You won’t believe how easy it is to make this classic Red Velvet Cake recipe from scratch! This cake is so incredibly soft, tender, and moist With its wonderful velvety texture and fluffy, you won’t be able to get enough of this irresistible cake.
Whether you are looking for a stunning red cake for Valentine’s Day or just need a showstopping cake for birthdays, holidays, or any other occasion, this red velvet cake recipe fits the bill. More than just a red-tinted vanilla cake, this cake is tangy and buttery, with a mild cocoa and sweet vanilla flavor.
Prep Time:
10 mins
Cook Time:
30 mins
Total Time:
40 mins
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Ten basic ingredients commonly found in most kitchens are all it takes to create this cake.
- Home cooks love the moist, fluffy texture and soft crumb of this cake.
Recipes:
- Flour 2 1/2 cups
- Vegetable Oil 1 1/2 cups
- Sugar 1 1/2 cups
- Egg 2Large
- Butter milk 1cup
- Coco Powder 1tsp
- Red Food Coloring 1tsp
- Baking Soda 1tsp
- Vinegar 1tsp
- Salt 1tsp
- Cream Vanilla 1tsp
How to Make Red Velvet Cake
This cake comes together in a snap if you follow these straightforward steps:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat 3 8-inch round pans with nonstick spray, then cut parchment rounds to fit in the bottom of the pans. Place the parchment rounds in the pans and coat them again with nonstick spray. Set them aside for the moment.
- Mix the wet ingredients. In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add the oil, eggs, buttermilk, vinegar, and vanilla. Mix on medium speed until everything is combined. Then, add in the sugar and mix until it is incorporated.
- Start adding in the dry ingredients. Next, add the cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda, mixing on medium speed for 30 seconds, or until no lumps remain in the cocoa powder.
- Stir in the flour. Turn the mixer to low and add in the flour and red food coloring. Mix until smooth (30 seconds to 1 minute), scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary.
- Pour the cake batter into the pans. Divide the cake batter equally into the 3 8-inch or 9-inch prepared pans. An 8-inch pan gives a thicker layer and a 9-inch pan makes the layers thinner. The bake time isn’t too much different, though.
- Bake the cakes. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let the cakes cool. Let them cool in their pans for 10 minutes and then turn the cakes out onto a cooling rack to cool completely. If the layers become domed, use a serrated knife to trim the tops when cooled, so they layer flat!
- Frost the cake. Use the frosting of your choice to frost your red velvet cake!
Tips for Success
As you can see, the process is pretty simple, but there are a few more tips that make baking this red velvet cake a breeze:
- What kind of food coloring do you need? I use old school Excellent Blend food coloring, because that’s the best for me. I know there are all sorts of fancy food dyes out now, with more natural ingredients, so please feel free to use whatever you feel comfortable with. I write this recipe using that brand.
- Don’t skip adding both the buttermilk AND the vinegar. I find that the combo of the two is what really makes the texture of this cake special.
- What to use if you run out of buttermilk. If you find that you don’t have buttermilk and don’t want to run to the store, you can make a buttermilk substitute very easily at home (a cup of milk and white vinegar). Keep in mind that you will still need to add the extra vinegar the recipe calls for on top of what is added to the homemade buttermilk. Using both buttermilk and vinegar is the “secret trick” I use in my recipe to make it so tender!