Best Red Velvet Cake
This is the best red velvet cake recipe! It has an ultra-moist and velvety texture with a tangy cream cheese frosting that rivals any bakery version. Serve it for Valentine's Day, birthdays, and beyond!
Equipment
Ingredients
Red Velvet Cake Batter
- 3 cups all-purpose flour *See notes below for measuring*
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 cup unsalted cultured butter room temperature
- 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 1/2 cup sour cream room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons white vinegar
- 2-3 teaspoons red gel food coloring
- 2/3 cup buttermilk room temperature
- 1/3 cup hot coffee or water
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 cup unsalted cultured butter room temperature
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 8 oz full-fat cream cheese cold
- 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
Instructions
- Prepare the pans. Preheat the oven to 350 F/180 C. Line three 8-inch baking pans with parchment paper on the bottoms.
- Whisk together the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- Cream the butter and sugar. Cream the butter, sugar, and oil until light and fluffy, 5 minutes.
- Mix in the wet ingredients. Mix in the eggs one at a time, scraping the bowl between additions. Then mix in the sour cream, vanilla extract, vinegar, and red food coloring.
- Alternate wet and dry ingredients. Mix in 1/3 of the dry ingredients, then half the buttermilk, alternating ingredients, ending on dry.
- Mix in the hot coffee. With the mixer running on low speed, stream in the hot water or coffee and mix until just combined.
- Bake the cake layers. Evenly distribute the red velvet cake batter into the prepared baking pans (515 grams in each). Bake in the preheated oven for 20- 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out covered in a few moist crumbs. Once baked, cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes, then remove the layers from the pans.
- Trim the cake tops. Use a serrated knife to trim a thin layer off the tops of the cake layers. Break up the cake crumbs with your hands until very crumbly. Set aside for decorating.
- Make the cream cheese frosting. Cream the butter until smooth. Mix in the cream cheese until combined. Then mix in the powdered sugar. Once combined, add the vanilla and cream. Beat on medium speed for a few minutes until the frosting is light and fluffy (do not overbeat or it will start to look wet and curdled!).
- Assemble the cake. Assemble the cake by alternating cake layers and cream cheese frosting. Then spread a thin layer of frosting over the cake for the crumb coat. Chill the cake in the fridge for 20-30 minutes until set.
- Decorate the red velvet cake. Spread the rest of the buttercream to cover the sides and top of the cake, using a small offset spatula to swirl the sides if desired. Use the reserved cake crumbs to decorate the top of the cake. Enjoy!
- Store leftover cake slices or the assembled cake in an airtight container in the fridge for 5-7 days. They can be frozen for up to 1 month!Cake layers can be baked ahead of time, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, and stored in the freezer before assembling.
Video
Notes
*Measure your dry ingredients properly. This is my #1 baking tip! Do not ever scoop a measuring cup into your flour as this always leads to using too much flour. Instead, use the spoon-level method. This means fluffing the flour first, then spooning it into your measuring cup/spoon. For the BEST results, use a kitchen scale!*
Sheet cake: Pour the batter into a 9x13 sheet pan. Bake for roughly 30-35 minutes.
9-inch cake: Pour the batter into two 9-inch cake pans and bake for 25-30 minutes.
Cupcakes: Line a cupcake pan with liners and fill them 3/4 full with the cake batter. Bake for 18-25 minutes for 24 red velvet cupcakes!
Can I use homemade buttermilk? I recommend 1/2 cup of water mixed with 2 tablespoons of sour cream or Greek yogurt (it should equal 2/3 cup!)
Where can I find cultured butter? Can I use regular butter? I typically can find Kerrygold unsalted cultured butter at any grocery store in the silver foil package. I recommend using high-fat European butter in substitution for the best flavor. But if you can't find either one, regular butter will work.
