Red Velvet Cake
After yesterday’s post, I thought it was only appropriate to follow up with the real thing. No purse this time. This is all cake.
Velvety and yes … red.
And delicious. And moist. And one of my favorites.
It’s covered in cream cheese frosting that’s to die for. Help me.
There’s something about a red velvet cake that always makes me feel good inside. And it’s not just the taste. It’s the memories it brings of family and holidays and home. But it doesn’t have to be saved for special occasions. I think it should be loved all year long.
Red Velvet Cake
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 Tablespoon cocoa
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups oil
1 cup buttermilk
1 Tablespoon vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 oz. red food coloring
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Grease and flour two 8 inch cake pans.
- Lightly stir eggs in a medium bowl with a wire whisk. Add remaining liquid ingredients and stir together with whisk until blended. Set aside.
- Place all the dry ingredients in your mixing bowl and stir together really good with another wire whisk.
- Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix on medium-high for about a minute or until completely combined.
- Pour into cake pans and then drop the pans on the counter a few times to release any air bubbles.
- Bake for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- After about ten minutes, remove from pans and cool completely on a wire rack. I also cover in plastic wrap while the cakes cool.
- Then make the frosting.
Note: This cake has a pretty good amount of oil and is really moist. I haven’t tried this one with cake balls yet. But, if I did, I would either use less oil or less frosting to mix together. Next time I make it, I’ll do a little experimenting.
Cream Cheese Frosting
8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
6 cups confectioners’ sugar
- Sift sugar and set aside.
- Beat cream cheese and butter on high until creamy. Add vanilla.
- Then, add the sugar in batches. Scrape down the sides in between each addition.
- And frost away.
Please enjoy your heart out.
I bought that red velvet clutch, you are no good for my bank account. You are also no good for my waist line. This looks SO fabulous. I’m going to make this asap, in my giant cupcake pan!
Hi Bakerella! I am loving this red velvet cake!!! Yum! Thank you for the recipe, and the giveaway (even though I did not win!) I will just have to figure out a way to save enough money to buy my own before this baby is born in July! :)
YUMMY!!! Red velvet is definitely one of my faves! It looks so rich and moist! Thanks for all your yummy creations!!!
Yum- I’ve only had red velvet cake once… but these pictures look so good I think I might have to try this the next time I make a cake!
This cake is mouth watering. Red is my fav color. What a great way to use the color. :)
That looks so good! and i love your cake stand, it very cute!
Wow. Red and white, what an elegant combination. The richness, the textures, and everything is simply too good.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I LOVE your sweets pictures! You always know the best way to pair backgrounds and dishes with your desserts! Mmmm this looks soo delicious!!
This is too funny… I was just thinking to myself that I wanted to find a recipe for red velvet made from scratch!!! Thank you, can’t wait to try it out!!
i am making this stat…. i am so excited. even more excited for this than the bag yesterday…
it looks beautiful!!! i absolutely love red velvet.
Bakerella,
FYI I would not use that cake or any other cake with a high oil content. I have used leftover cake scrapes that had a high oil content before and it doesnt work that great. It looks aweful, its looks greasy and is really moist so the use of icing isn’t needed to bind it.
Just trying to help out another baker! :)
Not true.
I LOVE Red Velvet Cake and we have made this in our family since I was little. The recipe is the same as yours but you have got to try our frosting:) You will LOVE it!!!!
Frosting:
Cook together –
1 c. Milk
5 Tbl. Flour
Cream 2 cubes Butter and 1 c. Sugar.
Add 1 tsp. Vanilla to cooked mixture and than add to sugar mixture. Beat till smooth and creamy – this takes quite a long time to fluff up.
I used this recipe the first time I tried your cake pops cause it’s so hard to find RV cake in the box in my area and they are so so good with the real deal!;) Thanks for your blog I love it and get lots of my baking inspiration from ya!!
Hi I don’t understand exactly what you mean by ( 2 cubes ?of butter) what is that in grams … thanks
Is this a nive dense- carving style cake? It looks DIVINE!
I made red velvet cake for my last tea, and it went over so well that a girl who swore she hated red velvet took home two pieces and ate them both! It’s addictive when done right!
P.S. My Red Velvet Cake recipe doesn’t have oil in it I just noticed so let me know if you want to try it for cake pops…they turned out GREAT and I would rather use it than the box mix! I have to a lot cause I can’t find the box mix around here anymore:) Just thought I would share!!
How do you get 2 oz. of red food coloring? I’m only familiar with the little bottles that you use to add “drops” one by one. Can you buy food coloring in “bulk”?
best to use gel color like wilton no taste red for best results
Oooh sweet jebus! It’s one of my favorites!
Do you have a good recipe for a humming bird cake??
The Red Velvet cake looks very YUMMY!!! and…..THIS IS SO NOT GOOD for me! :D~
mmmmm wow. I can’t wait to try this.
sara – that makes me happy
Noel – yeah, I know what you mean. I’ve done them with homemade cakes that have too much oil and they are no fun.
Rachel – I haven’t done much carving, but I don’t think this is the one you want. Simple shapes maybe.
Shannon – thanks!
Jenny M – you can get 1 oz bottles in the grocery store near the extracts and spices. You can pop the lid off and pour it out.
Looks incredible, I must resist making one…well just until my anniversary next month. It was the first cake I ever made my husband.
Thank you for this recipe, this has to be the easiest recipe to put together that I have seen. I will definitely be trying this soon.
I’m at high altitude. Can you make any recommendations or suggestions? Do I need to add flour and water or what should I do so that your recipe isn’t a total failure? Thanks for the advice, I can guarantee mine will never be as pretty as yours!
Sharon – It’s based on my grandmother’s recipe which is even easier. She just wrote “mix it all together” on the recipe card. :)
Thank you, thank you, thank you!! I’ve been wanting to try making a red velvet cake but couldn’t bear to pay for those $10/box mixes! Can’t wait to give this recipe a try!!
Jennifer – I’ve never adjusted for that kind of baking. But maybe this will help.
http://www.highaltitudebaking.com/adj_recipes.htm
There’s something so beautiful about that lovely red cake with thick white frosting!! I’ve never made red velvet cake before, so I think I’ll have to try this recipe!!
Yes, yes, yes!! So excited to try this!
That takes me back to my Great Grandma’s farm on a Sunday afternoon…yummy!
You.ruined.my.diet. lol! I’m on weight watchers, so I’ll have to save this for my birthday or something!! Any chance of you doing a low fat version?? lol
How big of cake pans would you suggest using? Also is there a good way to get the cake out of the pan without it falling apart?
Whoa. Nice frosting job, Bakerella.
The cake looks delicious and beautiful but what do you use for the background in your pictures? It always coordinates with your subject…is it paper or fabric? Just wondering. I would also like to know how you take the depth of field pictures. You are everything I want to be: A great cook and photographer!
But you’re using the absolutely WRONG icing! The best part of ‘Red Velvet Cake’ is the flour and cream icing!
Okay funny question- for someone afraid to use that much red food coloring, would you suggest a substitute?
Question…what do you do with all these sweet treats? I would weigh 500 pounds if I had all these around my house!!!
Thank you so much for sharing:) You are so wonderful and we love you:)
Wow… This belongs in a cake museum!! It’s beautiful and you can tell the cake is a great model for your camera!!! : )
The colour is rich and deep! I like the way it matches your preceding post about the hand bag, which is GORGEOUS, too!!
Take care and thanks for sharing!! Leesa
Didn’t get mine made yesterday, but seriously thinking it’s going to have to happen today. That looks beautiful. The perfect shade of red….
Great cake.. Thank you for the recipe.. ^_^
Ever since your purse post, I have been craving Red Velvet Cake (I blame it on being 7 months pregnant). I will definitely have to try out this recipe in the very near future :)
Oh! I’m on a diet! :( This looks so superb and delicious!
When I become fit, I’ll make this for myself as a prize :D
looks beautiful!!!
Thank-you! I was inspired to bake one up after seeing your last post, and I have been doing some internet research – now I can stop. (I’ve also never even tasted Red Velvet cake!) I trust all your cake recommendations. Your yellow cake is PERFECT. I use it all the time. And I’ve tried so many in the past. You rock, Bakerella!
PS. I also made oreo truffles for valentines day – they went over well :)
Yum! I always use the box mixes but I’ll have to try this!
Love at first sight! I love a red velvet cake but with chocolate Frosting, do you have a recipe for this frosting? Thank you for sharing your very special recipe.
Gina
oh wow. looks sinfully yum! hv not had red velvet in a long time & now you’re pics are making me hungry ;p
oh wow. looks sinfully yum! hv not had red velvet in a long time & now your pics are making me hungry ;p
Wow, fantastic photos, wish I could reach and grab a chunk to have with my cup of tea!
Hey just wondering, does the recipe for the cream cheese frosting hold its shape if it were piped on a cupcake? I’ve got about 115 cupcakes to frost and transport 2 hours away from where I live and wondered if this recipe could save me from a droopy mess!
you are a red velvet goddess. thanks for sharing your recipe!
Thank you so much Bakerella, you continue to amaze me!!!
oh god!!!! i am in love
Defnitley going to give this a try…the reciep i have used itnhe past is also good but this is ‘BAKERELLA’s’ recipe so a must try..:) What oil would you recommend??? And would the frostying hold if piped through a 1M tube???
For the food coloring questions here I have used Americolor Super red gel paste and realized that for a recipe that calls for 2oz i need just 1oz or less…when i made it the first time with 2 oz all of us had red teeth/ tongues and it caught onto the plates and spoons as well…:) Good for Halloween or a twilight themed party, but not otherwise!
it’s like a mixture of goodness and sin. <3
A definite must try!
I'll try baking 'em this weekend to give my friends some special treat. :D
thanks, Bakerella!
Look at my swedish blog. I made your cupcakebites yesterday. Though I didn’t get the top as smooth as I wanted to… I have to practise more!
Today I’ll get a package with some baking tools. I really regret that I didn’t but the whole “Bake Cake” store when I was in New York in November.
here in Sweden we don’t have as much baking stuff in our stores. Like colored chocolate, but I used the icing colors and it turned out quite good! Even though the white chocolate got a bit “hard”
Thanks for a really inspiring blog!
thank you thank you thank you, i was looking for a recipe for this for my valentines crafting group, but I couldnt find one, I’m so pleased you’ve blogged this as I only like to do recipes that come recommended :) thank you xxxx
Mmmmmmmm. What an amazing looking red velvet cake. It makes me wanna try!!!!
Hi!!
First time I write somethig!!Sorry for my english, I’m spanish. This cake looks lovely!! what kind of oil did you use? olive oil, sunflower oil…
I made a kind of your cakeballs, I’ll publish it soon in my blog (I’ll put the reference of your web, of course, and i’ll always be gratefull for all your ideas and recipies!!)) really I use my own recipe for the cake (with olive oil!!), but it’s your idea and the same process you use. I hope you dont be hungry with me for that…
Many kisses!! you’re the best one!!
Being an Aussie, red velvet cake is not something I’m familiar with. In fact, I’d never even heard of it before I found your site a while back! So thank you for the recipe…..all I’ve found before are references to a cake mix that I (obviously) can’t buy.
Will let you know how it works!
I have always wanted to try this cake. It’s not something that is commonly found here in Canada. Thanks so much for the recipe!
Love the color of your cake!
Oooooh, red velvet is my favorite. It always reminds me of lovely perfect happiness, and also accidentally staining my boyfriend’s shoe pink… oops.
Anyway, point is your cake stand is GORGEOUS. So is the cake, but together it’s a thing of beauty.
i’m going to try this tonight, but dairy free! margarine for butter, tofu cream cheese for cream cheese, and a mix of a tiny bit of soy mils and tofu sour cream for buttermilk.
wish me luck!! lol
Great photos! I agree, special cakes should be made all year long! It’s wonderful how food can bring us together and bring back sweet memories!
Oh wow, I’m really going to have to save this to try it later. This looks so good.
Beautiful. This is one of my favorite cake flavors!
You make me feel hungry and sad and happy, all at once. Hungry for the red velvet cake (never tried that one before), sad, because i didnt win the clutch, and happy, beause your pictures and words just make me smile.
As usual it is beautiful! I like this red velvet cake better than the other one though both are divine.
This is amazing! I have been looking at different red velvet recipes the past two days. I am going to make red velvet cupcakes….. how long do you think you would bake this recipe into cupcakes and how many do you think they would make?
My Goodness! What a beautiful red velvet cake! I have been making this cake since childhood. Yours looks so good! FYI there is a student in my class that reads your blog religiously and when we were decorating cookies for Valentine’s Day her group won the contest!! I called her little Bakerella!!!
It’s just not fair to wake up, come this computer, and see that amazingly delicious and (what I imagine) super moist cake just looking back at me!
Thanks for another fantastic recipe to recreate! This one may have to be made TONIGHT! Bakerella – you’ve done it AGAIN!
; )
I made red velvet cake balls for valentine’s day. I didn’t make it by scrtach though. I bought the cake mix and then used a whole tub of cream cheese frosting. They were good!! But a tad to moist, so when I make them again, I’m gonna use 1/2 a tub instead.
OMG! no lie, I was searching for a red velvet cake recipe yesterday… thank you thank you!! Can’t wait to try!
Kim @ http://frostmeblog.blogspot.com
Mmmmmmmmm that looks so delicious! I used vanilla bean paste in my cream cheese icing last week. It was divine!
I’ve never seen a red velvet cake that looks so delectable! Oh my!
I agree this looks fabulous but, I disagree on the cream cheese icing. The only icing for this cake is the cooked one…make something like a white sauce. Beat butter and granulated sugar together till light and fluffy. Add in the cooled flour/milk mixture. Beat again until light as angel wings. Add a tiny bit of pure vanilla. Ice your Red Velvet cake with this and you will be rewarded with a pure slice of heaven.
wow… that looks incredible. Just incredible.
Oh…my…goodness. How delectable does THAT look???
S-O-O-O Nice!! Such a beautiful cake!! I would try today,but already had an Old Time,double layer,Chocolate Cake, w / Chocolate Frosting. Lady,you do some very nice things,especially designed around kids!! This puts you,up above many!! Love the site,and the point of building homemakers!!
Looks delish and beautiful! BTW, do you have any good tips for not getting crumbs in the frosting? Lately, I’ve been so frustrated that I’ve either used chocolate frosting (not on RV cake tho!) so they don’t show up, or piped stars… yes matters are that desperate!
YES YES YES
That is all I have to say about that.
Wow, truly beautiful cake!
It looks too pretty to eat!
wow that looks absolutely amazing! my mouth is literally watering. i will have to make this very soon! thanks for the recipe!
You know, red velvet cake is pretty good too! But my favorite is still yellow cake with chocolate frosting!
Perfect timing! My dad is coming to visit the end of March for his birthday and has requested red velvet cake . Now I just have to figure out the high altitude adjustments.
I must admit… I’ve never eaten Red Velvet Cake… (gasp!) I know… I must see what all the “woohoo!” is about. This is the recipe. And today is the day…
its wonderfull!!! , congratulations for this pie… bye
OOOOOh, I love red velvet cake! My husband made me one for my birthday this year, and it was great! Although he, for some reason, decided the frosting recipe had too much sugar, and omitted about a third of it, so it was a bit cream cheesier than it should have been, but still delicious!!!
I’ve never had Red Velvet cake, and this seems like the perfect time to try it (if I wasn’t on a diet…:( ).
I will be completely honest with you…I have never had Red Velvet Cake…but I will not deprive my children! They will be having this TONIGHT!
Thank you for constant inspiration. My family thanks you!
Bakerella, do you think this would work well with green food coloring for a St. Patrick’s Day cake, too? Looks delicious. I haven’t made a scratch red velvet cake in years so I am looking forward to trying this recipe.
yum! so funny that you are posting about red velvet this week… I just made red velvet whoopie cream pies this weekend and posted them on my blog:
http://bakedwithloveandbutter.blogspot.com
This recipe sounds just about divine. Have you ever tried cupcakes from this particular recipe? Any trouble with the wrapper sticking to the cake?
I have never had red velvet cake. Looks good!
I’m not ashamed to say that I use red velvet cake as a serving dish for the cream cheese frosting. I love cream cheese frosting.
that is so heart beating have u made a mermaid cake
I love chocolate cake but as I ony eat good ones when I travel (to the right country, of course) I’d say my favorite is Cheese Cake !
You are killing me! Red Velvet is my 2nd fave cake! Now, I must bake.
:)