar should be okay too.
This recipe truly is the best red velvet cake. Every time I make this for my friends and family they love it! This cake has always turned at really moist and always tastes fantastic. You need to try this cake recipe now!! 🙂
will this be able to fit in a 9, 7, and 4 inch pan in order to make a 3 tier cake?
I haven’t tried it, but it may work. You could increase the recipe by 1.5 if you’re worried about it though and use any leftover batter to make cupcakes.
Do you recommend changing this recipe for high altitude (5000)
I’m not familiar with high altitude baking, so I’m not quite sure. King Arthur Flour has a great guide on their site though for adjusting recipes for high altitude that some readers have found helpful!
This recipe looks so good. Would I be able to use three 9 inch tins.
You can, but the layers may be a bit thin. You can multiply the recipe by 1.5 if you’re wanting taller layers.
Made this cake for my husband’s birthday on Monday evening. It is now Saturday afternoon and we’rehaving the last slice…it is still as moist as it was on Monday. Amazing!
I didn’t have enough granulated sugar so I added half a cup of castor sugar
Can I substitute all purpose flour for cake flour?
Hi, Sandy! You can make your own cake flour with all-purpose flour and cornstarch. I have a post on how to make cake flour here.
Cake when refrigetrated became hard. How to get it back to moist texture ?
Just let it come to room temperature and that should fix it.
This looks like a great recipe! Thanks for sharing.
Would it work if I used an 8″ square cake pan (in two separate batches) instead of (2) 9″ round pans? Also, would it be OK to replace canola oil with coconut oil? Appreciate your insight.
Yes, the 8-inch pans would be fine, you may need to adjust the baking time slightly. Coconut oil will be fine too, just make sure all of your other ingredients are at room temperature so the coconut oil doesn’t solidify.
Why must be 2 9 inch pans? Can I bake in 1 9 inch pan and cut into half instead?
How should I adjust if I only have a 6 inch pan?
You can cut the recipe in half and bake it in one 9-inch cake pan. I’m not sure how you would need to adjust the recipe for one 6-inch pan though.
I haven’t made this recipe yet, but i was wondering what the vinegar does.
It’s adds a little extra acidity to react with the baking soda.
Hi i was thinking about making this recipe for my sisters birthday but i was wondering if the cream cheese was enough to decorate the edges and write a little message on the cake.
The cream cheese is enough to decorate the cake like the pictures. If you’re writing not writing too much on the cake I think it would be enough. You can feel free to increase the amount though just to be safe!
The vinager helps the cake batter from not sticking to the sides of your bowl. I have tried the recipe and it turned out great! The family wants me to make it again.