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Red Velvet Cake

Red Velvet Cake

This easy recipe for classic Red Velvet Cake delivers three light and fluffy layers of beautiful red cake, flavored with chocolate, and decorated with generous swirls of cream cheese frosting.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Cooling Time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 50 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 18 slices
Calories 473 kcal

Equipment

  • cake pans
  • Mixing Bowls
  • Stand Mixer
  • serrated knife
  • Bench Scraper

Ingredients
  

For the Cake

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 4 whole eggs at room temperature
  • 1.5 cups milk
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 tablespoons white vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1.75 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon red gel food coloring

For the Frosting

  • 16 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
  • 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 0.25 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 0.5 teaspoon salt
  • 4 cups powdered sugar

Instructions
 

Prepare the Cake

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease 3 cake pans (8-inch), line with parchment paper, and set aside.
  • Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl. Set aside.
  • In another large bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, vegetable oil, white vinegar, and vanilla extract until thoroughly combined.
  • Add sugar to the wet ingredients and whisk until the sugar has dissolved.
  • Add in the sifted dry ingredients. Slowly whisk or fold until the mixture is just combined. Be careful not to overmix, as this could lead to a dense and gummy cake.
  • Add the food coloring and mix until the batter is an even, dark red color.
  • Divide the batter evenly into the three cake pans.
  • Bake for 25 to 28 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through the bake time.
  • Remove the cake from the oven and cool in the pans for 10 minutes.
  • Carefully flip the cakes out of the pans onto a wire cooling rack. Allow to cool completely.

Prepare the Frosting

  • In a bowl or stand mixer, beat the cream cheese, butter, and heavy whipping cream until smooth.
  • Add in the vanilla and salt and mix until incorporated.
  • Mix in the powdered sugar one cup at a time at a slow speed.
  • If the frosting is too thick, add in 1 tablespoon of heavy cream at a time. If it is too thin, add in 2 to 4 tablespoons of powdered sugar at a time.
  • Cover and set aside until ready to use.

Assemble the Cake

  • Using a serrated knife or a cake leveling tool, trim and level the tops of the cakes. You can reserve the scraps of cake to crumble and decorate the cake with after frosting.
  • Add a bit of icing to the cake stand to help the cake stick to the stand and not move.
  • Spread an even layer of cream cheese frosting between each layer of cake.
  • Spread a thin coat of frosting on the sides and top of the cake. Smooth it using a bench scraper. Add another layer of frosting, if desired.
  • Optionally, pipe a frosting border along the edge of the cake.
  • Cut and serve.

Notes

To store, place the cake in a domed cake plate. Keep in the refrigerator for 3 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 1sliceCalories: 473kcalCarbohydrates: 65gProtein: 6gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 13gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 98mgSodium: 362mgPotassium: 114mgFiber: 1gSugar: 48gVitamin A: 788IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 63mgIron: 1mg
Keyword homemade red velvet cake, layer cake, red velvet cake from scratch
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