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A slice of red velvet cake being lifted from the cake with a stack of plates in the background.
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Red Velvet Cake

Moist and tender with a tangy cream cheese frosting, this Red Velvet Cake is a classic dessert that everyone will love. It's the perfect cake for any occasion.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours
Servings 6 servings
Calories 1504kcal
Author John Kanell

Equipment

  • 6-inch or 9-inch cake pans
  • Mixing Bowls
  • Electric hand or stand mixer
  • Wire cooling rack
  • Piping bag and tip

Ingredients

For the Cake:

  • 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour (300g)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature (113g)
  • 1 ½ cups granulated sugar (300g)
  • 2 large eggs room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 1 cup buttermilk room temperature (240ml)
  • 1 tablespoon white vinegar
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons liquid red food coloring

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

  • 2 8-ounce blocks cream cheese room temperature (454g)
  • 1 ½ cups unsalted butter room temperature (340g)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Pinch kosher salt
  • 1 ½ pounds confectioners sugar sifted (5½ cups/675g)

Instructions

For the Cake:

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour three 6-inch cake pans. (See notes about using two 9-inch cake pans.)
  • In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, salt, and baking soda.
  • In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter on medium speed. Add in sugar and mix on medium until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs in one at a time, beating each until well combined. Beat in the vanilla.
  • Sift the cocoa powder into the butter mixture and beat just until combined. Scrape down the bowl.
  • In a liquid measuring cup, mix together the buttermilk, vinegar, and red food coloring. (The more you use the brighter the color when baked.)
  • With the mixer on low speed, add half of the flour mixture followed by half of the buttermilk mixture to the mixing bowl, beating just until combined. Repeat with the remaining flour and buttermilk. Stop and scrape down the bowl occasionally. Divide the batter among the prepared pans.
  • Bake for about 30 to 35 minutes or until the centers are springy to the touch. When done, let them cool in their pans for about 10 minutes, then turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

  • In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and cream cheese together on medium speed until smooth and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
  • Add the vanilla and salt and beat until combined.
  • Sift the confectioner's sugar into a large bowl.
  • With the mixer on low speed, gradually the sugar into the butter mixture until combined. Stop and scrape down the bowl occasionally. Increase speed to medium and beat until fluffy, about 1 minute. Place about a cup of frosting to a piping bag with a decorative tip.

For the Assembly:

  • Place a cake layer on a cake stand or serving plate. Spread about ½ cup of frosting on top of the cake. Place another cake layer on top and repeat with the frosting. Top with the final cake layer and spread the remaining frosting all over the top and sides of the cake.
  • Use a bench scraper or offset spatula to smooth out the cake. Pipe a decorative border on top of the cake or as desired. Chill the cake for about 1 hour or until the frosting is set. Any leftover cake should be covered and can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerated for up to 1 week.

Video

Notes

  • If the tops of your cake layers are domed, use a serrated knife to cut off the top of the domes so you can stack them evenly. Alternatively, use cake strips to help your cake layers come out evenly. Cake strips work by keeping the outside edge of the pan cooler to ensure that the entire cake rises at the same rate, preventing a dome from forming in the middle. If you don’t want to buy cake strips, I have a post on how to DIY cake strips.
  • I highly recommend using a scale to measure your flour as it’s the most accurate method. If you don’t have a scale, fluff your flour with a spoon and spoon it into your cups before leveling it off with a knife. This method prevents you from overpacking the measuring cup.
  • If the ingredients were refrigerated, such as the eggs, milk, and cream cheese, it’s best to bring them to room temperature before using them so they mix effortlessly without overmixing.
  • Be gentle when handling the layers during assembly, as the cake is very tender.
  • The best way to let your butter come to room temperature is to bring it out of the fridge 1 to 2 hours beforehand and allow it to sit on your kitchen counter. Softening the butter in the microwave will carry the risk of it melting and making the cream cheese frosting runny. To speed up the process of the butter coming to room temperature, you can cube it instead of leaving the sticks whole.
  • Make sure to sift the dry ingredients to remove any lumps. This will help to keep the cake’s crumb soft and light.
  • For a large cake, divide the batter among two 9-inch round cake pans. The layers will be a bit thinner, so the bake time will decrease by about 5 minutes.
  • If you do not have any buttermilk, see my post on how to make buttermilk with only two ingredients.

Nutrition

Calories: 1504kcal | Carbohydrates: 212g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 66g | Saturated Fat: 41g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 17g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 238mg | Sodium: 1177mg | Potassium: 392mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 167g | Vitamin A: 2087IU | Calcium: 350mg | Iron: 3mg