Red Velvet Cake Recipe Step By Step

This Red Velvet Cake recipe is far more complex than a chocolate cake with red food coloring. The tenderizing buttermilk and vinegar create a texture that's soft, velvety, and full of tangy-rich flavor. Plus this recipe only needs one bowl, so it's an easy delicious recipe with very little cleanup required. Pair it with cream cheese frosting or Ermine buttercream for a new favorite cake recipe!

Red food color can have a bitter flavor, so you don’t need to over-color this cake, the cocoa powder and food coloring work together to deepen the color. (You don’t even have to use red if you don’t want to!)

There are so many versions of red velvet cake, but to get to make the best version I referred back to these authentic ingredients that always make this classic cake a success.

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Buttermilk: This is a key ingredient to achieving the tender “velvety” texture of this cake. The lactic acid (which is milder than lemon juice or vinegar) breaks down the long strands of gluten, and it thickens the buttermilk, giving it a creamy quality. I recommend using real cultured buttermilk for this cake to give it that distinct “velvet” flavor. If you don’t have any buttermilk on hand, learn how to make it with my buttermilk substitute recipe.

White Vinegar: It sounds like a strange ingredient in a cake, but it is essential for helping the baking soda leaven the cake. Originally red velvet cake was colored with beet juice, however, when it is baked it can turn blue, so the acid from the vinegar would keep the beet juice a vibrant red color. You can use a different vinegar or acid, like lemon juice and it will achieve the same chemical reaction.

Cocoa Powder: The purpose of cocoa powder in this recipe might not be what you think it is! The natural cocoa powder works alongside the buttermilk and vinegar to tenderize the flour and create a softer, finer, velvety crumb.

Red Velvet Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting L The Novice Chef

Is this your first time decorating a cake? Watch my free video tutorial on how to decorate a cake for the first time.

Room temperature ingredients are important. Make sure your buttermilk and eggs are slightly warm and your butter is soft but not melted so that your ingredients mix together properly.

Yes, you can definitely use this recipe for cupcakes. Do not fill cupcake liners more than ⅔ of the way full or they will overflow and collapse. Then bake at 335°F for 15 to 20 minutes until the tops bounce back when you touch them.

Gluten Free Red Velvet Cake {dairy Free Option}

You can use an equal amount (by weight) of sour cream or you can add 1 tablespoon of vinegar into regular milk and let it sit a few minutes until it starts to curdle to make homemade buttermilk.

Classic Red Velvet Cake is far more complex than a chocolate cake with red food coloring. Buttermilk and vinegar naturally bring out the red undertones in the cocoa powder, giving the cake a red tint. They also break down the gluten in flour resulting in a more tender cake. The small amount of cocoa allows the other flavors to come through and not be masked with the deep richness that is in a traditional chocolate cake.

Red velvet cake flavor is very tangy and slightly acidic with a hint of chocolate. That's a pretty unique flavor combination but when you add in some cream cheese frosting or ermine frosting, then it adds even more tangy flavor.

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One bowl, one spatula, one amazing cake! The cake is soft and tangy and has a personality of its own, which is why it’s so popular! It pairs perfectly with cream cheese frosting, ermine frosting, or my personal favorite, white chocolate ganache.

If you do not have buttermilk, you can use an equal amount (by weight) of sour cream or you can add 1 tablespoon of vinegar into regular milk and let it sit a few minutes until it starts to curdle to make homemade buttermilk.

1. Bring all your ingredients to room temperature or even a little warm (eggs, buttermilk, butter, etc) to ensure your batter does not break or curdle. 

Frosted Rich And Moist Red Velvet Cake Recipe

2. Use a scale to weigh your ingredients (including liquids) unless otherwise instructed (Tablespoons, teaspoons, pinch etc). Metric measurements are available in the recipe card. Scaled ingredients are much more accurate than using cups and help ensure the success of your recipe. 

3. Practice Mise en Place (everything in it's place). Measure out your ingredients ahead of time and have them ready before you start mixing to reduce the chances of accidentally leaving something out.

4. Chill your cakes before frosting and filling. You can cover a frosted and chilled cake in fondant if you wish. This cake is also great for stacking. I always keep my cakes chilled in the refrigerator before delivery for easy transporting. 

Australian Moist Red Velvet Cake Recipe

Serving: 1 serving | Calories: 446 kcal | Carbohydrates: 59 g | Protein: 3 g | Fat: 22 g | Saturated Fat: 15 g | Cholesterol: 54 mg | Sodium: 305 mg | Potassium: 59 mg | Sugar: 45 g | Vitamin A: 480 IU | Calcium: 32 mg | Iron: 1 mg